Moving to a new home is never easy, but it can be particularly difficult on kids. If you’re looking to move to a new home, and you have kids, you may be wondering how you can make it a little easier on them. With that in mind, here are a few strategies you can try, that will hopefully remove some stress for both you and your kids.
Relieve Stress on Yourself
The first thing you should focus on is relieving stress for yourself. Moving is a stressful time, and if you let it get to you, this will wear off on your kids. They can detect our emotions better than we think, so if you’re stressed out, your kids will know it. Rather than trying to hide it, a better strategy is to remove the stress as much as you can.
There are a few ways to do this. First, you’ll want to start planning your move early. The more time you give yourself, the easier everything will be in the long run. Besides that, you’ll want a decent team on your side. This means either gathering together a good group of friends and family orhiring a mover. According to these some movers, “Moving from one dwelling, or location, to the next is never a task for the faint of heart. There are a thousand decisions to make. One of the biggest decisions to make is whether to hire a moving company or not.”
Take your financial situation into account, along with the amount of help you have and your ability to move things on your own. If you decide you can’t do it, don’t hesitate to hire a good moving team, as they will remove a lot of your stress.
Talk to Them Early
Next, once you decide to move, you’ll want to sit your kids down and talk with them. A big move isn’t something you want to spring on your kids suddenly – give them time to adjust to the idea. Talk about the move in an exciting way, and mention all the great benefits that will come with it – a bigger bedroom, a cool backyard, a better school, etc.
Help Them to Pack
Next, help your kids pack up. Talk to them about which things they want to bring with them, and which things they don’t mind parting with. Show them how to properly pack up a box and label it. Getting your kids involved with the moving process will give them something productive to do, so that they aren’t sitting idle thinking about the scary move.
Sign Them Up for Activities
The next thing you can do is sign your kids up for activities in their new neighborhood. Making new friends is one of the hardest parts of moving, but group activities are a great way to meet people. Sign them up for a sports team, dance lessons, or find a local club at their new school that they might like. The more activities they can join, the better chance that they’ll find some new friends fast. Plus, they won’t be sitting in a strange new home all the time, helping them to adjust quicker.
Plan for the Day of the Move
If you have younger children, you may not want them around on the day of the move. Even if you hire a good moving team, there is a lot going on in the house, and having to take care of your kids at the same time would be too much stress. See if you can find a babysitter for the day, then pick them up once the new house is all ready to go.
Give Them a Say in Their New Room
Finally, the last thing you can do is give your kids a say in what their new room will look like. What color do they want the walls? What color carpet would they prefer? Where do they want the bed, and where should the posters go on the wall? By involving them in the decisions, you can quickly get them excited about their new room. Of course, as a parent, you may have to override some of these decisions, but the more freedom you can give them, the better.
Adjusting Takes Time
Using the above strategies will help your kids adjust to their new home, and make moving easier, but it won’t happen overnight. Remember to give your kids plenty of time to adjust, and that eventually they’ll become settled in. Hopefully this article was able to give you some good ideas on how you can help your kids, and the move will be a little less stressful on everyone.
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