Creating a stress-free move for your children is important. Relocation is tough for several reasons. Firstly, your children are leaving behind at least one friend and probably many more. They are also losing their childhood home if this is a first time move. If it is yet another relocation, it probably means that they are feeling even more anxious because they know what is coming.
When your child has already had to make new friends and get used to a new home, they know that the next time will be just as hard because there are always going to be difficulties with meeting new people and making real friends.
You can make the move easier on your children by discussing each step. Help your children to pack their things and help them to understand when the move is happening, even though the date may not be exact yet. Help them to tell their friends that they are going to be moving.
One of the worst things you might put your children through is asking them not to discuss the move until it is closer to the time they will be leaving. For example, if you have a self-owned business and do not want to lose work, you may ask your children not to mention the move to their friends, even to the person they trust the most. This can be an added strain, so rather than hiding it you could sit down with the friends they want to tell and ask for their discretion.
Jon Huser
