Moving into a new home is already a process, and it can become all the more challenging once you add children to the mix. Studies show that moving has the strongest impact on kids over the age of five since they’re beginning to form connections and routines in their life. The truth of the matter is many of us will have to move and uproot our kids, too, despite their feelings about it.
The good news?
This doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Our residential movers at Alex Moving & Storage are here to share some top tips for helping your kids get comfortable with this new chapter in their life and minimizing any negative thoughts and reactions.
Every person is different, but we’ve compiled a list of things to do before, during, and after the move to help your own kids with the adjustment:
- Focus on the Positive but Leave Room for Negative Emotions
- Give Your Child Some Control Over the Process
- Set Up Your Child’s Room First
- Plan Fun Activities for When You Arrive
- Connect Them with Old Friends
1. Focus on the Positive but Leave Room for Negative Emotions
Moving into a new house is an exciting time, but it can also be scary and upsetting for your child. It can be easy to brush off these emotions as trivial, especially when we’re talking about younger children. That said, the best thing you can do is validate your child’s emotions.
Frame the move as a positive experience but be sure to let them feel their negative feelings, too. Then, you can talk through those and get to a place where everyone is feeling comfortable about this change!
2. Give Your Child Some Control Over the Process
Moving as a child can bring about a lot of emotions, including feeling lost or out of control. During this time, you as the parent are making a lot of decisions for your child, and they have to just roll with it.
To ease this process, give some control back to your kid. Let them pack their own bag for the trip to the new house, pick out their new room, make design decisions, and more to involve them in the process as much as possible.
3. Set Up Your Child’s Room First
When you arrive at the new house, things can really start to feel real for your child. An empty house is a daunting image, which is why it’s a good idea to fill the space with items they are familiar with as soon as possible.
While you may be tempted to start on bigger projects when it comes to unpacking and settling in, the best thing for your child is to help them set up their space first.
4. Plan Fun Activities for When You Arrive
To take some of the stress out of moving for your child, have something fun planned for when you arrive. This doesn’t have to be some huge adventure—in fact, it’s better if it is more in line with a normal activity you’d do again in your new home. Some ideas include:
- Decorating/setting up their new room/playroom
- Doing an art project to display in the new house.
- Exploring the new neighborhood
- Finding the best parks in the area
- Going out for food/dessert
... and the list goes on!
5. Connect Them with Old Friends
Especially when they’re younger, it can be harder to keep your kids in touch with their friends after moving away. To make the transition easier, set up times for your kids to be able to talk to their friends. If you’ve moved far away, schedule phone calls or video calls with activities or games to keep them engaged.
Reach Out to Our Local Movers to Learn More Today!
Whether you’re planning a move now, or you have more questions about the process for the future, you can turn to Alex Moving & Storage as your trusted local movers and long-distance movers.
We offer full-service moving care, including:
- Free In-Home Consultations
- Furniture Assembly/Disassembly
- Custom Crating for Fragile Items
- Partial- and Full-Service Packing
- Short- and Long-Term Storage
- Military & Senior Moving Services
- Unpacking/Debris Removal
... and so much more!
Give us a call or use our online form to get started with a free consultation and quote today.
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