You’re moving to a new home and the process itself is like a full time job! However, you have children to think about and to prepare for a new home, neighbourhood and school. Its a new adventure for some children and a scary transition for others. Here are some tips to make the big move easier, for all of you.
Prepare- Sit your children down and talk about the move. Tell them why you are moving and what their new school will be like. Print out pictures of their new school and neighbourhood so they have visuals of where they are staying. If you have a toddler, make sure the move is of regular conversation. Repetition is key. For older children, let them express their opinion, fears and questions about the move. That way you can gauge if you’re excited or scared. It’s okay if the children are not jumping aboard the moving excitement right away. It’s about hearing them out and trying to make the transition easy.
Get Rid of- Some of your extra things. If you are finished with that highchair once and for all, there is no use to carry it to the next house. Sell it, have garage sales or give it to charity. No matter what the choice, get your children involved. Children can help you set up for the garage sale, go to a charitable organization to donate the items (and learn the importance of giving back) or explain the process of cleaning and selling the item.
If The Move is Fairly Local- allow your children to go and explore the neighbourhood. If you are moving to a new state, province or abroad, get your children to research their new place and find landmarks, events and places that they would be interested in seeing or learning more about.
Pack – the toys that are barely being used, the clothes that are out of season and the extras immediately. Younger children especially won’t miss the toys and it will exciting to see the toys in the new house!
Bring Your Children to the Park- the night before. You will all need a good sleep and you want your children to sleep and not stay up, especially if there is last minute packing to be done! It’s also a great way to say ‘so long’ to the old neighbourhood.
Our readerShannon Teugh recommended to pack least used items 1st, number boxes, & write down what’s in each box on a master list. Makes it easy to find items later.
Organization– You cannot be too organized! There is a lot of rush and emotion in moving. You must balance addressing your children and the move itself. The more organized you are ahead of time, the easier the transition will be.
Travel Games- Get your children to map landmarks and milestones on your travel to the new home! It keeps them busy and you can gather your thoughts an conduct the move.
