It is good that nowadays people pay more attention to their children’s needs. After all, if they are the future, we should take good care of them. Sadly though, many people find it hard to consider their kids at times, which involve lots of stress for the parents – like moving. Besides all the worries around organizing everything and planning your move, which puts a lot of stress on a person, children are prone to being worried and stress just as much. They may not have much to do with the moving part, but after that they have to cope with being in a new house, finding new friends, probably going to a new school.
When we had to move with our kids a year ago, we thought we had considered them – like having someone to look after them when packing and managing things around. But that wasn’t everything we should have done. We had to move from one suburb of Chicago to another. The whole process of moving is one thing – you find a good moving company, you organize your time and plan everything accordingly. What happens after you move though is a whole different matter. You may even find that the overwhelming and daunting process of relocation is a breeze compared to what happens with your family, if you don’t have a plan to deal with post-move stress.
Think about it a bit. Even for parents moving to a new place is hard. Not just the process, but the adjustment, too. That makes it easy to forget about the kids. We are prone to thinking that they somehow magically find it easier to adjust, find friends, go to a new school, and so on. But psychologists say that it actually may be even harder for them, because they don’t have a plan on how to deal with such situations.
There are some things to do, in order to make the move as easier as possible for your kids. First, if they are old enough (post elementary school) tell them about the move a few months prior to it. By letting them know early, they will deal with the thought of moving firstly and even if it is stressful it will pass. It helps to provide them with information about where you are moving, why exactly are doing it, what things may be interesting for them there, and so on. It is even better if you can take your children to see the new place, maybe even visit their future school and classmates. It helps if the principal can have a word and ensure your children that everything will be great and they will have a good time there.
After you move there are many things which you can do with your children to make the process of adjusting much easier. Help them decorate your new room or rooms. It is good to listen to them for what they want. After all it is important for them to feel like home. Then you can find some fun activities at local places which can help you children grow accustomed to the neighborhood. And you can explain your children that it is not necessary to forget about their old friends. We are living in an interconnected world and now they can skype and chat with long-distance friends. Although this depends on how old they are. If they are below the age of 10 it is probably smarter to monitor their online interactions.
And one final general tip – try not to embarrass your child in front of his or her new friends. This may be a bit painful for you to hear, but it often happens that a parent tries to be “cool” and it just doesn’t work. Stick to basic greetings, questions and act like a parent, that way other kids will have easier time talking to you, despite what popular TV has set as a standard.
