If relocating is stressful for adults then how much more could the situation be difficult for young children? However parents can ease up the anxiety of kids by thinking ahead, exercising patience, and empathizing with their kids.
In most cases the home you will be leaving is the only home your child or children know. Everything about the house and its neighborhood, and the whole town for that matter is “home”. Outside this cocoon of comfort is a strange place, a scary place that could not even come close replacing the previous one.
Parents need to understand what their children are so concerned and worried about. More often than not this includes the following:
- Preschool age children are afraid that the move will separate them from you
- Children ages 6-12 are more worried about the daily routines they are used to and how the move will change all these.
- Teenagers on the other hand are worried of the disruptions the move may cause to their social life.
What parents can do?
You need to remind yourself that the things you will do to address the concerns of your kids will determine the ease of transitioning your kids to your new home and environment. Here are some concrete tips you can apply to make sure you are in the right track with your children’s adjustment.
- Communicate – it is very important for you to communicate what their new house would be like. You can even drive them to the new house if distance would be manageable just to let them have a feel of their new surroundings. If this is not doable, you can capture a video of the house, both the indoor and outdoor spaces and show it to them just for them to be comfortable with the whole idea of moving.
- Get your kids ready for their new school – be sure to know as much as possible about childcare services around your new town. Also know about the schools your kids will probably be enrolling in. You can even bring your child with you to his or her new school and maybe meet some of the teachers of the school. Just for them to feel more at ease when they are already enrolled.
- Involve your kids – allow your kids to be part of your “adventure” as a family. Allow them to pack some of their own belongings and let them write on their boxes too. Be sure that the boxes they helped packing is close by in your rented Lowe’s moving truck or Home Depot truck rental, just to let them having something familiar close by.
- Let them decorate their new room – you need to strike a balance of change and sticking to something familiar. Perhaps you can let your child choose the color of the paint for his or her new room yet give them the freedom to decorate their room like they used to in your previous home.
- Answer questions – be very patient with your children’s questions. Most of these are motivated by fear and doubts. So answer with a positive tone and understand their fears, better yet allay their fears by letting them look forward to their new room, new house, and the nearby beach you all can frequent as a family.
