Moving to a new home can be quite the exciting thing to do for a family, especially if you’ve finally gotten your dream house. Unfortunately, it’s also likely the most stressful, courtesy of the many factors involved in the moving process – especially to your kids. There’s organizing and packing your things, actually travelling to the new home, unpacking, and settling down. These don’t include actually adjusting to the new neighborhood, and even maybe going to a new school – both of which can be very stressful for your kids. How exactly do you help them ease in on the moving process?
Familiarity can do a great deal of help.
One of the key difficulties kids experience during a move is unfamiliarity. This can also sometimes be the cause of tension and stress before and during you pack up for a move. Unfortunately, this can also cause anxiety in your children. This doesn’t mean this is impossible to resolve, though. Sometimes, before you hire movers NYC for your move, you might want to acquaint your kids to your new home as well.
- If you think your kids are visibly stressed over the idea of moving, try having a talk with them. This allows them to have an opportunity to share their plights with you, especially what makes them anxious and stressed over the move. The items here in this article might give you a basic idea of what to do, but being familiar with their specific plights can really do a great deal of help to them.
- Try to take them on a trip to your new home and tour the place with them. This gives them a sense of familiarity and ownership with the new home you’re going to move to. This is also a good opportunity to bond with your kids.
- Try to take them on a trip to nearby establishments near your new home as well. This gives them an idea on what fun places they can visit and hang out with once you make your move. These include libraries, museums, parks, and even malls.
Get them to be an active part of the process.
Sometimes, kids might feel anxious and stressed over the move because they have no control over the situation. What if they don’t get to meet new friends? What if the neighborhood isn’t friendly? What if the room in the new house isn’t comfortable for them? This might cause anxiety on their end – but thankfully, you have the ability to resolve this. One of the best ways you can do this is to make them part of the moving process as well. Let them feel they have a say over the matter, so they can get more comfortable over the move.
- Instead of just relying on yourself, your partner, and maybe even your movers, try to ask your children to help with the move as well. You can assign them to help pack particular parts of the home, or you can take them with you when you buy packing supplies. This can give them a feeling that they’re involved in the move.
- Let them be responsible for packing their own room. You can teach them how you want their things to be packed, and then you can give them the reins on packing the room on their own. This gives them a good feeling of responsibility and accountability over the things they own.
Ask what your kids want during the move.
Building on the above, aside from letting your kids in on the fun of moving, try to let them feel their opinions matter as well. After hiring your best moving company NYC, you can also ask them just how they want their room to be decorated, or what parts of the room they specifically want to pack. A sense of responsibility and leadership on their end can make them feel more confident over your move.
- Give your kids the opportunity to tell you how they want their rooms to look like once you finish the move. This gives them a sense of authority and ownership over their new space, which can ease the stress and anxiety they feel over the move overall.
- Try to get them excited over the move by letting them choose what kind of furniture they want for their own rooms, and even for the house as a whole.
- During the move, try to give time for yourself and your kids to bond and relax. Try to affirm to them that while you might be moving houses, the family won’t change.
Moving With Kids: It’s About Flexibility
When you move with kids, it’s important to treat them as equal members of the family. They can get just as stressed and pressured as you into the move, even if they experience it in different ways. With the above tips, you can hopefully be able to ensure your kids will have a delightful move to your new home. Remember, a huge part of these tips’ success revolves around making sure you provide your kids with an environment during the move that doesn’t always restrict them, and at the same time introducing them to the fun prospect of moving to a new home .
Also check: How to help your child cope with moving anxiety
