There are several issues to bear in mind when moving; when you decide to pick up then pack up it affects not just you alone, but also your entire family including your children and even your pets. To decide that you’re moving is a major change for everyone involved, which can cause people’s anxiety and emotions to run high.
Student Movers has a few helpful suggestions taken from the American Movers and Storage Association, which we encourage you to integrate into your family’s discussion so that the moving process will be much easier on everyone.
First, when considering others, and specifically your kids, it’s best to be open and honest about the move from the get-go. Take a preventative approach to sour reactions and potential resentment by encouraging your family to express their feelings and opinions from the start. Letting them know that their voice is heard will strengthen the trust in your relationship and will lay the foundation for any successful move. Most importantly, this step requires your serious acknowledgment of those feelings expressed so that changes can be made accordingly. Ultimately, you must evaluate their concerns for a more efficient and joyful move so that moving affects your family positively!
Be aware of the experience your family has had with moving; have you moved before, and if so, what were the circumstances? Relating to others is important when moving. It requires not simply the acknowledgment of their feelings, but also the assessment of how they might handle obstacles and challenges commonly faced in moving.
If your kids are young they may need more attention than those who are older or have moved before. Take into account their sense of identity in relationship to the place you are currently at: their school, their friends, and the family routine. A child’s fear of being left behind and the significance of small toys or items are sometimes forgotten. It’s important to slow down and check in with your kids, letting them know that you’re right there with them all the way. Moving can create uncertainty so it’s best to do what you can by increasing their feelings of stability. Encourage your child’s participation by making the move into a positive activity, one that everyone can work together at and achieve as a unit.
Lastly, it’s unfortunate that feeling unsettled is an inevitable condition of moving to a new place, however, you can do your best to minimize its affects. Timing is important, especially when considering your child’s schedule and school. Contrary to what most may believe, moving during the summertime can be harder than during the school year. Since school is a primary source for making friends, summertime poses minimum opportunity for your child to meet and make friends. Depending on your child’s educational institution, curricula in the elementary grades tends to be more flexible than that of high school, which is usually more structured. We suggest talking to the faculty and surrounding community, but ultimately, you must evaluate the timing as it best fits your own family’s particular needs and standards.
Tips for Moving with Children:
- Include the children in making plans for the move. Take them with you when house hunting or when looking at apartments.
- If your moving somewhere distant, help your children learn about the new area. Check out games or informational websites devoted specifically to that place.
- By using dolls and/or wagons, give your child a sense of what moving is through role playing and play-acting.
- Take the time to have a “last visit” to places your family spent time at or is particularly attached to.
- Prepare individual travel packages labeled with each child’s name containing toys, clothing, and snacks.
- After all the major unpacking is done, let the family take a break. Don’t try to do everything as soon as you arrive.
- Let the children decide how they will set-up or decorate their new room.
- Take the time after the move to listen to what your children learned and experienced. Ask about their new school and new friends.
- The first weeks of school may be difficult for your child. Pay attention to new behaviors and follow their progress closely.
- Children may react to the move by reverting to babyish actions. Instead of scolding them, be reassuring. They will relax and return to their normal behavior.
- If you are moving to a radically new environment –rural to urban, or vice versa- advise your children about the new situations that may arise.
