If you have kids, moving can become an even more complex and stressful task. On top of your own anxiety about moving to a new house, packing, and setting up a new life for yourself, you have so much more to think about. You’ll have to choose a new school for the kids, ensure you find a place in a family-friendly neighbourhood, and so much more. We’re here to make it easier with this guide to stress-free moving with children.
Advice for Moving with Children
Tell The Kids Once Things are Finalised
As you know, the more warning you can give your kids before upcoming changes, the better. However, wait to announce your move until you have your plans finalised. Telling the children about the relocation before you know exactly what’s going to happen and when it will happen can backfire on you, as it may cause the kids to feel stress and anxiety about the situation.
If you’re still in the deciding phase, figuring out where to go, putting offers on houses, or applying for jobs, it might not be time quite yet to tell the kids. Once you have all of those things sorted, go ahead and let them know what’s happening!
It goes without saying that it pays to be positive. You may be moving due to not the happiest of reasons (redundancy, divorce), but by focusing on the positive, you can help the kids to get really excited about all the new opportunities that come with living in a new neighbourhood and home.
Get Detailed
When you do tell the kids that you’re going to move to a new house, let them know as much information as possible. Tell them the name of their new school, show them the place on Google Maps, tell them why you’re moving, and anything else that’s relevant.
This shows that you are calm and in control of what’s happening, which will reassure them that it’s a good thing you’re moving. Plus, kids don’t like to feel left out of decisions or unsure of why things are happening.
Start a Countdown
Kids love counting down to birthday parties and holidays. By starting a countdown for your moving date, this will get them excited about heading to a new city and school. Cross off the days on a calendar, with the moving date circled. You could even add some fun stickers to really show your excitement!
This way, you are turning moving into a fun event that your children will look forward to. It’s all about how you frame it when you tell them.
Get Them Involved
Children love feeling like they are part of the decision-making process. So, get them involved while you’re packing. Offering them choices, such as which toys to take and which to donate, or which room they would like at the new house, will give them a sense of control. This can help to calm any nerves they might have about moving.
Visit the New City or House
Whether you’re moving across the city or interstate, it’s crucial that your kids can visit the new place before you move. This will eliminate the unknown factor that can cause so much anxiety in children. Take them to see the new house and explore the neighbourhood, making sure to check out any local parks or cafes.
Point out any exciting or unique features, such as the epic playground at their new school or the tasty ice cream parlour around the corner from the new house. This emphasises the good points about moving and gives them something to look forward to.
That way, on moving day, they will be excited to see the new place again, rather than feeling anxious about it. This makes for a much more stress-free moving day for you as well as them.
Don’t Pack Away Their Favourite Things
As the moving date approaches, you will be tempted to pack up everything early. This is an excellent idea for most of your belongings but leave your kids’ stuff until the last minute. Having their favourite toys and games around until moving day offers them some distraction as everything changes around them. They will likely be nervous about moving day, and keeping familiar items around can help them to stay calm and remember that not everything is suddenly changing.
It’s even a good idea to keep their most prized possessions in a bag they can take with them in the car, so they know precisely where their cherished toys are that they can’t live without.
Let Them Decorate Their New Room
To foster excitement about the move, why not let your kids decorate their new rooms? You could get them to choose paint colours, duvet covers, new pictures for the walls, and more. This can help them to feel in control and get excited about playing in their new room.
Something as simple as being in charge of decorating their bedroom can signal a positive change in their lives, as perhaps they move from a room you decorated initially when they were a toddler to a more grown-up space that they will love.
Hire Premium Removalists
Moving day is always hectic, and even more so if you have children. Aim for a stress-free moving day by hiring premium removalists to do all of the heavy lifting for you. EasyMove can simplify moving day so that you can just hop in the car and zoom over to the new house. They can even complete the end of lease clean for you so that you can go ahead and start unpacking at your new property.
That way, you won’t have the kids getting underfoot as you try to lift everything onto a truck or scrub down the kitchen. Simply leave it up to the experts and clear out to get your life in a new town or home started. Contact EasyMove today to find out more about how we can help make moving easier for you and your kids.
