Moving is a big deal, even if you are only moving across town. Aside from having to pack up your belongings and living in the chaos of moving boxes for days until you move out, the burden of adjusting to the changes will significantly impact our lives.
Moving is more difficult for children and they will usually react negatively to a move. An obvious reason for this is because they feel that they will lose their friends when they move to a new address. That is on top of all the other adjustments they have to make in the neighborhood, in school, and in the community.
As a parent, how can you make your move easier for your children?
1. Reassure them.
Be prepared to receive negative responses from your children when you announce the move. While you may be excited about this new phase, your children may not share your enthusiasm. In fact, they may feel a variety of negative emotions, like sadness and anger, and are probably worrying about various aspects surrounding the move.
Don’t invalidate their feelings by trying to talk them out of these feelings. Instead, listen to them and acknowledge how they feel. Then reassure them that everything will be alright because they are not alone and the whole family will be there with them, especially for very young children who might worry about being left behind.
2. Manage expectations.
Focus on the good things that will come out of transferring to this new address when you make the announcement but make sure you do not make them expect more than what is available. If you can, take your children with you when you visit the new place prior to your move. In addition to visiting your new house, you can check out the nearby school, library, playground, the local shops, bakeries and restaurants.
3. Make a memento.
Scrapbooks are fun family activities that can strengthen your bond. In the case of moving, creating a moving scrapbook can be a cathartic way of gradually letting go of an old life and getting ready to move to a new one. You can take photos and glue them on notebooks where you add fun captions. Start with pictures of the house and the neighborhood you currently live in, then transition toward the move including the reason for the move and the feelings of each family member with regards to the decision.
End with photos of what you are looking forward to when you transfer, from deciding on the new paint for their bedroom to the sweet treats at the new neighbourhood’s pastry shop. Make sure you end on a happy note by pasting a photo of the family at your new place.
4. Let them participate in decision-making.
Allow your child to decide on some tasks to raise their enthusiasm for the upcoming move, especially with the best removalists Gold Coast can expect from Vic Palmer Removals & Storage. Being assured that they won’t be losing any of their favourite things, they will be glad to be certainly helping out on aesthetic improvements for their new rooms. For example, ask them what color to paint their room and where to put their beds and cabinets.
Don’t force them to give up items that they still want to keep, even if you feel that this is a good time to de-clutter. Give them boxes where they can pack things that they want to keep and a garbage bag for those that they don’t need any more. Let them write their names on the boxes to assure them that you are bringing the boxes when you move.
Older children can help plot the moving route from your old place to your new address.
This article is published in partnership with Mediabuzzer.
