Moving to a new household can mean a welcome change; after all, a new home means new people, and many new social and other opportunities! But while that is great – you should know that each relocation bears some difficulties as well. And it’s not just about calculating moving costs, or preparing for the packing; you’ve got to handle things psychologically as well. After all, relocating means going through quite a change, even for adults. And when it comes to kids – we’re talking about an even bigger paradigm change. Which is why you want to prepare your children for long distance move as soon as possible – and do it right!
Prepare your children for long distance move on time
As you might realize soon enough – moving can be an extremely stressful period. Indeed, moving stress is no made up issue. And yes, you might dismiss it as something silly before actually going through a relocation yourself – but sooner or later, you’ll face some anxiety yourself. Indeed, just think about how big of a change you’re making; after the relocation, none of your daily routines will remain the same. In fact, you’ll have to go through an adjustment period, which may last for a long while. And if it’s that complicated for you – imagine what your kid must be going through.
Especially if you’re going on a long distance relocation – you definitely need to help them cope with this as soon as possible. And if you want to prepare your children for long distance move, you shouldn’t make one key mistake; don’t overestimate their emotional development. No matter how independent and tough your kids look on the outside; they’re still not at the prime of their emotional development. Which is why they’ll need your help to go through this transition. In fact, your guidance will be crucial for them going through this without any trauma. This is definitely not something kids can easily deal with on their own; so devote enough time and effort to this issue.
Do everything you can
If you ask us – the need to prepare your children for long distance move exists for all kids; but if we’re talking about younger children, this becomes even more important. So, if you have kids who haven’t hit puberty yet – they’ll definitely need all the help they can get in order to process this change correctly. And remember – moving can be extremely chaotic, and you may not have time to deal with everything you’d want to. But this should definitely be one of your top priorities. If not, this could negatively impact your children for a long time.
As we’ve already mentioned, in the younger stages of their lives – children can’t control their emotions as well as older people. In fact, they barely have a grip on containing or controlling their emotions – which is why kids are known for sudden outbursts of positive or negative feelings. And all of their experiences resonate much more on an emotional level – which is true for moving as well. So, if you want to prepare your children for long distance move – do everything you can to help. Luckily for you, there are a few things you can do to ease them into the move:
- Be transparent about everything
- Show them all the attention they need
- Be positive about the relocation
- Make a plan for moving day
Be open about the relocation
Let’s face it – if you were about to relocate somewhere, you’d definitely want to know about it well in advance. And sure, you can’t let your kids plan out your major life decisions like moving; but if you want to prepare your children for long distance move, they definitely need to know about it as soon as possible. Indeed, just like you have to prepare, they have to as well; so if they know before moving, they’ll be able to adapt over a longer period of time. Which will make this big transition much smoother for everyone!
Make time for them
Even when you’re not in the middle of a relocation, making time for your children can be quite difficult in this day and age. Let’s be honest – you’ve got a job, chores, responsibilities; so showing enough attention to your children is a constant struggle. And when you also have to deal with moving, besides all of that – it becomes an increasingly difficult problem. But finding the best city for families and moving there isn’t enough; you also have to guide them towards a happy transition, on an emotional level. At all times, make sure you find enough time for the little ones during the move.
Stay positive during the relocation
Whether we notice it or not – we all pick up on stuff from our parents. It’s something everyone does as they grow; in certain ways, we look to our elders for social and behavioral cues. And this is something that’s equally true during a move. So, while you prepare your children for long distance move; make sure to always stay positive and keep a smile on. This will show them that moving is a good thing, and not something to frown at.
Have a plan for moving day
No matter how much time you spend to prepare your children for long distance move; at the end of the preparations, moving day will still be a difficult, emotional ordeal. That’s something you simply have to ready yourself for. But if you plan out a bunch of activities for the kids, that’ll keep their minds off the relocation. Or, if you think that it may be a bit too much for them; let one of your friends and relatives take care of them for the day, while you sort everything out.
