Maybe you have gotten a great job offer in another state, or you are bursting at the seams of your current home. No matter the reason, you have made the huge decision to move to a new house. Whether it’s 2 or 2,000 miles away, relocating to a new place can be stressful for you and your kids. To make the transition as smooth as possible, check out these tips:
Talk about it with your kids
Once the decision has been made to move, sit down with your kids and let them know what’s up. This is the best and most important way to prepare them for the move. Try to give them as much info about the move as you can, and answer their questions honestly. Be ready for both positive and negative reactions — sometimes, from the same kids on the same day. Even if the move is going to be a positive one, your kids probably love your home and they will have mixed feelings about leaving it. Consider reading them one of these great books on the subject, too.
Get them involved in house hunting (to a point)
If you are moving to another home in the same area, you might be tempted to bring your kids along on the house hunting appointments with your real estate agent. While they might be excited to see a few houses, they will probably be understandably bored and overwhelmed by hours of looking at other places. Plus, your kids might really push for a certain house because they like the blue trim or it’s right next door to a park, while you would rather focus on more important factors, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
Wait until you have your house search narrowed down to two or three homes, and then take your kids with you. Listen to their honest opinions. While you and your spouse should have the final say, taking your kids along for a short tour of homes will help them feel like they are part of the process.
Let them help pack
Once it’s time to start packing, provide your kiddos with their own moving boxes. See to it that they can fill and carry them on their own and tailor the supplies to their ages. For example, preschoolers can get two or three small boxes that they can fill and decorate with stickers and their names; teenagers can get larger boxes in varying sizes, packing materials like bubble wrap and their own packing tape dispenser. For younger kids especially, allow them to pack their special things on their own as much as possible, and then encourage them to carry the box out of the old house, put it onto the moving van or the trunk of your car and then bring it into the new place.
Help them feel at home
After the move is complete, try to get your kids’ rooms in order before focusing on the rest of the house. Also, as much as you can, stay on a consistent schedule for both meals and bedtime.
To make sure that your new-to-you appliances and HVAC continue to work properly during the chaotic transition time, consider investing in a comprehensive and trusted home warranty from a company like TotalProtect.This way, you can really focus on helping your kids to settle into your new home without having to worry about inevitable and expensive repair and replacement costs of household items.
