It’s no secret that moving house is extremely stressful. With so much to organise and sort out, it is often easy to forget that this can be a very difficult and stressful time for your children too. Moving house, whether you’re an adult or a toddler, is a huge change in your life and it will take some time to adjust. To help your family move go as smooth as possible, we’ve decided to share our top tips on preparing your child for a house move.
Discuss the move with your children
Openly discussing the house move with your children is important in order to prepare them. Rather than waiting until the move to tell your children about it, let them know what’s going on earlier so that they have time to adjust. It is also important that your child is able to openly express their feelings about the move; take the time to sit with them and listen to their thoughts about the situation. Perhaps they are worried about leaving friends behind or feel anxious about the new bus ride to school. Listening to their worries will make them feel more at ease about the change.
Visit the new house together
Before you make the big move, take your children to visit their new house. It’s one thing thinking about moving to a new house, but taking them there to see it in person will get them feeling excited. Show them their bedrooms and ask them to think about what colours they’d like to paint the walls, or how they’d like to lay their room out. If possible, take a walk around the neighbourhood to explore the nearby parks, shops and restaurants.
Get them involved in the moving process
While you may think that it is easier to just get on with packing up the house yourself, try to involve your child in the moving process as much as possible. There is a chance that they may feel like they haven’t had a say in the decision process, so it’s important that you make them feel included. Get your child to help you pack up their room and label boxes; you could even sell some unwanted items at a carboot sale together too and use the profits to let them pick out some items for their new room.
Maintain routines as best as possible
Your child has likely settled into a familiar routine in your current home. Whether it’s waking up at a certain time and watching their favourite programme before school or spending an hour at the park every Tuesday, there are a few routines that you should try to maintain so that the move is not too disruptive for your child. Try to maintain weekly rituals; if you a movie night every Thursday, for example, be sure to carry on doing this in your new home to show them that it’s only the place that has changed.
If you’re moving house and are looking for reliable removals services, look no further than Arrowpak International. Whether you’re moving across the street or to a brand new corner of the earth, we are here to help ensure that your move goes as smooth as possible. Visit our website for more information.
