For kids, moving can be a challenging and scary experience. A new home means a temporary loss of stability and adjustment to a new environment. Taking the right steps to help your family get through a move with minimum disruption can make a big difference in the way your kids react. This guide from Cheap Movers Boston will help you prepare your kids so your move can be as gentle as possible.
1. Prepare them in Advance
As soon as you are sure that a move is in your family’s future, begin preparing your children for the change. This gives them time to get used to the idea and prepare for a change well before it actually takes place. This can make a world of difference in the amount of disruption they feel during and after the move.
2. Let Them Know It’s OK to Share Their Feelings
Take a moment out of your moving schedule to check in with your kids about how they are feeling. Knowing that their emotions are important to you is a huge confidence boost in what might otherwise be a scary time. Encourage them to express how they are feeling through drawing or talking.
3. Express Excitement
The way you talk about the move will have a huge impact on how your children feel about it. If you announce the move with the air of a doctor telling someone they have a disease, your children will feel scared and apprehensive. When you tell them you are moving, disclose it with joy. This will communicate to them that it is a positive event that can bring excitement.
4. Take a House Tour
In order to get your kids comfortable with their new home, show it to them before the move. If you are moving nearby, take them to the new house for a tour. If it is a distant location, show them pictures of the house and look at local attractions. If they go into the situation knowing exactly what to expect, they will be more likely to make a smooth adjustment.
5. Help Them Keep in Touch With Friends
One of the worst parts of a move to many children is the prospect of leaving behind friends. These peers are generally people they have known the majority of their lives, so moving away can bring on feelings of loss and sorrow. Help your children through this aspect of moving by showing them ways to keep in touch with their pals. Reminding them that they can communicate with friends through video chatting, email and old-fashioned letters can help ease the upcoming loss.
6. Give Them Decision-Making Abilities
It is important to make your kids feel as though they have some control of their lives during the move. You can get them excited for their new home and make them feel they have some agency by allowing them to choose decorations for their new room. If you are comfortable with letting them pick the room in the house they want as their bedroom that will make them feel even more a part of the process.
For children, a move is never going to be completely without stress, but you can help your kids feel as comfortable as possible with such a big life change. It is a great opportunity to teach them flexibility, compromise and dealing with change in a healthy way.
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