There’s no doubt about it – moving can be exciting, but it can also be stressful and sad. This is especially true for children. Your children may have mixed feelings about relocating: anxiety about the new school, excited about the new house, sad about leaving friends, or even angry with you for making them move.
So, how can you help your kids adjust to a move? We’ve put together a list of some things to do before and after you move to help your kids through this tough time.
Before Your Move:
• Learn about your new city and find out what might interest the kids. Share this information.
• Tell the kids about the move with as much advance notice as possible.
• Create fun projects that offer new information about the new city.
• Visit the future school with your kids. Schedule a time to meet the new principal, teachers, and maybe even classmates.
• Throw a good-bye party for the kids.
After Your Move:
• Let your kids decorate their own rooms the way they like – you can help, if they let you!
• Take some exploratory trips around the new community to get accustomed to it.
• Visit the new school again and set up the first day of school.
• Figure out some extracurricular activities for the kids – see what interests them.
• Encourage your children to stay in touch with friends at their old school.
• Always listen to how your children feel about the move, new house and school.
Jon Huser.
