Packing, traveling, new house – there’s a lot to take in. However, many people forget that moving is stressful not only for parents but for kids, too. Depending on their age, they can make the moving process even more complicated with rejecting and having trouble leaving the old place. Or simply, they are too young to understand what’s going on. It’s true, moving long-distance with kids is challenging. Luckily, there are ways to make it easier, and all the tips are in this article. Here are the best pieces of advice on how to make a family move smooth and stress-free.
Introduce the situation to everybody
Unless they are babies, your children should know about the move. Try to do it as soon as possible, so they have time to accept this news and deal with it. Talk about the relocation and present the main details – when you’ll start packing and why you’re moving. Stay calm, explain the reasons for changing the address, and explain how that will work.
Remember: try to stay calm even if you get a negative reaction from your kids. Children deal with changes in different ways. Your kids may protest or even cry – it’s normal, so try to be as supportive as necessary.
Deal with the negative feelings
As we mentioned, kids can experience all sorts of emotions regarding the move. To make moving long-distance with kids easy, you need to help them be optimistic about it. And to achieve that, you need to play your cards well. If your kids have a negative reaction, don’t do anything but understand them at first. After they calm down, try to talk about the new place and all the benefits of the move. It’s important that you are excited and optimistic, so they can feel they can trust you. Talk about the great things they’ll be able to enjoy in the new city. But most importantly, explain they’ll still have connections to the old place and their friends. Video calls and visits are some of the ways they can maintain their old friendships.
Let them make plans with you
Kids love feeling as important as adults, and moving is the perfect moment to give them that opportunity. Let your children make certain decisions – picking décor for their new room, choosing the route and places to visit along the way, etc. Letting them be a part of this will ensure they don’t feel forced to move.
Take virtual tours
The new age has given us a chance to learn more about a place before visiting it. Virtual tours of the new neighborhood and city are maybe a fun way to help your kids visualize the move. They can walk the streets around their new house and picture themselves riding bikes there. This is a big step towards accepting the new home and feeling less scared of the relocation.
Plan every little detail
Make sure you plan everything else in detail. If you’re well-prepared for this long-distance relocation, you minimize the chances of unexpected scenarios and additional problems popping up. Take your time to create a timeline of events and list all the tasks you need to do. If there’s anything you can do in advance – do it. As the moving day is getting closer, you won’t feel too overwhelmed but enjoy the process along with your kids.
Pack together
Your kids must be a part of the moving process as it will help them feel more valued and optimistic about the move. You can pack together and decide what items go to the new place and what things you’ll leave behind. Decluttering their toys and old books and clothes will make packing and unpacking a lot easier, so don’t skip this step. However, don’t throw away some of the kids’ favorite items – even if they are too old for them. Memories are an essential part of growing up, so it’s important not to lose them in the moving process.
Get some help
It’s challenging to handle everything when moving long-distance with kids. Parents are flooded with moving tasks, and they often run out of energy even before the moving day comes. This is very risky for the whole family, especially if you want to travel to your new home by car. Make sure you hire professionals to help you relocate. You can trust them with all the tasks you don’t need to do. If you pick a trustworthy and skilled moving team, you can have your furniture handled with ease and your moving boxes transported safely. That’s one less item on the worry list, which is something every parent will appreciate.
Find a new doctor beforehand
It’s challenging to find a good pediatrician in a place you don’t know well. Don’t wait for somebody to get ill to start looking for a good doctor. Do the research and contact someone reliable beforehand to make sure you are ready in case something happens. Also, don’t forget to talk to your current doctor and get any necessary medication supplies, so you don’t need to look for them as soon as you arrive.
Pack essentials in a separate box
Kids can get pretty nervous on the first night in the new house. It can be fear from the new environment or just exhaustion after a long trip. That’s why you need to be ready for the first night in the new house. Packing essentials in a separate box will surely make moving long-distance with kids a lot easier. You will be able to prepare them for bed and give them their favorite toys or other items immediately, without having to go through multiple boxes to find them. Pack essential toiletries, clean sheets, chargers, electronics, and other everyday items your family needs. And when you wake up the following day, you can slowly start unpacking together, making the new house – a home.