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Tips and Guidelines for

Moving With Children

Moving with children can be challenging. We’re here to make it easier!

Relocation is not an easy task; it can be extremely daunting. Although it’s the start of a new chapter in your life and you couldn’t be more excited, you have to realize that it can be hard for the children in the family. Relocation can occur due to many reasons, but for kids, all it means is saying goodbye to their mates, leaving their home to move to a new house, and leaving things behind. It makes them feel helpless as they have little or no control over the situation. The ideal way to tackle this problem is to figure out what is bothering them the most and try to address these issues accordingly.

If you’re facing these challenges for the first time, you must be looking for tips and guidelines that could make this part easier for you. Here’s how you can help your kids deal with the move.

Let them participate in the moving process.

Between searching for a new home and coordinating and packing with your movers, look for an activity your children can participate in; try to involve them in the moving process wherever possible. These little steps can result in a surprising change in your child’s feelings regarding the entire situation. If they aren’t too young, let them help you pack up some of the things which are unlikely to break during transportation. This will give them something to do and make moving day entertaining for them.

Pack your children’s favourite things.

At a young age, children are not used to sudden, big changes in life, and they are, thus, not so good at dealing with them. If you are moving far away and plan to leave most of your stuff behind, do make sure to pack a few items that your children are familiar with. Keep old toys, photos, frames, household decorations, clothes, etc., so they have things around them that they can identify. This will make the new place feel like home to them and make the transition a little easier.

Discover the neighbourhood you’re moving to.

Before moving day arrives, try to plan a tour around the neighbourhood you’re moving to with your children. Check out the downtown area, parks, schools, etc. Also, get a copy of a local newspaper and explore the children-oriented activities occurring during your visit or take them to local sports or recreation centre. This way, your children will begin to familiarize themselves with the neighbourhood even before you move.

Let them take over some decisions.

To counter the children’s disapproval over the relocation, make sure to let them take over some decisions. For example, let them select the colour and the design of the new carpets and the colour of the walls in their rooms. You can also gift them something they’ve wanted for a while to distract their attention and make them happy.

Maintain the same routine as before.

Even after you relocate to a new house and neighbourhood, your schedule that you followed in the old house doesn’t have to change. Keeping old schedules and routines the same can help children settle in easier. Even if the children aren’t old enough to notice and truly understand the magnitude of the changes occurring around them, these small steps will still be helpful.