Moving With Kids: Keep These 5 Things in Mind

Moving can be one of the most stressful times of your life. Whether just down the road, across the state, or to a different state or country, packing up your entire life and transferring it to a new situation is difficult, especially the first time.

If you need to move not just yourself, but the whole family, all that stress and chaos multiplies. Every child will deal with the move differently, and maintaining your own demeanor becomes crucially important to keep your household together through the process. Discover a few things that can make the transition a bit easier on your kids.

1. Talk Through The Process

Communication is vital in this area, as in so many others. Telling the kids that you're moving is an obvious first step, but throughout the move, talk to them and make sure they understand what's going on as much as possible.

If your kids are very young, they might only be able to understand something like, We're leaving, we're going to a new home with new friends , but kids can be surprisingly wise and understanding when significant changes are happening. Figure out how much your children can understand and work with them on their own levels, but don't leave them out of the loop.

2. Be Ready for the Meltdowns

Just because they can talk about moving doesn't mean they won't have to work through their feelings. Even if you hate the place you live now, moving comes with a mixed bag of emotions. If your children are elementary school-aged or younger, they likely don't have the vocabulary to express all the things they feel about the move.

How does a kid often deal with this wave of new, scary feelings? Meltdowns.

Now is a crucial time for you to be gracious with them, not buckle down on their moodiness when they can't find their socks or tell them to stop fussing if you accidentally pack away their favorite toy. They're struggling too, and they need you to be there for them.

3. Let Them Be Involved

If you pack up your household yourself, let the kids stack books into boxes or decide what toys to pack together. Even if a moving company packs you out (which will drastically reduce the headache for you), you can still let your children help. They can stack things they want together in piles, help clean in preparation for your departure, or decorate the boxes going to their rooms.

4. Structure, Structure, Structure

You may be more of a relaxed, go-with-the-flow family, but that approach can make your move harder than it has to be. Plan out what your family will do in the days leading up to the move. Make sure children have time to say their goodbyes to friends and neighbors. Post a moving menu or ideas for meals.

The more structure kids have, the safer they will likely feel, and they'll be less stressed if they know you have a plan.

5. Stay Positive

Remember, as the parents, your demeanor affects how the rest of the household functions. If you stay upbeat and excited about the move, your kids will be able to get excited too.

Have conversations with them about why you're moving and why this will be better for the family. Ask them to list things they look forward to about their new home. Let them draw out what they think the new house will be like, and when they get to see it, help them look for things that are even better than they thought.

Moving is tough, but a good moving company can take a lot of the stress off. For local or statewide moves, get in touch with Azalea City Moving Co.today.