As if moving isn’t already hard enough, adding your children into the mix can present a whole new challenge. Kids are resilient, but major changes like big moves can be difficult to work through if children aren’t prepared. Depending on their age, your children may be leaving behind a school, friends, and activities that they’ve grown to love. Instead of throwing them in the deep end, consider helping them get their moving feet wet with these steps.
1. Talk to your children about your move as soon as it becomes a possibility.
Once you’ve decided to move, the first thing you should do is have an open discussion with your children. If you wait until it is time to pack, they may feel like they’ve had a bombshell dropped on them. If you give them a chance to voice their feelings and work through them, you’ll deal with a little less chaos when it is time to move. Consider the best way to tell your children, taking into account how each child best receives information. Be open, honest, and available to answer their questions.
2. Find ways to involve your children in your new neighborhood.
Instead of leaving the kids at home while you are closing on a property or even just touring potential homes, bring them along. Find activities in the area that your children will enjoy, whether it be a park nearby or local libraries, pools, or playgrounds. Helping them feel familiar with their new home will take a weight off of their shoulders and reduce the fear of being the ‘new kid’ when they move. Once you are moved in, consider hosting a game night or play date for your neighbors with children so that your kids have an opportunity to make friends quickly.
3. Reach out and get local recommendations ahead of time.
This will help both you and your children have a little more peace of mind when it comes to making a big move. Before the move, find local parent groups (sites like Facebook are full of these) and seek out recommendations for daycares and schools that meet the criteria you are looking for. The first thing most people do when trying something new out is to check for reviews, and these groups will allow you to do just that. Create a short list of places you think will fit your lifestyle, and then conduct as much research as you need to make a decision when you arrive in your new home. This will reduce the time your children will spend in limbo when you move.
Moving can be a difficult time, but preparing your children will help make the process as smooth as possible and help to lessen the stress that comes with a big move.