Moving With Kids Tips
Moving with kids is one of the most responsible, difficult and problematic tasks for any family. Whether you’re moving across the country or across the state, moving can turn out especially difficult and stressful experience when kids are involved.
Leaving a native home for a new one, saying goodbye to friends, disrupting your kids’ regular routine, and changing something in their life may cause the stressful feeling. But sooner or later many families need to relocate to the other place. So, if you need to remove to the other location because of promotion or individual decision of your family, one of the main tasks you should do is to prepare your children for it. Of course, relocating your family may be exciting, as well as stressful or even traumatic for your child. Kids need some time to accept the news of relocation. Also, they require special attention during the transition. And now a number of questions arise: what should you do if you meet such kind of problem? What need you do the first? And how should you act to have a smooth move?
There are some important tips which may help you a lot to ease your transitions. They’ll help to make the process less stressful for everyone. If you follow these tips, you’ll get easy and worry-free moving experience with kids.
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Prepare Kids For What To Expect
Little kids may not have a well understanding of what the term “move” (“relocation”) means. That’s why it will be wise to explain to them what it really means. Tell them what will happen and explain how will be exciting and interesting relocation with family.
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Call A Family Meeting
Organize a great family dinner. Invite your relatives. Order some pizza and sit around the table. Express your emotions and explain to your kids why you are so happy and contented. Do not hide your pleasure. Reassure them how this move will influence your family life. Tell them how you feel about the move. Encourage your kids to discuss your move and express their feelings about it. If it is the first moving for your kids, it will be particularly difficult, because they will leave their family home. Even for adults, it is difficult to leave their family nest. Just imagine how it could be for your children. Let them know how important they are to help you with moving preparation.
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Make A Goodbye Party For Your Kid’s Close Friends
Family meeting means a lot, but what about close friends of your kids? Give your kids an opportunity to say goodbye to their childhood friends who matter to them a lot. Children like a celebration. That’s why it would be a great idea to turn stressful move into the exciting, positive experience. If your kids are little you can give them great pleasure by inviting a clown with balloons to your goodbye party. Children will be happy, playing different games when you’ll be able to continue your move reparation. Or if everything is mostly ready to move, – invite your friends. It’s very important to make some new photos. You’ll recollect your friends and your goodbye party when you remove to the new house.
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Be Positive
Of course, this move may be a challenge not only for kids but for you as well. A lot of memories, tears, positives, and negatives are connected to your home. It will be hard for you to leave your home. You may share your emotions with kids. But it’s important to hide nerves, worries, stress, and tears. If you show it, your kids may pick up on it.
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Read Books
One of the most successful ways to help your children with stress, sadness and anxiety is to read them their favorite books. It would be great if you find moving related books like Tigger’s Moving Day or The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day.
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Prepare Kid’s Moving Kit
There are a lot of interesting moving kits for children. It will be a good decision for you to buy one of them for your kids. They’ll make your kids to excite the move and make the move as an adventure for your children as well.
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Treat Your Kids Feelings With Respect
Never laugh at kids; feelings or requests. Even toddlers can explain by gestures or mime what they want. Older children will probably have a number of questions. So, be ready to prepare yourself for it. Treat your kids’ feelings with respect and understanding.
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Tell Them What Will Be Different
Tell your kids what will be different in their lives, which advantages will appear. Make sure to explain to them that the most important things will stay the same: all their belongings (toys, clothes, favorite books etc). Tell them that everything that is in their room will also move with them. Make them sure that if they need their lovely Teddy, you’ll allow them to take it on the move.
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Let Your Children Participate
If you are moving to the other state and have narrowed the choices down from 3 to 2 houses, let your kids (especially if they are elder) participate in the selection of your future home. Show them photos, describe the neighborhoods in detail and, if you can, take a virtual tour online. Ask your children to share their 5 favorite things about each house. Make them know that you’ll take into consideration their comments when making your final decision. After you’ve picked the house, let them know which you’ve chosen. It will be a great idea to celebrate it and make a family dinner.
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Make a Memory Board
It’s one of the greatest ideas to bring the old memories with you. Ask your kids to choose the most favorite photos from the album: photos with their friends, relatives or their own photos. It will be highly important for your kids, especially if you are planning a long distance move. In this case, you’ll leave relatives as well as your close friends behind. Asking your kids to make a memory board with their favorite people will be a very good decision for future. When you arrive at the new home, you’ll b able to handle this memory board in a special place, so your kids will be able to see their close people every day, reminding pleasant moments they’ve spent together.
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Give As Much Information As Possible
Provide your kid’s as much info as possible. Tell them about a new home, show them the pictures of what their bedroom will look, where they’ll go to school (show them their future school building), describe the new neighbors in detail, tell them about city and state (of the country) you’ll move to. Prepare yourself to answer all the questions your kids may ask. Be ready to receive both positive and negative reactions. Answer the question completely, trustfully and patient. Even if the move means an improvement in your family life, kids may not completely understand it. Instead, they’ll show their negative emotions and will to stay at home. That’s why you need to be patient and never show your irritation or disappointment (it may make worse the problem).
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Ask Your Friends To Sit With Your Kids
For kids, the especially small move is not an easy process. That’s why it would be great if your friends help you to make it easier. Ask them to play with kids outdoors. It will help you to focus on things you need to do.
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Pack Toys
Two weeks before the move, try to pack your kid’s toys into the box. Not all the toys, only a part of them. Avoid packing those toys which your kids like the most. Also, if your kids are too small, pack their toys when they will sleep. It will not hurt them and save your nerves as well. Who likes when their toddlers cry? Nobody likes. That’s why you should be highly careful when packing kids’ items, so do not rouse them from sleep.
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Label Your Kids’ Toys
It will be not enough to white “toys” in the box. You need to write as more details as possible about what is in the box. It will help a lot when, for example, you need to find your child’s blue car with yellow wheels or a small doll.
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Think About Coloring Books And Drawings
If it will be a long distance move, you need to make your child busy during the move. Take some books, pencils and colorful pens with yourself. You’ll see how it will work.
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Do Not Get Rid Of Kid’s Old Room Furniture
Hold on to get rid of the old kids’ furniture. If you transmit it to the new house, it will play its role. It will provide a sense of comfort and create a pleasant atmosphere as well. Also, it may be a good idea to arrange a new kids’ room in a similar way (it will be of special importance for toddlers or preschoolers).
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Reassure Kids In The Important
Explain to your kids that if their friends and home will change, the constant and the most important things will leave. Reassure them that you’ll be always with them and near them.
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Moving With Teens
If you are planning your move and your child is a teen, you should be highly careful. For older children, it is very difficult to leave their home as well as their native town. They have probably contributed numerous efforts to become a member of a particular social group. They might be involved in a romantic relationship. You should listen to them and let them know you appreciate and understand them. One of the most important tasks for you is to reassure your child that the new place will bring them more impressions, friends, and perspectives for their future college and career.
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Encourage Your Kids Will Keep Up With Old Friends
Encourage your kid or teen will stay connected with their old friends through phone calls, parent-approved social media, video chats, and through the other ways.
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Make It Easy
You should not concentrate on the move as on the terrible and annoying staff. It would be better to treat the move as an adventure. Make it into a contest (who’ll sooner unpack a box of toys).Speak with your kids about their new bedroom, what color they’d like to paint it or what bed, rug, table, toys and the other things they want to have in their new room.
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Say Goodbye To Your Old House
Do not stop your kids if they decide to return to the house on the day of the move (especially if you move to the other state). Instead, follow your children. It may help them to take a final pass and to say “goodbye” to every room and every favorite place in your house. It may be stressful for you, but remembers – do not cry.
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Do Not Make Big Changes During The Move
It will be a big false if you decide to make big changes during the move. As, for example, if you decide to teach a toddler to a bed from a crib.
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Excitement With A New house
Make room plan to get your kids excited about your new house. If they are interested in decorating or arranging your rooms, so let them do it. Help them with it. You’ll see how exciting it is to do your housework and see your kids happy when they help you with it.
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Preserve Old Family Traditions
No matter how old your kids are. They like your family home as well as old family traditions and customs. For example, you can keep things familiar by setting up their bedroom furniture in the same arrangement. It will minimize the changes. Also, if you have family traditions (as watching family movies or making pancakes on Sundays) try to preserve them. It will make comfortable and cozy family atmosphere and make your kids feel better at your new home.
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Make A Big Deal
Visit interesting places, fast food restaurants, and parks with your kids. A new home means new opportunities. Explore all the attractions to show your kids how beautiful your new town is and what it has new and amazing
Summary
Moving with kids can turn into an overwhelming, stressful and difficult process, especially when planning a move incorrectly or irresponsible. These tips may help you to create a comprehensive plan for moving day. It can help you a lot when you’re moving with your kids.