3 Quick Tips To Help Your Child Cope With Their First Home Move

While the process of relocating may seem commonplace for adults, it is still a difficult time for a young child to go through. Particularly if they were raised in your current property, it can oftentimes be difficult to break a child's emotional connection with their childhood. However, there are a few things you can do to make the move that much easier on them.

Let Them Have Their Say

Adults are used to making decisions on behalf of their children, and as such children can often feel like their parents aren't listening to them. While you're only doing what's best for them, you may have to take a step back and listen intently to their concerns about moving home. This will allow you to make the best decisions when planning the move such that the entire family is happy.

While you're not likely going to allow the kids to choose your next property (understandable!), you should find out what they would like in their new home. Oftentimes, you can appease your child by explaining to them why moving is a great thing for your family. If you have made a conscious effort to choose an area or property that has some appeal to them, this process will be made much easier. Come moving day, you'll have a child who feels listened to and is excited to reach their new destination, saving you unnecessary stress when relocating.

Allow Them Their Lap of Honor

When moving day is right around the corner, it can oftentimes be easy to become completely entrenched in organizing your belongings. Particularly if you've left things a little late (as most people do), you may start to feel stressed out and overwhelmed with the prospect of moving home. However, to ensure your children is fully prepared to move home, you must control your stress and allow them to say goodbye to their neighborhood.

This can be as simple as taking your child for a walk around a few blocks to see the sights before you set off. Or it may involve taking your kid around to each of their friends' homes to say goodbye. Whatever it may be, you must allow your child to say goodbye to the neighborhood before moving day arrives. Moving is difficult on children, and as your current neighborhood is the only environment they've likely ever known, it can take some time to get over this. Taking your child on a lap of honor around their favorite areas will make the process that much easier on them.

Understand it Will Take Time to Settle in

Your children have become accustomed to their family home, and as such, relocating to an entirely new area can cause them to feel overwhelmed. This is entirely natural; you just have to give your kid the time to settle in.

With that said, you can help speed the process along by implementing a few simple tips. Firstly, you could let your child unpack their boxes on their own if they are old enough. This will give them a sense of responsibility and will let them unpack everything at their own pace.

Secondly, you should take your children on a tour of the area soon after you have moved in. This will allow them to experience the sights, sounds and smells of their new neighborhood and will bring a sense of familiarity to an otherwise foreign place.

With that said, you simply have to give your child the time to mourn their old family home and become accustomed to the new property. Things take time, so remain calm and remember that everything you do is in their best interest. 

Before moving, click here for info on making your move as stress-free as possible.