Moving to a new house is stressful even at the best of times. You have to spend hours packing up your belongings, changing your address, and negotiating with shopping companies. You’ll have to figure out how to ship your car across the country (hint: use CarsRelo) and find a buyer for your current home. It takes up an enormous amount of time and money and will occupy your mind for months before the moving day. But when you have young children in tow, it can be even worse.
Young kids don't like change, and they may find the move stressful and upsetting. They’ll be constantly at your heels while you are trying to pack, and will be causing new messes while you are tidying up.
But if you’re smart about the process, you can make moving fun for your kids. If you can get them on board, they will be a lot easier to handle. This way, you can focus all your efforts on the move without having to tear your hair out.
To get you started, here are four tips for moving home with children.
Get them involved
Part of the reason kids find moving stressful is that they don’t fully understand what’s going on. They know their lives are being uprooted and their routine thrown out the window, but aren't sure exactly why. The most effective way to combat this is by getting them involved from the very beginning. Sit them down and tell them that they are going to be moving to a new home, and try to sell the positives for them. Talk about the fact that there’ll be more room to play and plenty of exciting places to visit. Visit the home with them before the move and show them where their new room will be and point out parks and playgrounds in the neighborhood. Let them help out with some of the decisions so they can feel more involved. Perhaps they can choose the paint color for their bedroom or help you pick out furniture.
Pick the right time
When your kids are at school, moving to a new location can be disruptive. Try to limit the effect it has on their lives by scheduling your move outside of term time. This way they won’t be behind with their schoolwork, and they will find it easier to make friends in their new school.
Make it fun
Moving day is always going to be stressful, and the last thing you want is a screaming, crying child to deal with as well. Keep them entertained on the day by making things fun. Find ways to turn it into a game, such as car boot Tetris or finding innovative uses for packing boxes.
Keep a routine
Once you’ve settled in your new home, try to keep to a routine that your child is used to. This will help them retain a sense of normality and feel as though little has changed. Do things that you did as a family before, such as days out and board games nights. And let them invite their friends round, so they don’t feel as though they’ve left their old life behind for good.
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