Moving with Kids

How to Moving with Kids!

Moving house is one of the most stressful experiences anyone can go through. If that relocation involves children, it can be especially challenging. More often than not, it is not so easy for kids to say goodbye to friends, teachers, and just the community they know so well. But with proper planning and sensitivity, you can keep the move from taking a big emotional toll on your children. Here are tips from one of the leading movers in Asia, the Asian Tigers.

Talk to the Kids

Open Communication

Communication is most important when trying to prepare children to move. Having a family meeting about the move and listening to their thoughts and concerns is vital.

1. Family Meeting: Sit down as a family and talk. Discuss the move. Discuss the reasons for the move. Discuss what they can expect.
2. Active Listening: Pay full attention to what your children are trying to say; their fears, feelings regarding the move. Validate their feelings and assure them that feeling anxious or sad about this change is very normal.
3. Positive Spin: Try to focus on the positive: While you are moving from here, you can have a bigger house, a warmer climate, or a new school with more opportunities in extracurricular activities, etc.

Keep It Positive

Your positive feelings will give rise to a hopeful attitude in your kids.

1. Express Excitement: Express how excited you feel about the new adventure. An inspired attitude on your part can be contagious and get your children to feel excited too.
2. Play Up the Positives: Highlight the positive aspects of moving around: new experience, new friends, and new play areas.
3. Address Fears: If your children have fears or other concerns, help them deal with them and be reassuring.

Arrange a “See You Soon” party

Farewell

Arrange for a goodbye party at least with all the friends and family members of your children.

1. See You Soon Party: You should approach them with the intention to throw a “see you soon” party rather than a going-away party, so they know goodbye doesn’t mean it’s over.
2. Invite Friends and Family: Invite friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate and say goodbye. This will be the best possible occasion for everyone to see your children the last time.
3. Exchange Contact Details: Ensure all are exchanging their contact details so that your children are able to be in touch with all their friends.

Creating Great Memories

Creating memories for remembrance can make your child stay in tune with their old place after moving.

1. Snaps: Take as many snaps as possible of your children with all their friends and family members. These pictures will be good reminiscences.
2. Plan Visits: Discuss with other parents and plan the visits on weekends or meet virtually to go on interacting with one another.
3. Memory Book: Create a memory book or a scrapbook, including photos, messages, and mementos of your earlier house and neighborhood.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Maintaining Friendships

Make them understand that they need not lose their old friends only because they are shifting to a new location.

1. Social Media: Help your kids to use social media to constantly communicate with their friends. Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are powerful in keeping in touch.
2. Regular Communication: Regular video calls, chats, or emails can be scheduled with old friends.
3. Letters and Packages: Your children can send letters or small packages to their friends.

Making New Friends

Helping your children make new friends in their new community is a crucial adjustment and in their well-being.

1. Extracurricular Activities: There are sports, clubs, or arts programs for the kids; get your kids enrolled—they offer a great chance to make friends based on common interests.
2. School Involvement: Get your kids involved by taking part in activities at school, including events. It will help them get accustomed to the new school community.
3. Community Events: Allow your children to attend some community events and other activities to make them feel that they are part of the new place.

Ask for Help, Ask for Their Ideas

Engage Children in the Process of Relocation

Involving children in the relocation process allows the child to exert some independence and power. These would less likely reinforce anxiety.

1. Room Design: Involve your children in room design. Share what strategies they would like to consider. Let them choose color and decor, as well as where to put their things.
2. Packing Together: You can involve your children in packing their stuff. That will give them something to do and reduce the level of stress associated with taking away their stuff.
3. Decision-Making: Give a budget to older children and teenagers. Allow them to design their own space, giving them a sense of responsibility and ownership.

Making the New House a Home

You have to consider making the new house habitat you are setting into look like a home for your children.

1. Prioritize your children’s rooms unpacking to make them settle in easily.
2. Make readily available familiar items your children love: favorite toys, family pictures, and blankets.
3. Let the children decorate their respective rooms to help them feel at home.

Expose your children to the new neighborhood to make them feel more comfortable or enjoy the new environment. 

1. Neighborhood Tours: Ride or walk around exploring the new vicinity.
2. Local Attractions: Find the local parks, playgrounds, and attractions to take your children to so they can see the fun and exciting end of the new place.
3. Community Resources: Look for community resources such as libraries, recreation centers, and sports facilities that your children like.

Joining Fun with Shifting Responsibilities

Joining fun with shifting responsibilities can make the transition easier for the child.

1. Planned Fun: This idea can be implemented by the parents to make the whole task a bit interesting and prevent feeling bored and dull.
2. Family Outings: Organize a family outing in the city or town so that everyone explores and has fun together. This is a good way to create positive memories and strengthen the bond between the family members.
3. Relaxation Time: Allow the children some downtime to unwind and play so they can adjust.

Other Tips for a Smooth Move

Selecting the Best Moving Company

A good selection of a moving company is ideal because it will determine the experience you will have with the move.

1. Family relocation experience: Select a mover’s firm conversant with family relocations. They will be tailor-made to the special requirements when relocating with children.
2. All-Inclusive: The firm should offer all-inclusive services from packing, transporting to unpacking.
3. Good Family Reviews: Confirm reviews and other families’ testimonials that the firm has a clean family record.

How to Prepare for the Moving Day

Satisfactory preparation can help make moving days less stressful for everybody.

1. Moving Day Kit: Have all moving day essentials like snacks, drinks, toys, and activities for your children.
2. Comfort Items: Make all comfort items within easy access like a favourite blanket, stuffed animal and books.
3. Child Care Arrangements: Inquire also from the parent on the child’s childcare arrangements; at this tender age, they can be taken from one corner to another without much hassle and can be kept busy because moving can be extremely tedious and time-consuming.

Routine Establishment

Try to establish routines as fast as possible so that the children’s lives will have a sense of normalcy and stability.

1. School Transition: Visit the new school before the beginning of term with the child in order to orient them to a new school environment and staff.
2. Support Networks: Develop a support network such as neighbors, school staff, and any other members in the community who will facilitate the settling of children.

Emotional Support

It is very important to provide emotional support when moving for your children to be well handled at home.

1. Open Communication: Have open communications about their feelings. Help validate feelings and offer reassurance.
2. Professional Intervention: Find help from a psychologist or child therapist if he or she has an immense level of distress after the move.
3. Reinforce Family Ties: Family day and Family night.

Conclusion moving with kids

Moving with kids may be quite an ordeal, yet with the right approach and support, it could be an enjoyable experience. Open and honest communication with your kids, involving them in every step of the process, may make the adaptation easier and lower the stress level caused by being in a new environment.

Asian Tigers Group is a company that takes the lead in providing full services within a complete package, consulting on family relocations with expert advice and support. You are left with the time and ability to focus on the creation of loving memories and new beginnings at your new home.