You’ve planned your move down to the smallest detail. You already know which long-distance moving company will be handling your relocation and how much it will cost. You are actively looking for furniture and internet service providers for your new home as we speak. The kids are equally excited about the move. In fact, they cannot wait to make new friends there and start their new life in their new hometown. If the last part sounds a little too far-fetched, it is because this scenario is rarely true.
Unfortunately, moving with small children is a delicate matter that can oftentimes cause more stress than the actual moving process. Here is what you can do not to turn your upcoming long distance move into a nightmare for you and your small ones.
Tip #1: Let Your Children Know About The Move Early On
Children will tend to feel uprooted by an upcoming home relocation. Just like you, they will be forced to leave their friends behind, bid goodbye to their classmates and teachers and lose the sense of familiarity. Expect them to go through a rough time while accepting the thought of moving move and adapting to all the changes.
Involve them into the family talk about the upcoming move. Give them time to process what moving to a different city or state will mean for them.
Make sure they will have plenty of time to sort their toys and clothes they do no longer need and spend quality time with their friends. Allow them to do the things they love in the community, whether it is skateboarding, going at the nearby park, going fishing, camping, hiking, or playing video games with the neighbors’ kids.
Tip #2: Give Your Kids All The Details They Need To Know
Let them know that a team of friendly people in uniforms will come at the house and pick up the boxes they have packed, put them in their trucks and safely carry them to their new home. If your children are older and they can understand the ins and outs of a move, you should instead give them some details that are more of interest to them: the internet speed at the new house, the type of room they will have and whether they will share it with their siblings, the room set-up they can expect, what kind of malls, parks, or gaming attractions they will find in the neighborhood, the school they will be attending and so on.
Make sure to adapt your speech according to their age and give them a general overview of the place where you will move and the time when it will happen. Give them the exact date of your arrival in the new city so they can prepare for it.
Tip #3: Cook Their Favorite Foods
You could find the time to cook some tasty comfort foods with the kids in the evenings or save your resources and order takeout for dinner. Pizza, the family’s favorite dessert, some foods they’ve always wanted to try – go crazy and let them enjoy themselves. The good food will make them feel more at ease and less anxious while the entire house is getting filled with boxes.
Tip #4: Find A Babysitter
If your children are young enough to still need a babysitter, find one as soon as possible. It will free up your schedule and help you speed up the packing. If you have chosen to move during the summer, this is a particularly excellent idea as the kids will be out of school. Plus, if your children are used to a regular babysitter that comes in weekly, sticking to their schedule will also prove helpful. Doing familiar things and keeping up with daily habits can cut down on uncertainty. This is one of the most important secrets to the question “how to move with kids”.
Tip #5: Give Your Children Reasons To Get Excited
Do your best to find the time to sit down and have a warm, heart-to-heart talk about what the upcoming move is going to mean for the family. Encourage your children to ask all the questions they need to ask and be sure to answer patiently. Use an optimistic tone and try to find the good in everything. After all, just like you and your spouse, your kids will also need to leave their old friends and favorite places behind. This can be difficult to digest at any age, and it can be the reason for a lot of heartaches.
Be inventive and try to turn everything coming your way into a positive experience the kids can get excited about. Let them know they will still be able to keep in touch with their friends through video calls, play games online, or even visit from time to time. Get them pumped up about meeting new people and making new friends. Find the coolest attractions in your new hometown and go on virtual tours online.
If your children are younger, use songs, books, or TV shows for kids to help them understand their feelings and cope with their emotions.
Finally, make sure your children also have a say regarding some of the aspects of the move. This way, they will feel more in control of what is going on and have an easier time accepting the decision to move. For a safe and smooth move with children, hire the most reliable movers in town from our list of top moving companies.