Preparing Your Children For A Move

Moving is difficult. Getting your kids to move with you, at least with a positive attitude and thinking, adds up to your difficulty in moving. If you’ve been in a certain place for a long time, your children would have definitely made it their comfort zone, with their best friends, and favourite hang outs. As parents, you would probably even feel a sense of attachment and belonging to your current environment just like your kids. However, the news of having to move and relocate will be more difficult for your children to accept.

Your kids would have fear of the new place, and the thought of leaving their best friends behind, well, let’s just say that you have given them their first heartbreak. Children fear that they could lose their current best friends because of lack of communication. They could also fear their new environment and new school because of the thought of bullies and new faces. That is life, you think, or children don’t know that much, but even as parents, you could also not know much about your children too and how they cope with things. However, children also must understand that change is the law of nature. For growth and progress to occur, change is a must.

As parents, you have to guide your children, help and comfort them, and of course, give them a lot of love. Here are some tips to help you in preparing your children for a move:

Involve your kids in planning the move.

Bring them with you when you go house hunting, as they could actually get excited about the kind of new rooms they want to get. Also take your kids with you when looking for a new school. Although you, as parents, will have the final decision, it is also good to know what your children think of the new school, because they might not like the environment. If you do this, your kids will become more excited and not as frightened.

Before the movers come and start loading your belongings into their truck, allow your kids to say goodbye.

Accompany your children to say goodbye to their friends and the house. They will need your support and also it might be hard to make them separate from their friends after saying goodbye. Goodbyes are always hard.

Reassure your kids that you will bring them back to the old neighbourhood every once in a while.

Especially if your children are now teenagers, the common reaction is they will rebel and argue with you about your decision to move. The reason for this is, not only do they have best friends, but they might already have their romantic relationships and since they are young lovers, they most likely won’t be able to deal and cope with the idea of a long distance relationship.

It is best to reassure your kids that you can bring them back for a visit, and maybe even allow them to stay for a couple of nights during a holiday or a long weekend. It will make your children soften up to you, even just a little bit.

Comfort your kids by telling them that communication is not hard nowadays.

Thanks to the latest technology, you have 24/7 access to your phone and internet. There’s also Facebook, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, and video calls and conferences, not only on the internet but on the phone too!

Make your children happy by giving them the chance to decorate their own rooms.

Give your kids a budget on how much they each get to spend on decorations for their own rooms. Letting them style their own rooms will lighten their moods up about moving, and probably actually look forward to it.

When you have already moved, take the whole family out.

Drive your family around the new area. Take them to a movie, or perhaps sightseeing. Your children would also have an excuse to eat outside because you all just moved in and obviously nothing has been unpacked yet.

Help your children adjust.

Help them adjust to their new situation and their new school. Guide and encourage them in making new friends and to not be afraid. Take time to listen to your kids’ concerns as well, and don’t fail to give them advice.

By: Cedric Loiselle

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