Moving House? Here’s How to Make it Less Stressful For Your Children
Children are very resilient, but many of them are averse to change.
They are still learning and experiencing the world, so even small changes to their lives or routines sometimes feel overwhelming. When you need to move, a big change is going to happen. You don’t want to break the hearts of your children – you’re actually trying to make things better for them. They won’t see it your way immediately, but there are a few things you can do to help them feel less stressed and more optimistic about your big move. This is one of the reasons why Real Estate Balmain, an Australian real estate market, is committed to helping every client to find their ideal home for their families.
Give Them Plenty of Notice
You might be dreading having the big conversation with your kids, but it won’t get any easier the longer you wait. If you tell them as far ahead as you possibly can, they’ll have a longer period of time to get used to the idea. If the move is an urgent situation that was dropped into your lap, you may not be able to provide them with a surplus of notice. Just make sure they know soon after you’re sure that you’ll definitely be moving house, whether it’s next door or you’re moving the whole family to a different country.
Let Them Finish the School Year
If you can avoid it, don’t pull them out of school to move. You’ll want to avoid this especially if your children will need to change schools. They’ll want their time off to settle in to their new home and get used to the neighbourhood – they won’t get that time if they’re thrust from one school into another. Transitioning homes during their downtime will also turn the experience into a fresh start, rather than a disruption of their day to day activities.
Come Up With a Friend Plan
Childhood friends rarely last forever, but children don’t understand that. They’ll naturally fall out of touch with many of the friends and classmates they’re leaving behind, and they likely would have done the same if they had never moved. Develop contact plans for the friends they’re closest with. Will they be able to visit? Can they video chat with each other on the weekends? Let them know that they’ll always be able to get a hold of the people who mean the most to them.
Include Them in the Moving Process
You want your children to feel like the family moving process is something being done with them, not to them. If they’re a part of it, they’re less likely to feel panicked. Encourage them to pack up their own rooms. Let them make decisions about which toys they’d like to take with them, and which toys they’d like to donate to less fortunate children.
If your children are much happier conveniently disappearing when there’s work to be done, it may be worth letting them get away with it during the move. If they are young, they might find the concept of putting everything in the home into boxes to be overwhelming. If that’s the case, allow your children to be as involved (or uninvolved) as they’d like to be.
Give Them Reasons to Get Excited
Focusing on the positives helps anyone through a stressful time. Think about a hard project you worked on, and how great you felt when it was over. You saw what you accomplished, the results were great, and you were proud. Teaching your children to view the move this way is productive and helpful.
They’re going to have a new room. What colour do they want to paint it? Are they getting any new stuff for that new room? Is there going to be a great park near the new house where they can play after school? Will they be closer to their grandparents who have a tendency to spoil them silly around the holidays?
Change is something you need to talk about, but there’s no reason why emphasis shouldn’t be placed on the most positive parts of that change. It’s not being dishonest – it’s teaching your children to see the silver linings. There’s a positive side to even the most negative things, and it’s healthy to instil that in them while their minds are still growing.
At the end of the day, your big move can become the perfect learning opportunity that will help your children develop mature attitudes.
Even if it seems like they’re anxious in the moment, it’s important to remember that the anxiety will eventually pass. Do your best to be supportive and listen to their concerns during every part of the process.
Author’s Bio: Elizabeth Lee is a blogger writing on behalf of PACK & SEND – Australia’s experts in the fields of logistics and transport. With her unquenchable love for writing, Elizabeth often shares her tips with businesses, families and individuals. Feel free to follow her on @LelizabethLee86.
