Moving with a child
Children do not usually fair well with having to relocate from one place to another when moving home. Like adults the stress can be overwhelming for them coupled with the fact that they tend to be more emotional, especially if they are moving away from a neighborhood filled with memories and their friends.
Even in such a fragile situation there are quite a few ways in which you can alleviate your children’s fears about moving and get them to the point where they would anxiously welcome the change of moving.
The trick in all of this is to get your child involved in the different aspects of moving starting with getting them involved in the moving tasks. For instance take your children with you as you drive around to pick up moving boxes from your friends, family or even from the supermarket. Along the way, keep the conversation about moving very positive with the children; find out about their fears and address them. On the day that you pick up moving boxes, you should also head to the store to pick up packaging supplies such as tape, labels, markers etc. Allow the children to select their own color and style of labels, markers even stickers to personalize their own moving box; they would soon start to get excited about moving.
Allow the children to pack their own boxes containing their bedroom items making sure that you get them to only keep the things that they want while getting rid of those that they would either want to throw away or donate.
If you are moving with young children, you can pack their boxes for them and have them tell you what they want to keep. Don’t be surprised if the younger ones are clinging on to a “comfort” item such as an old stuffed toy or even a blanket. No matter how raggedy it may you would be surprised to know that the item may be exactly what they need to make the moving transition.
If you have enough time before moving, you should also try to schedule a party and invite your children’s friends over so that they can bond for a while before moving. At the party the children can exchange telephone numbers, physical or email addresses and keep in touch with each other, especially if you are moving to another town.
If the children are going to be attending new schools when you move, ensure that you take them along so that they can get a feel for the school and the teachers as well.
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