Moving can be a challenging experience, even when you’re single. But moving with a toddler, four-year-old, or pre-teen can seem almost impossible when you’re struggling to handle everything else. Even if you’re moving within the same city, explaining the process of change to your children is never easy. When they’re faced with the idea of moving away from their friends, school and familiar environment, they can understandably feel scared, upset and sad. If you’re struggling to cope and are wondering how to move at ease with children, we have some tips below that can hopefully help with this transition.
Explain, Listen, and Acknowledge
Children pick on a lot of things, so once you finalize your decision to move, keep them in the loop by explaining it to them. After you tell them, it will be natural for them to react in various ways. But you can offer reassurance by telling them about all of the positive things they will get to experience with this new move. During these moments of change, children often worry about being left behind as well. To ease their worries, emphasize that everyone will still be safe and sound and still together, so there’s nothing for them to worry about. Then give them time to express how they’re feeling by listening and acknowledging them.
Let Them Say Goodbye
When kids feel angry and sad about leaving their friends, school, playground and other things behind that they loved, it can be very therapeutic to let them say goodbye. Schedule a visit with their friends, let them exchange addresses and make time to visit their favourite areas to snap photos. You can do the same with your house once it’s packed up and empty. This is a good way to let your children gain closure and adjust with ease.
Offer Them Some Control
Moving can feel incredibly frustrating for children, especially for pre-teens and teenagers, because they often feel as though they have no say or control over the situation. One way to tackle this is to offer them some control. When you move to your new home, let them decorate their bedroom as they please and give them a small budget to choose what they’d like to include. Simple gestures like this can go a long way in helping them warm up to their new home.
Maintain Routines as Much as Possible
The amount of change that occurs during a move can be very overwhelming for anyone, but even moreso for children. Having routines is a great way to keep them grounded and provide a level of comfort during so much commotion. Try to maintain similar schedules that you’ve had with them during the moving process. This will provide some predictability which can help them adapt to everything much quicker.
Focus on Setting Up Their Bedroom First
We also recommend prioritizing your children’s bedroom first when you arrive at your new home. So make sure to mark and keep their boxes towards the end of the moving truck to set their bedrooms up as soon as possible. Even if everything else looks messy and chaotic, giving them their space where they can feel safe and comfortable will make a big difference in helping settle their emotions and worries. It also gives you the space and time needed to focus on unpacking and arranging everything else.
Plan a Neighbourhood Tour
After enduring the chaos of moving, add some fun to the mix by planning a day out to explore your new neighbourhood. Take your kids to the best playground nearby, visit the park, go for pizza and ice cream, and show them that there is plenty to be excited about with this process of change.
Whether you’re moving a short distance or long distance, our team at Ottawa Moving Logistics is here to help you and your family sail through this process with ease, from start to finish. From packing to finding the right supplies to transporting it all safely, we’re the team you can count on! Contact us today to get an estimate or to learn more about our moving services.
