Relocating with Children - Tips to Making Relocating Easier on Children
Posted By Capitol North American on 2010-07-08 @ 11:24:00
Moving with children may be a difficult task. The older the child, the more difficult it may be for them to accept the relocation. They’ve made friends, gotten used to their current neighborhood, they’re settled in their current school, and may participate in certain clubs or organizations that they just don‘t want to give up. To help make the moving process easier for them, we’ve come up with a few things you can do to help deliver the news.
Inform them A.S.A.P.: Make sure that you tell your children about your move as soon as possible. You want to help them to mentally prepare for the move and get used to the fact that they’ll be living somewhere else. Make sure you sit with them and explain the moving situation to them and encourage them to ask questions. These questions are important to your children and your answers have to be understanding and respectful.
Encourage Them to Stay in Touch with Friends: The closer you get to the moving day, you should encourage your children to collect phone numbers and other contact information from their friends around their neighborhood and the school they attend. This not only helps them to keep their current friends, but it also comforts them to hear from those friends while getting used to the new surroundings and making new friends. Sometimes children feel lonely and out of place in a new location and hearing a familiar voice assists in easing the tension.
Take Your Children to the New Neighborhood: Take your children to your new neighborhood as soon as possible. Let them see their new home and explore the new neighborhood with them. You can drive around, or get out and walk to get a feeling of the new area. If, taking your children on the house hunting trips is possible, do so. If you cannot take them along for the ride, try and take as many photos and/or videos of the homes you view as possible and involve your children when viewing what you’ve captured on film. By involving your children in the house choosing process, they may look forward to their new home because they were involved in choosing the new location.
Help Your Children Pack Their Valuables: Children always have their favorite toys or items that they have special ties to. Make sure you encourage your children to pack these items in a box, or bag that they can keep with them and take with them on moving day. That way they know that their most prized possessions are safe.
Involve Your Children in the Packing Process: Children love to feel like they’ve been helpful in a major situation. Letting the kids pack a box or two of their books, cloths, awards, toys, etc. and sealing it up helps them feel like they had a major involvement in the whole process. Once you arrive at your new home, let them unpack their stuff in their new room and establish the places where their stuff will go. This also creates a situation to keep them occupied while the rest of the furniture and items are moved into the new home and unpacked.
Enroll Your Children in Familiar Activities: If your children played any sports at school or participated in any organizations, make sure you enroll them in the same, if not similar activities to help them find comfort in their new location. Enrolling them should be done as soon as possible. The more time your children can spend participating in activities they like, the easier it will be for them to adapt to their new home and neighborhood.
Spend Time with Your Children: The most important tip out of all that’s been mentioned is spending time with your children after the move. They are getting used to the new surroundings, new school, and new faces. Having someone they can talk and relate to can make all the difference. Ask them about their days at their new school. Talk to them about the new activities that they’re involved in. Make sure you show them that you are happy about the new move to help build a comfort level for them.
All of these tips are here to help your moving process with your children an easier task. Moves come with different responsibilities, including the comfort level of your children. So helping them stay at ease about the relocation can make the move that much easier.© Capitol North American, 2012. northAmerican is a registered trademark of North American Van Lines, Inc., and is used under license.
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