Moving is always an exciting yet stressful time.
There is even more in play if you have young children to think of when you are moving. Children enjoy having routines, and it helps to keep them settled and secure when they can stick to things they know and feel safe with. Moving might be a big adventure, but it will also be very unnerving for the little ones; they will have to sleep in a new bedroom and get used to a new neighborhood. They might even have to change schools depending on how far you’re moving and how old they are. There is a lot for them to be worried about, especially if they don’t understand your reasons for moving in the first place.
Although moving with children can indeed be even more stressful than moving by yourself or with a partner, there are some great tips you can utilize to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. Yes, there might still be some hiccups along the way, and the children (and perhaps even you) could still be emotional about the move, but if you follow these tips you can minimize the trauma and make the move an easier one.
Say a Proper Goodbye
You might not have an emotional attachment to the house you’re moving out of. Maybe it was just a place to live for a little while as a stepping stone to something else like a fabulous Setapak Ria condo. Perhaps you found there were problems that made you actively dislike the place. It could be that you’re just not an emotional kind of person who doesn’t get attached to material things.
Your children may feel differently. No matter how excited they are about having a new bedroom or a better yard or being closer to their family and friends, they are still likely to miss the old house, especially if it’s the only one they’ve ever known.
It might seem like a good idea to just pop them in the car and drive away to the new place quickly, almost like pulling off a Band-Aid. The problem with this is that if they don’t know it’s the last time they’ll ever see the house, they won’t be able to say a proper goodbye, and this could leave them without a full sense of closure.
To help them understand that you’re going to be living somewhere else, say a real goodbye to the house. You can stand outside and wave, and perhaps even thank the old house for all the good times you had there. Make sure you mention the new family moving in and that you know they’ll have good times too – this can help ease the pain.
Let Them See Their New Home
Something else that can be a problem is when you pick out the new home for your family and arrange the move without the children seeing the new property. Although this might seem like the easiest solution, it can cause problems because the little ones are entering the unknown. It can make them feel much more scared of the entire moving process.
Choosing the house is not something the children need to be a part of (unless they are old enough to make an informed choice, that is), but seeing the new house before moving day is crucial. Once you have secured the property, book another viewing. You can use this time to measure up for new curtains and to work out where your furniture is going to go, and you can also show your children around their new home. Seeing it in advance and especially seeing their bedrooms will help them be less worried about the move.
Let Them Help
They might be little, but your children can still help when it comes to getting ready to move – in fact, the more helpers you have, the better, plus it will give them a sense of achievement and make them feel as though they are contributing to the move.
Give them small jobs like packing their stuffed animals into a bag or box, or stacking their books in a neat pile, or anything else that is easy and will give them a feeling of control. If they can feel as though they are part of the move rather than just an observer, the entire thing will be much easier for them. You might have some boxes that are a little messier than others, but it will be worth it if it helps make the move an easier one.
Category: The Morning Four PodcastTags: moving
