Moving house is stressful for adults, packing & unpacking, planning & cleaning, booking removalists, it all creates a bit of chaos in the household. Kids not only pick up on the stress of moving, the transition from one home to another can be unsettling especially if moving to a new and unfamiliar area. Children are creatures of habit and such a big change as moving homes can be very stressful for them. But with these tips for kids when moving you can make the whole process easier for your little ones.
By including children in the decision-making process, they have a sense of ownership and control. Of course, this doesn't mean asking them to select your new home or area to move to! But they can help make smaller less impactful decisions.
Choosing what room to start packing first
Making a picture of how they want their new room to look like
Selecting the colour of packing tape
Packing their own box
Giving them a special packing job (being in charge of packing cutlery etc)
Make a packing chart and ask them to tick off when each job is complete
Choosing what to eat for lunch on the car trip to the new home
Sit down and plan these decisions out and make a special book and checklist. Knowing what is happening leading up the big move and on the day itself will make everyone feel more in control.
Give them a box to pack their most important possessions and tell them that box will be with them on the day of the move. Ask them to decorate the box with drawings or stickers and let them go wild. This will help to put them at ease on the day of the move and give them a distraction by putting them in charge of the box.
Introduce the new area and home to your children before you move in. Sometimes this isn’t as easy as driving past by the new house and suburb, for instance moving from Sydney to Melbourne. But you can use the internet for looking at parks and playgrounds, pictures of their new school or kinder, and use Real Estate images to show the new home.
Research local activities and ask the kids what interests them, by getting them excited over the new area, the move will seem less unknown and scary.
The best decision you can make is to hire removalists to take care of the most stressful aspect of packing up all your furniture and belongings. That way you can be taking care of the most important part of your move, the kids. Men that Move are the best removalists and we will make sure everything runs smoothly. Have a picnic in the backyard whilst we pack up your house, make it a special celebration woth your children. In doing so and by not being up close to the packing process your kids will be excited rather than worried.
Most of all stay positive, kids know when you are stressed, even if you are pretending not to be! So planning out the moving day in 30 minute or hour increments will help you and them. This may be as simple as breakfast, walk to the park, picnic in the backyard and then going to a friends house for the afternoon. Make sure you give them time to say goodbye to their old room and home. Explain how a new family is going to move in and take care of the home and make happy memories. A little ceremony like hiding a note with a drawing behind a kitchen cabinet can a great way to have a final goodbye.
And remember not everything will go to plan so explain this to your kids. Let them know you may be feeling nervous too and talking about will help. This way your kids will not let worries fester or grow bigger in their minds.
Have you had a good or bad experince moving with kids? Let us know in the comments below or on facebook.com/menthatmove
