Relocation can be a very exciting and quite stressful experience at the same time, and even more so when it comes to moving with kids. No matter why you’ve decided to move to a new home, you’ll want to figure out the best way to go about it, considering that you’ll have an added layer to worry about.
Relocating with children can be a very complicated process for any family, as you will be concerned about how the move will affect them and will want them to be safe and stress-free throughout the process. Hopefully, you’ll be able to handle everything on your own using this handy guide.
Tell Them Weeks in Advance, No Matter Their Age
Relocation can be a stressful experience for anyone, but children can get affected by it more than others. Telling them that you’re going to move to another home and explaining why should be done long before the relocation day comes around. Their entire lifestyle will be changed and could have a major effect on them.
So preparing them in advance and giving them time to process the entire situation will make the whole process much easier. It’s up to you in how much detail you want to explain the whole situation, and will also depend on their age.
Perhaps you will be moving during the holidays and will need to explain why instead of celebrating at home, you’ll be spending the festive season with boxes and other packing material. You should describe the basics of what’s going to happen and how their future will change for your family. But, there’s no point in talking to your kindergarten-age child about the costs of living and other grown-up topics.
The Best Advice for Moving with Kids
The number one piece of advice for any relocation is that safety should be your number one priority. When you’re relocating with children, you will have to stick to this advice even more, mainly because the entire period of relocation can be very complicated and chaotic.
If you’ve hired professionals for their packing and moving services, you don’t want your young ones running around the home while movers are doing their job. Plan out your relocation in advance, sort out your inventory list, get all of the necessary boxes and supplies, and be sure that your kids know how the entire process will go down. You will have to decide whether or not your children can help you out with the process, depending on their age and willingness.
You Kids Can Pack for the Move Too
You don’t have to tackle everything by yourself, you can let your offspring help with the packing process, for example. One of the most common tips you’ll hear is to let them pack up their own belongings, or at least sort them out before the packing if you’d prefer to do it yourself. You don’t want to leave the packing of fragile items, or the packing of any priceless heirloom to them, of course. Always keep their safety in mind, too, so working with any hazardous or sharp items is off the table. There’s no point in letting them help you out if you’re going to watch over them the entire time.
Moving Day Guide
Once the relocation day comes around, and the movers arrive, you’ll have to decide whether you want your children in the house or not. If they’re too young to help out or will need constant care, then one of the best tips is to keep them away during the relocation. You can ask a friend or a family member to watch over them while you or your movers take care of everything. That could mean separating them in a different room or taking them out for a fun activity during the relocation.
If that’s not a possibility or you want them to be close, there are ways for them to help out without getting into too much trouble. Maybe they can clean up after the room has been packed, bring water and snacks for the movers, or provide an extra pair of eyes if there’s any heavy lifting to be done, and you need someone to guide the lifters. They will have something to keep them occupied during the relocation and won’t be running around and getting in the way of you or your movers.
Involve Them in Choosing a New Home
One of the best pieces of advice on how to help your young ones cope with the transition to a new home is to involve them as much as possible when you can. You don’t have to take them with you when going house hunting, but you can look up places and points of interest before the move. You can look up the schools and kindergartens in your new area. See if there are any fun things to do or any new hobbies they would like to try. You can go and drive around your new neighborhood before you move in unless you’re relocating in a hurry and don’t have the time. After you are finished with the unpacking after moving, you can go and meet your new neighbors and make new friends.
A Common Mistake Parents Tend to Make
Being dishonest with your children, especially when you’re going through such a stressful process as relocating to another home, is a common mistake. No matter if you’re planning on living abroad and relocating to another country or if you want to move out of state, it will be a significant life change for everyone involved.
It’s essential to have a family meeting and explain to them why you’re relocating. Whether it’s because of a divorce or if you’ve found a more affordable place to live in, being honest about it is one of the crucial tips you should follow. They are very smart and often understand more than their parents give them credit for. If you are straightforward about it and answer their questions, they will feel much better about the relocation as opposed to being kept in the dark.
