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MOVING WITH KIDS

How to make moving day a positive experience in the life of your family

Below are several helpful tips to make your child’s move less stressful.

• Communication is key…talk with your child several weeks before moving day
  
• Use easy to understand words: “A big truck will come to our house and load our families furniture, books, toys and everything else. We will get in our car and drive to our new house.”
  
• We recommend you encourage your child to be involved in the process by allowing them to pack their own toys and belongings
  
• Allow your child to personalize (color) their boxes so they are easily identified. Their participation will create excitement when their belongings are unpacked as they will quickly recognize their things
  
• Allow your child to pick the paint color of their new room
  
• Be upbeat about your move with your child
• Include your child on house hunting trips
• Show them pictures and allow them to search for listings on this website
  
• Explore with your child family-friendly activities and attractions
• Treat moving like it is a commonplace occurrence (which it is)
• Be careful to maintain your child’s regular routine up to the day of the move. Routines help reduce stress and eliminates uncertainty about the move.
• Typically younger children don’t have a good sense of time. Use visual cues like a chart or calendar to count down the days until moving day
• Make sure your child has the opportunity to say their goodbyes to their friends. Keep these experiences positive. Emphasize that the new home will be an adventure and they will make new friends there.
• Many children will express sadness about their upcoming move. It’s commonplace so let them know you understand. Assure them that it is okay to feel sad
• If your child does experience stress it is possible they may regress which could manifest itself with bed-wetting. Should this occur, reassure your child. With time and nurturing, most children adjust smoothly to the transition to their new home
• If your child participated in play groups or other social gatherings at their previous home try to locate a similar group in your community, at your school or house of worship for continuity

There are several books to help with coping with moving. We recommend the following books to help kids adjust to moving to our area:

• “The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day” (Random House Books for Young Readers, 1981) by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
• “Goodbye House” (Moonbear Books, 1989) by Frank Asch.
• “I’m Not Moving, Mama” (Aladdin, 1999) by Nancy White Carlstrom.
  

Be sensitive and use these helpful suggestions and resources to help your child experience a less stressful move and adjust to their new home easier.