Preparing Your Kids For A Move Across The Country

In between packing, hiring a reliable moving company such as Wheaton World Wide Moving, researching new schools in your area and other important aspects of your move, it is important to pay attention to how your children are adjusting to the idea of moving. There are some things that you can do before and shortly after you move to make things a little easier on the younger members of the family.

If possible, visit the new area with your children

If you have the time and resources, consider taking your children to see their new home before too much of the moving process has already happened. Show them their new school, and tour it and show them their classroom and meet their teacher if it can be arranged. If you're religious, meet the church leaders or go to a worship service. Show them around the neighborhood, focusing on the things that will be particularly exciting to them.

Plan ways for them to stay in contact with friends from your old area

Many older children will be worried about leaving friends behind. Try to create a plan for how often they will be able to call, write to, or have a video chat with their friends. Knowing that they will be able to talk to their friends after they move will help them feel more comfortable about leaving them.

Help them understand the new opportunities they will have

Try to focus on the exciting new things that they will be able to do in their new area. Talk about special things the new neighborhood might have that the old one didn't, or about different things the new school might offer. If it is an option in the new home, consider letting them choose a color to be able to paint their new room. If they are excited about the new possibilities they will have, it will be easier for them to deal with leaving some things behind.

Talk about the things that are going to stay the same

Make sure that your child is aware of the things that aren't going to change to give them a grasp on how their life is going to stay the same. Reassure them of things that will be going with you, particularly their favorite toys and other things that they are familiar with from their room. Of course, also reassure them that they will still have their family to rely on.

Help them feel at home in their new area

Once you have arrived, help your child explore the new area. If they want you to, go with them to their first day of school or walk around the neighborhood with them. This is particularly important if you did not have the opportunity to show them the new area before the move. It's also a good idea to find an activity for your child to be involved in, so consider signing them up for a sport, dance class, or club to help them make new friends.

With these few ideas, you can help make your child's transition a lot smoother as you are getting ready to move.


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