Whether you’re moving across the country or to the next neighborhood, relocating with kids can be challenging. Children thrive on routine, and moving disrupts everything from their usual schedule to knowing where a favorite toy is kept. Thankfully, as a parent, there’s a lot you can do to see your children through this transition period. To help you understand how to best facilitate a major move with kids, here’s what you need to know.
How Moving Can Affect Children
For kids, moves bring all kinds of changes: a new address, a new bedroom, a new neighborhood and often a new school. While you may have been able to pick your new city and address, your children don’t have much say; the change happens to them without their control. Often in a move, they’ll have to leave friends behind and face the daunting prospect of making new ones. They’ll have their favorite items boxed up and sleep somewhere that feels foreign. For little ones who rely on familiarity to feel safe and at peace, this all adds up to a lot of stress, sorrow and even grief.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Moving
One way to change what’s overwhelming your kids into what’s approachable for them is by talking through it together. Start by being honest about what to expect. Explain to them what’s going to happen and walk through the steps involved in relocation. Stay open to their questions and answer them as best as you can. If it’s possible to visit your new home and neighborhood before you move, go visit. Let your kids see what their new town is like and try to find fun places they’ll enjoy in it. Stop by their new school, and, if possible, let them meet their new teachers. Processing the move with your kids helps them understand what is happening and how to think about it.
A Few More Tips to Help Them Adjust
Beyond open conversations, there are several good strategies you can use to help your children during the transition period of moving from one home to another. Consider the following:
Include them: Could your elementary-age kids help you pack some of their lesser-used items and/or have some say over which items get packed first? Giving your children even a small sense of control can provide a stabilizing influence while also getting them on your team.
Find ways to make moving fun: Whether it’s letting them build towers of moving boxes or giving them some bubble wrap to pop while you unpack, providing your kids a little entertainment in the moving process goes a long way. Likewise, find ways to give them your attention, even just for small windows of time.
Prioritize getting the kids settled: When you get into your new home, make it a top priority to unpack your kids’ spaces and get them relatively settled. Likewise, during the transition period, help them feel more at ease by keeping a favorite toy or other comfort item on hand even as you move between homes.
Stay upbeat yourself: Kids look to their caregivers for cues on how to handle new situations. The more you can model a positive, excited attitude about the move, the better for your whole family.
The bottom line with relocating is that you as a parent have a lot of power to improve the experience for your kids, including choosing the right moving services. In fact, if you take a thoughtful approach, it can become an opportunity for building their courage and resilience. So as your move date approaches, use the tips above to think about how you’ll see them through this relocation into a new home.
Author bio: Stan Caramalac is the founder and CEO of Move Central. He started the company because he truly believed that moving could be simple as long as it was done efficiently. He strives to help people make their moves smoother and less stressful. Caramalac and his team proudly serve San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
