
It is hard, especially for children, to move to a new home leaving their familiar place and the people they have known all their lives behind. It is even more stressful to move to a new place with children; you have to do everything as a good parent would do to make your children feel good. You have to control their anxiety, make them comfortable and so on. One way you can take control of all this stress is to include them during the moving process. By doing so, you can help them relieve their nerves to some extent.
During the move
First of all, you need to talk to them regarding the relocation. Don’t keep them in the dark. Have an honest and a very open conversation about what is going to happen and when; obviously they don’t like such surprises, or more precisely, such shocking news. Give them a chance to express their views on the matter, let them speak their heart out. It will help you to give them an insight which will largely help them certainly during the move.
One of the biggest reasons to involve them in the moving process is to prevent them from over-thinking which will ultimately reduce their anxiety. They would have a fear of the unknown as they don’t know whether they would be able to make new friends, or if this move will have a drastic effect on their future (provided they are old enough to think of this) and many more concerns.
Involve them in packing and work as a team. If the children are small, then operate as if packing is a game or a race. Ask them to pack fast in order to win the race. There are many other interesting and creative ways by which you can try to entertain them.
After the move
It’s important to pay attention to your kids after the move as well. Try to get your kids back to their routine. You can start by getting them to unpack. They shouldn’t be missing out on their play-hours, or lose track of bed-hours, lunch or dinner-hours. Their unchanging schedule coming to life in a new place will make them feel more secure.
If possible, take them with you so that you can introduce them to the new neighborhood. This way they get to have their own meet and greet!
Take a trip to their new school and meet the teachers. Ask the teachers to get in touch with you if any wayward incident may come about where your child is concerned.
Clearly, moving is full of pressure and anxiety. However, if we handle it properly, it may help us get closer to our kids. Obviously, moving will give your child a good experience. Experiences can be certainly helpful in the long run.
This blog was edited by Amalia Abbar from our Corporate Office.