Moving can be one of the best things that can happen to anyone’s life – after all, a move symbolizes a new chapter where we can redefine how we picture ourselves and our family. This may come in the form of our dream house, new work, or even new opportunities. Unfortunately, moving does come with the need of a bit of adjustment – and while some of us are used to moving around, especially after building a family, our kids might not be as adept in making these adjustments. Having to go to a new school, meet new friends, and staying in a new home can be overwhelming for them. Fortunately, us parents may be able to help our kids cope with a house move. Here are some tips we can use:
- Tour around the new neighborhood with them. When we do things about our move, we usually say it’s “adult stuff” and that the kids should focus on things like their homework, chores, or even their hobbies. However, it’s important to note that one of the best ways we can help kids adjust to a new environment is to bring them to it, and this means going around the neighborhood with them. If you’re submitting requirements to the local offices or talking with movers NYC in a nearby mall, it may help to bring your kids with you so they can slowly establish a sense of familiarity with their new environment.
- Introduce them to new people they’ll interact with. In speaking of visiting the neighborhood, it may be a good idea to organize a small tour with your children to schools they’ll be going to if they need to transfer. That way, they can be familiar with the school environment early on and ease any anxiety they might feel on their first day. If possible, try meeting with the principal, school counselor, or even some of the teachers so your kids will have an idea who these people are and that they can help them if they have any issues. Most importantly, if possible, try to find clubs your kids might be interested in so they can start making friends even before school starts.
- Involve your kids with the move. Granted, we want to make the lives of our kids as convenient as possible. As such, we might want to avoid asking them to pack things or even lift things during the move. However, it might help for your kids to feel less anxious if they’re in charge of packing and unpacking their own things in their own rooms. That way, they get a sense of ownership and responsibility over their new environment, which gives them a much-needed sense of control that can help ease the anxiety over a new move.
- Explain the moving process to them. Moving can be overwhelming, especially when kids see their things being brought in boxes and all the furniture being removed from their usual place. Moreover, if parents are extremely busy with organizing the things needed for the move, kids don’t have anyone to explain what’s happening to them. As such, as parents, it’s important that we set aside some time to explain to our kids what’s happening in the move and how it can help the family. We can explain why we’ve hired a Manhattan moving company to help with our things, why we’re moving, and what they should expect when we start living in our new home.
House Moves: Help Your Kids Adjust Properly
With the above tips in mind, it’s important to understand that maintaining a semblance of familiarity within our new home is extremely important when helping our kids adjust to this new environment. Moreover, it’s essential that we ensure that we have constant communication with our kids to have an idea exactly what worries them and how we can help them with their particular concerns. As parents, we shouldn’t just worry about making our house move successful but also in making sure our kids also have fun and understand that this house move can also help them grow.