Involve Kids in moving
24 June 2010- Moving with kids is just not a physical relocation from one place to another. As children are far more sensitive than grown ups are, it is very important to tackle your moving with kids in a deliberate manner. You should not give an impression to your kids that you are taking them along with you to a new place but they must feel that 'they are going with you to a new place.' Feeling of involvement in the whole moving process is what is important for kids. This can only make them bear the trauma of leaving their friends and the old place with all their memories behind! Here are top ten ways to involve your kids while moving. Read them and adopt them. You can very well modify these ways according to your situation and needs or adopt some other ways but you must involve kids in your moving activity in whatever way you can.
Inform your kids about your moving decision
It must be you who should inform the kids that you are moving. If you tell all your friends and extended family about the move and postpone telling it to your kids till its the right time, it is for sure that they would hear it from other sources. This will, at the very first step, detach your kids with moving plans. So, inform your kids yourself about the move. Also, pay all attention towards their each and every question and concern (howsoever trivial they might look) during the family meeting when you break the news of your decision for moving.
Let your kids decide themselves on issues related to them
This doesn't mean that you won't interfere with the wrong decisions made by them but first let them decide on issues such as what all belongings they would take with them, what they plan to donate and such other things. If you then see that they want to take all their things with them, sit with them and discuss about whether some of them could be left behind or whether its essential to take all of them. Discuss your concern about your moving budget, packing difficulties, usefulness or uselessness of certain things etc. There is all possibility that your kids will understand how to take good decisions about moving their own things.
Involve your kids in making decision about buying new home
As your kids are going to leave the old home that has their friends and favorite places/ facilities in neighborhood, it is going to be a traumatic experience for them and make them dislike their new home and neighborhood. This, in turn, can interfere with their sense of belonging to the new community. To avoid such a situation, involve your kids in your home buying decision process. If you can, take your children with you on your house hunt. Ask them what features they would like in the new house, what is their imagination of new neighborhood etc. However, make it clear too (in a gentle way) that buying home depends upon many other criteria like finances etc. and so, not all of their demands would be fulfilled. However, try to incorporate those features in your new home that you can easily do.
Let your kids make fun before leaving the old place
This you can do in a lots of ways- by throwing a goodbye party, by spending a night in a hotel, by going on a short trip or to a kids friendly restaurant, movie, trekking or whatever your kids enjoy doing. Let them spend some time with their friends. Tell them ways about how they can keep their old friends as well as make new ones at the new place.
Make your kids like the new home and community
The earlier your child mix up with the new community, the better it is for him/her. Take some efforts to make your kids like your new home and community. Throw a house warming party and invite all your new immediate neighbors, especially those having kids. Search for some similar places that your kids had in their old city like kid's theater, playgrounds etc. and take them there. While organizing new home, let your kids arrange their room on their own- you can help them by suggesting one or the other thing. In short, try to make your new place fun and familiar to your kids as fast as you can after moving in there.
Taking all the above steps would minimize stress and give a sense of control to your kids in the new surroundings. In fact, moving with kids in the right manner can give you an opportunity to build your family unity and also your kid's self confidence!
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