Moving to a new home is always a big event. When you find the house of your dreams, whether it is newly built or simply a change of location, regardless of the conditions in the neighborhood or how nice and friendly the new neighbors are, it is a shock for you and your family, which will require adaptation to the new conditions. Moving to another apartment or to another house is a time when you have to adapt to the new, even if the new facilities and conditions are undeniably better.
Your child will be the most affected part of the family. For him, moving to a new house is an uprooting from home, from the kindergarten or school team, and represents a heartbreaking separation from friends. It is very important to prepare the moment very carefully so that moving to a new house does not become a trauma for the child. The child must be prepared to adapt to the transition and even make him look forward to this event.
How to inform your child about moving house
Changing schools, leaving friends, and abandoning your childhood bedroom has the potential to make moving to a new home very difficult, if not downright traumatic. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
First, children are resilient and eminently adaptable. And second, adults have the power to help minimize tears and fears, thanks to the trust they have, especially in the case of a change of residence.
Considering each child and the family situation that differs from one case to another, some tips should be considered to make the relocation with the family as painless as possible for everyone involved. It is a time when you need to be close to the child and very transparent so that they gain the necessary trust in you as parents.
- Tell your children about the upcoming move as soon as possible . Allow them to participate in discussions about the move to help them prepare and feel involved.
- Give them enough details so that, depending on their age, they can get a general idea of the new place. Add details about the moving date or details about their new room.
- Help your children find reasons to be excited about the upcoming move to a new home. They definitely need your help as parents to be excited about leaving their old friends behind and moving to a new place.
- Answer their questions honestly to help them feel at ease. They may be wondering how they will keep in touch with old friends or what it will be like at their new school.
- Help them understand their feelings. They will experience big, scary emotions and may not understand what those feelings are or how to deal with them. Use favorite books, music, or videos to help your children understand their emotions and manage them positively.
Tips for preparing your child for moving house
Once you have informed your child about the move to another apartment, you will have to get used to their grumpy attitude and proceed delicately in front of the huge stack of luggage, toys, books and notebooks, of which nothing can be given up. Below we will repeat some tips to help you overcome the crisis of moving to a new house more easily with your child:
- Take your child on “reconnaissance trips” to the new home and explain the future advantages, introduce them to the neighbors, to the extent that you have learned something, but only for the good. Check the route to kindergarten or school.
- Start packing and cleaning for your move early, don’t rush it at the last minute, so your family can be fully prepared for the big moving day.
- Make a plan for a week, together with your child, and plan every detail before the move, how the packing will be done and how the move to the new house will be done in complete safety.
- Come up with lists of simple things to do that you can involve your child in. Give them importance for this.
- Stick to routines. Having a set schedule works wonders for young minds. The best way to reduce uncertainty and alleviate stress in your child is to make sure that family schedules and routines are followed when moving.
- Try to have free time to spend with your child discussing moving to another apartment , even if you haven’t finished preparing for it and are still stressed.
- Use color codes for the boxes you pack your luggage in, especially when you’re using your child’s help. Ask for their approval when organizing by color.
- The child will not give up certain useless things. To avoid arguments, take advantage of the time when he is at school to get rid of this junk, which you do not want to bring to the new house.
- Hire a babysitter to take care of the child, walk them, or drive them home to create more room for action when packing and unpacking.
- Keep a positive attitude while moving into your new home, even if you are tired or having problems. Your child is sensitive to experiencing anxiety right away.
- Let your child make some decisions and get involved in the moving process. Don’t allow them to make a decision you don’t agree with. Try to relax the atmosphere, not make it unnecessarily tense.
- Give your child enough time to adjust to their new home. Expect strong emotions.
- The child needs memories from the old home, and it’s good to take pictures of it and possibly of him and his friends.
- After moving to the new home, plan a visit to the old address to let the child meet old friends and say goodbye.
