image of moving with children

How to Tell a Child That They Are Moving Home

Moving home can be a considerable upheaval even for an adult. For a child, it is a doubly emotional experience, and it is something that many parents dread doing. Once the moving date is set, however, it is something that you’re going to have to do. You can’t put it off forever, so you need to have “the talk”, and the way you approach it will affect how they respond.

It’s vital that you tell your child as soon as you can that you’re moving home. Don’t wait until you have all the details worked out because that can take quite a long time. In some cases, the planning can drag on for a couple of years. Start talking about it with them a bit more openly early on. It will help to reduce the anxiety. The more details you can give them, the better because it will help to manage their expectations and make your relocation a success.

What to Tell Your Kids

The first thing you need to do is announce the move to your kids and family. Tell them where you’re going, and why the move is happening. Then, tell them when the move will be, and why they should be excited about it. Try to make it as positive as possible. Tell them that mummy got a great new job and that you are moving to the new city to be closer to the job. Tell them roughly when the move will be, even if it’s just “next year, before school starts”, and then give a few things that will be good about the move. That could be that there’s a big garden for everyone to play in, or that moving will mean that the family is close to a big new dance school, so your child will be able to get even better teaching and maybe be in some shows. It could be that being close to the forest will mean that they can go on adventures during the holidays. Try to find things that are specific to your child, and make the new place sound awesome.

Your child will have a lot to think about, and they will probably have many questions. Keep the announcement short and simple and then give them the chance to ask questions about it. Be truthful in your answers. If you don’t know the answer to one of the questions, then be honest about that. Your goal should be to make sure that your child feels at ease and know that they can trust you.

Leaving Friends Behind

One thing that a child will be worried about is losing friends. Tell your child that they will meet lots of new people, and they aren’t going to lose all their old friends either. They can stay in touch with their old friends through Skype or email. If you still have family in the area, they can see their existing friends when you come to visit the family.

Your children will want to negotiate to find ways to make the move less stressful. This is where you need to think carefully. You will want to cheer them up, and it can be tempting to make promises to try to help them think positively. Don’t make promises if you aren’t going to be able to keep them. Your kids may ask for pets, or to sign up for expensive gym classes, or for trips back home. Think carefully about what you agree to.

Moving is a Positive

Moving can be a huge positive for your whole family, but in the short term, the kids won’t see it that way. All they will notice is that they were taken away from the school they know and the friends they love. Your kids will be fine in the long term though, and the move will teach them that they can cope with changes to their routine and that they can settle in well to a new environment.

Moving Challenges

Sometimes a move doesn’t work out well. Sometimes the child does struggle to settle into a new school or to make new friends. Sometimes a child moving from the city to the countryside struggles to adapt or vice-versa. If that happens, it is crucial that you work with your child to support them and to find ways to make life better in the new area. Don’t dismiss their concerns out of hand as being a simple issue of not liking change. Encourage them to keep trying, and to give the new school and new routine a chance, but tell them that if they are still not happy after a given period of time, they can come back to talk about it and that you will try to find things to make life work for them. Your child needs to know that you are taking their concerns seriously.

photo of a family

The Moving With Family Guide

Relocating from one home to another isn’t just about packing and moving. Because when you stay in one place long enough, you can start to get attached to those walls and paint. Moreover, it won’t just be you experiencing the longing for familiar surroundings, especially that first couple of nights in your new place. Your family is going to feel it too, and this is very natural. In fact, you might even feel like you don’t belong in the new place yet.

You see, adults can make these connections. In other words, moving into a new house is going to take some getting used to, but eventually, it happens. However, it’s not the same thing for children. Given they are still at a sensitive stage regarding their physical and emotional development, the change can be very dramatic. It is more difficult than choosing one of the best moving companies for your upcoming long-distance relocation to a new city.

So, while you can empathize with your kids about the way they are feeling, it’s also the best time to help them get through it.

1. Ease Your Kids Into It

According to several experts, half the battle can be won if you take the time to ease your kids into the move. This means sitting them down at an appropriate time, and clearly explain that you are moving to a new home.

What is the most appropriate time, you wonder? It is recommended to tell them about a month in advance. This gives them enough time to process the news, but not too much time to build doubts. However, if you’ll be selling the house and potential buyers will be looking at the house, it’s best to tell them before strangers come walking through the halls.

2. Give Them Space

Experts typically agree that children, on average, will need about six months to adjust to their new settings fully. Of course, this is just an estimate, and every situation is unique. However, the point is that they might need more time to adjust than you do, and do your best to give them the space to do it.

In other words, if they feel sad or excited about the move, let them express it and get it out there. Remember, they are handling a rollercoaster of emotions, and what they find exciting today can be very scary tomorrow. Whatever you do, don’t try to contain these feelings. Allow them to feel and deal with it instead.

3. Invite Them To Ask Questions

The more a child knows about something, the less intimidating and scary it tends to be. So, invite them to ask you as many questions about the new house as they like. More specifically, let them prepare in their own chaotic way by learning as much as possible.

Obviously, this is not going to take away the strange feeling, but it helps to keep them calm and motivated.

4. Show Them The New House Beforehand

If you’ve got photos or videos of the new house, show them to your kids and start making exciting plans about what you are going to do. Maybe you have some ideas for the garden, and they can have their play section. Alternatively, perhaps the house has a nice nook where they can sit and play.

You can take a little charge here in terms of creating positive energy around the new house. Also, while recognizing the challenges, you want to show your kids that new challenges mean new possibilities.

5. Let Them Help With The Packing

Even though you can probably use a little help with the packing, there is another reason why you should invite your kids to join. It’s the opportunity to help them find closure. The best moving companies will suggest you different methods of getting your kids involved with packing so that they don’t get overwhelmed.

For example, ask them to think about the memories specific items bring back. So after they have a memory, let them put the item in the box. Then, remind them that they are taking all these memories with them. Basically, you want to reassure them that change doesn’t necessarily mean they lose the memories they love. Instead, it’s an opportunity to make some new ones.

6. Be Patient

Mostly, there is no telling how your children will react to the move. However, as long as they know they can express their fears and worries, especially to you, it will give them the support they need to adjust.

So, make your move with the family a healthy and happy one using these helpful long-distance relocation tips.

Toddler Photo

Tips For Long Distance Moving With Toddlers

Anybody who tells you that a long distance move with toddlers does not require any special preparation has absolutely no experience in relocating with toddlers. It’s stressful to move your house, and when you add toddlers to this mix, it can be a disaster if you’re not prepared. Everybody loves routine and toddlers are no exception which means disrupting the routine can be tough for toddlers. So, you need to be prepared as toddlers may act out as a way to cope up with the changes happening around them. Here are a few useful tips from Childrens Magic Movers to help you plan your long distance move with toddlers.

When you start packing things, you may want to throw everything you don’t need on the ground, but that’s not the way to do things when toddlers are involved. Make sure your toddlers do not get access to medicines or other harmful things when you are clearing out your cupboards or your medicine cabinet. In case you need to take these things with them, you need to pack them in a separate box and label it carefully to make sure that your kids do not get access to that box.

Cleaning supplies are other potential safety hazards for your kids. So, make sure you haven’t left any cleaning supplies on the floor or on the counter where your toddler can easily reach them. It’s a good idea to invest in a cleaning caddy to keep cleaning supplies away from your kids.

For a toddler, dozens of boxes lying around offers an exciting new playground. It doesn’t matter what you do; your toddler is going to try to climb onto the boxes. So, make sure the boxes are stacked against a wall and are placed in a manner to avoid the risk of collapse. Make sure the ladder is folded down when not in use to prevent a potential disaster. In simple terms, you need to be prepared and childproof your move to keep them out of harm’s way.

The most important thing you need to consider is the psychological impact a move may have on your toddler. As mentioned above, the routine is important for toddlers and a move may seem like a loss of home to them.

Experts recommend talking to your children about moving, as early as possible. Keep in mind that moving is stressful, but if you tell your toddler about moving only at the last moment, it will make things even more stressful for them. So, you need to tell them ahead of time to allow them to be prepared mentally.

It is vital that you talk to them how things will remain same in the new home and their routine won’t change. Tell them that they can take all their toys, furniture and other such stuff with them. Make them part of the process by offering them some real choices. For instance, you can ask them to pick out their outfit for the day and other such things. You can also talk to them about the wonderful things that are going to happen in the new community. This may get them excited about the move.

It’s also crucial that you maintain your routine before, during as well as after the move as toddlers may get fearful and anxious if they are unable to continue their day-to-day activities. So, try to establish the routine in your new home at the earliest. You also need to be patient. When you’re packing things, make sure that you pack up their stuff at the end. This will allow them to have a familiar place as things change around them while you pack things in the house.

Overall, things are going to be stressful before, during and after the move but you need to be patient and prepared. Don’t try to cram everything into one day, if it’s not necessary. Take your time and plan your move. It will make life easy for you and your toddler.