Moving can be a very difficult time for children. As we are clearing out our own home right now to prepare for some renovations, I thought about how much more difficult this would be if we were never coming back to this home. This list of 6 tips to help children transition for a move are excellent.
Tips For Moving with Children
If you’ve ever moved your family across the street, a new state, or across the country, moving takes its toll on everyone, but mostly our children. Children can feel powerless when they are having to leave a familiar location and because they don’t have any input in any decision. The best thing to do when making this transition is to involve them as much as you can. Below are a few steps to help make it easier for you and your children.
- Create A Wish List: Searching for a new home is an exciting time and asking what everyone is looking for can make it special to involve your children. Do you want a larger backyard to play in, a basement that has room to run around, separate rooms for a home office and bedrooms? These are thoughts that everyone can help with and if able, look at the homes together.
- Pack A Treasure Box: A fun idea if your child is nervous about moving to a new home is allowing them to pack a box that they can decorate and put in their favorite items. Allow them to decorate their box with stickers, markers, or colored paper. Once their box is filled with their favorite treasures, they can carry the box with them in the car or a backpack to their new home.
- Let Them Pick Out Paint: If you are moving to a home that allows you to paint your walls, bring home various paint swatches so your child can pick a color that they want. This could make it into a fun art project as well. Have them paste a snapshot of their bed and furniture onto a sheet of paper and figure out the different paint colors they want to like around their furniture. This can also be a time where they can map out how they want their room to look, where they want their furniture to be, and where they want pictures or posters hung before they even set foot in their new room.
- Host A Goodbye Party Via Zoom: Although it’s hard to see people during a pandemic, one way to make it memorable for your kids is hosting a goodbye party via Zoom. This will help bring closure to friendships they are leaving behind and keep it simple. Everyone can share a memory or moment about them or dress in a certain theme. I’m sure your child will appreciate the effort you put into making it special for them.
- Tour The New School: Switching schools can be a huge adjustment for any child. Be positive about the experience and take the cues about how they are feeling. See if you can get a class list from the school office and arrange a playdate with any new classmates before school even begins to break the ice. Also, try and tour the school and where the students go before they have their first day so they don’t get lost and do start to slowly become familiar with everything to build up their confidence.
- Hire Professionals When You Feel Burnt Out: As parents, we do put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do it all but ultimately this is not the case. If you are feeling burnout, do yourself a favor and hire professionals to help take care of the packing essentials for you. If you live in the Colorado area, a quality company to call is Taylor Moving and Storage, LLC. This company is one of the top moving companies in the Boulder area because of their no hidden charges for truck fees, mileage, or gas and the professional mannerisms that they exhibit with their customers. Their trucks have all of their moving equipment that includes padding, protective wrap for your belongings, and wardrobes to keep things in their spot from the time they enter the truck, to when they need to be unloaded. They also do any necessary disassembly and reassembly as well as palace everything in your new home where you request it! Each moving employee is there with experience, reliable and honest feedback to help make your move as easy and worry-free as they can.
While moving can be a stressful time for you and your children, make it as memorable and exciting as you can for everyone. Allow them to be open and honest with their feeling as you are to them when the big day arrives. Having open communication can be helpful to let out frustration, anxiety, or nerves which is completely normal. Above all, know that their nerves will pass and they’ll soon be making lifelong friends and enjoy the new location sooner than they think.