There’s nothing more exciting or stressful as relocating your family to a new area. You have so many things to prepare and do, from packing the house to making sure that you have enough entertainment in place to keep the kids busy while you unpack at the new place. More than you need to prepare your things, you need to think about your kids. Are they ready for this big move? Are they prepared for the changes ahead?
You may have booked the household movers, and you might have the new house set up and ready to go, but that doesn't mean that the kids are prepared for this. Preparation is critical, and you want them to be ready to go and happy to accept the changes ahead. So, for this, you need a checklist to make sure that this is the smoothest move possible for you all.
Before The Move
Get the whole family together and talk about the changes to come. You can involve the kids in the decisions that you make, especially when it comes to the new schools.
Go online and virtually tour your area and get to know the new house from the outside. The kids will love the chance to catch up and see the place you are going to live and feel a little more in tune with the new area before you get there. It’s an excellent visual for them to understand it better.
Do as much research as possible into the new area and make sure that as you research, you are giving them a debriefing about the surrounding attractions.
Let people help you out! Allow family and friends to get stuck in and help you with the kids. You can never have too much help with the children! Reassurance is vital for children before a significant change. They deserve your time and patience.
During The Move
Declutter and simplify everything in the house and make sure that you don't bring anything with you that you haven't used. Let the kids pack their own boxes and label them while you can. You need them to feel a part of the process, and this can give them some control.
Hire a sitter to watch the kids while you pack everything up. This frees your concentration and allows you to pack efficiently. You also need to get a unique bag for each of the kids to fill with the things that they love. This is so important to get them feeling involved and happy.
Please keep the conversation going during the move while you pack and before you get to the new house so that they are very well prepared for what’s to come! Children aren't great with time, so try not to talk about “in three weeks” because, for that, it’s about trying to let them know that no matter when you move, it’s all going to be okay.
Being there for them while they process the move is essential, and you need to get them started on it before you even start packing.