Moving day can be stressful enough for adults, but it can be especially stressful for children, who had no say in the matter and who may not fully understand what is happening or why. These six tips will help make the move less stressful for everyone involved.
1. Prepare Children for the Move in Advance
The more you talk about your big move, the more prepared the children will be for it. Visit your new house ahead of time if you can. Otherwise, look at pictures on the Internet, read books about your new city and talk about what the new house will be like as much as possible.
2. Validate Children’s Feelings
Even if your children are excited to move, they will likely be scared or nervous as well. They may wonder if they will be able to make new friends or if their new teacher will be nice. Instead of dismissing their feelings, take the time to talk through them and validate what they are feeling.
3. Try to Keep Things as Consistent as Possible
Moving brings enough changes; try to keep everything else as consistent as possible. Keep the kids’ schedules and routines the same. Avoid buying new furniture at this time, if possible. The more familiar things the children have, the more secure they will feel.
4. Rent a Storage Facility
Moving day will go much more smoothly if you have everything packed and ready to go. Start packing in advance and find the nearest Extra Space Storage in Myrtle Beach or whatever city you live closet to to store things until everything is packed. Then, you can spend moving day actually moving boxes instead of boxing up last minute things.
5. Get a Sitter for Small Children on Moving Day
The actual process of moving can be quite difficult with children underfoot. Having the children spend the day with grandma or a beloved babysitter one last time can help parents get things accomplished without making the children feel stressed or neglected.
6. Pack Important Items Separately
No matter how carefully you sort and label boxes, something is bound to come up missing. Make sure it is not any of the children’s most important belongings by having them pack their most important belongings separately. Then, the children will have these items handy for their first night in the new house.
While moving will probably never be a stress-free experience, it does not have to be as stressful as people often make it. Start the process early, stay organized and remember: it will all be over soon!