3 Ways You Can Make Your Move Easier On Your Children

Moving can be an incredibly difficult time for everyone in your family, especially your children. Often, they cannot understand why they have to say good-bye to their home since they see no reason for a change. Here are three tips to help your children adjust and accept the move.

1. Let them make some decisions, so they feel like they’re part of the process.
2. Keep all family routines consistent (even if you don’t need to get up so early).
3. Don’t purchase new furniture for your children right off the bat.

It’s not easy watching your children dislike the moving process, but following these tips can help you prepare for the best move possible.

1. Let them make some decisions, so they feel like they’re part of the process.

Children are usually not involved in “grown-up” decisions. This can make them feel left out and not important. While your move may be a new, exciting adventure for you, a career requirement, or something else, your children may not be able to wrap their heads around the idea. Since they didn’t make the decision (and likely wouldn’t on their own) to leave their friends, school, and childhood home, they may not react positively.

While you can’t undo your decision to move, you can help your children adjust and accept the idea by letting them make decisions. Show them pictures of the new home or take them to it and let them choose their bedroom, where the toy box can go, and other small decisions that make them feel like they are part of the process. These small decisions can help them warm up to the idea of moving.

2. Keep all family routines consistent (even if you don’t need to get up so early).

Children need routines. Otherwise, they can be difficult, stubborn, and tired (or worse). Once you get to your new home, reestablish your typical family routines. Maintain as much consistency as possible to help your children feel comfortable in their new home.

It’s possible you may no longer need to wake up so early at your new home, but you shouldn’t adjust your sleeping schedule just yet. Allow your children to adjust first and then work on slowly adjusting their wake up and bedtime routines. It will help the whole family feel like the new house is their home.

3. Don’t purchase new furniture for your children right off the bat.

This tip directly relates to the first two. It’s tempting to buy new furniture for your new home. When you do, you create a fresh new look for your home. While you can do this for most rooms in the home, try to avoid your children’s bedrooms. Keeping the same furniture can help them feel comforted. Their familiar bedroom will give them a place of refuge. 

Your children need to have their own space they can run to while adjusting to their new school and friends. Once they seem to have adjusted, let them be involved with picking some new items. This little decision can make them feel empowered and really let them create their own sense of comfort in your new home.

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