Let’s face it, moving isn’t easy! Packing up the entire house that you’ve put effort into designing and arranging and then moving to a whole new place is very stressful. This task becomes especially tougher when you have children. If your kids are not yet familiar with the concept of change, you need to have “The Talk” with them about moving. Children are sensitive to change and can find it emotionally disturbing when moved from one environment to another. Here are some of the challenges faced by families during a big move.
Location Challenge
Children adapt to their environment more quickly than adults. This is why it is important that you have a direct conversation with your kids before you get movers to move all your belongings from one place to another. Sit them down and tell them you are going to be moving to a new place. Ensure them they are going to love the new place and make lots of new friends. If your kids insist on not going, take them to your new home and find attractions them such as a large, welcoming backyard, a nearby park with lots of kids playing, or maybe an ice cream shop close to your neighborhood.
Challenge of Getting Organized
Children can be mischievous when adults are busy working and not paying attention to them. This can make packing a much harder job. If your kids are five or older, give them age-appropriate tasks to help with packing up their belongings such as books, games, and art supplies. Packing materials on their own gives them the sense of independence and confidence. This will also help them learn how to be more organized in your new home so you do not have to deal with so much clutter. And, of course, if the kids are doing their own packing, you have a lot of free time to do the rest of the packing!
Emotional Challenge
Moving can be quite the stressful endeavor. Your stress and the overall tension in the home can impact your kids. The changes happening around them may scare or frighten them. To handle this situation, you can focus on giving them the attention they need to feel comforted during this stressful time, which means you will need help if you ever want to meet your packing deadline. You can hire the best movers who will do all the job for you or get a babysitter and send your kids out of the house for a few hours so you can get your work done. Here’s a wonderful book to read to your kids about how to cope with change.
Health Challenges
Moving means a lot of dust and dirt everywhere. If you have a child with a weak immune system or a dust allergy, it’s better to send them away for the weekend to spend time with a grandparent or friend so you can do the moving on your own. Once you are all moved out, you can introduce your kids to the new place and let them explore everything on their own.
Challenge of a New Place
Kids are pretty curious and resilient, so they can often adjust to new places easily. However, you need to make sure the new place isn’t in any way triggering anxiety or other emotional issues in your kids. It is important to communicate with your children openly about these big changes happening in their lives. Make sure you know how they feel about the new place or if there’s something they would like to discuss. Give them their own private space so they can feel more comfortable with the new place.
All of this being said, no matter what the challenges are, your children’s happiness comes first! Work together as a family to address any concerns to so your kids are happy and comfortable in their new surroundings. Happy Moving!
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