1882 Views 8 Ways To Help Children Cope With Moving To Another Home
Moving home can be stressful for everyone, but it can affect children particularly badly.
It’s important to look for the signs that your child may be worrying about the move, and do all you can to help them deal with the changes in the best way possible. There are several reasons why a child may be concerned about moving. It could be that they’re worried about leaving their friends, they may not want to leave their bedroom, or they may simply be finding the whole process disrupting and unnerving.
Here are some ways to help children cope with a house move…
- Talk about the move
Fear can come from a lack of knowledge, a fear of the unknown. If you involve your children with the move and involve them in the process, a lot of that fear can go away. If you can show your children the new home, then don’t miss out on the chance. Talk them through each room, explain where their toys will live, focus on anything special such as a nice place in the garden where they can have a swing or a trampoline.
- Don’t let them pick up on your own stress
Little ears are listening, so if you’re having any conversations about the move where you’re expressing your own concerns, try to have them out of earshot of the children. If they pick up on the fact that you are worried about the move, then they’ll think the move is something to be scared about.
- Get the kids involved
Kids of any age can help with the move. They can help you write lists, label boxes and pack things. Smaller children can find a move very confusing so it’s important to reassure them that all their beloved toys will be safely packed and moved to their new bedroom. It’s not uncommon for younger ones to think that they will have to leave their toys behind so make sure they know what will happen on moving day.
- Keep it fun
Along with conversations about how they might like to decorate their new room, or the fun things you’ll do in your new home, you can also give them their own box to decorate and pack their most treasured possessions ready for moving day. You’ll then know that these are the most important boxes and you can make sure the children have them in their rooms as soon as you’ve moved in. That should save on the stress when you can’t remember which box your little one’s favourite teddy has been packed in!
- Keep things the same for a while
When you move, it’s tempting to get lots of new things and make things different, but for children it can often be better to keep things the same for a while. So, keeping the same familiar duvet cover for example, can be reassuring to a child when they’re sleeping in a new bedroom for the first time.
- Have family over to visit quickly
Don’t wait until your house is pristine before you have guests over. Your kids will really appreciate those familiar faces in a strange environment, and encourage them to show off the new house and their new bedrooms.
- Make sure old friends are not lost
These days it’s so easy to keep in touch, so take time to sit with your children and email or write letters to old friends. They’ll look forward to the replies and it will help your children feel as if they have friends before they start a new school and make new ones.
- Encourage new friendships
Your child will make new friends at school but starting a new school when you don’t know anyone can be very daunting. Taking time to make friends with the neighbour’s children, or joining a local club before school begins can really help children to settle in.
The best is yet to come
Of course a move can be stressful, but it’s important to focus on the benefits of the move. Eventually everyone will feel perfectly at home and life will be even better! Moving home can be a difficult journey, but by hiring professional movers, a lot of the stress and strain can be eliminated. To find out more about how we can help you with your move, check here.