Moving can be tough for children. Change is often a scary thing, not just for adults, but for our little family members too. Children often feel that moving is out of their control and that they were never a part of this big decision. Flip those tables around and ensure them that this adventure will be fun for the whole family!

Be sure to explain to your children what is going on and what to expect on the day that you move. When preparing your children for moving, the sooner you let them know the better. It gives them more time to adjust and less time to worry. Make the experience a positive one and answer any questions that the children have patiently. If they see you being positive then they will be too (monkey see, monkey do). Give them a task list that needs to be completed, one that would not be overwhelming to them. It will make them feel like they are a part of the experience instead of being in the way of progress. Have your children be responsible for their own bedrooms, both while moving and when you get into your new home. Make them aware that they don’t want to unpack their boxes in the new home until all the furniture is in place. No one wants to step over Mouse Trap will carrying a dresser.

If your moving long distances, help your children create an address book so that they can see that they can still keep in touch with their friends. Have your children make a special box just for moving day essentials. Help them decorate the box and make it theirs. Their box should have games, books, pencils and paper to keep them busy on the road, they could include their new address books as well. This box needs to be all about fun!

Make time with them to say good-bye to their favorite places. Have them make a list and mark the days on the calender and which places you’ll visit before the move. It will give them time to say good-bye and prepare them for their new adventures.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 at 10:45 am and is filed under General, Relocation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.