Moving house is physically and emotionally stressful at the best of times. You need to make tons of arrangements, including hiring the moving van, finalizing the legal arrangements, and planning the decorating at the new house. When you add kids into the mix, the process can easily start to feel completely overwhelming.
Studies have shown that, for children, the psychological impact of moving can be dramatic. Plus, the lengthy process can be dull and tiresome. These two factors are the perfect recipe for bad behavior and some big tantrums. Here are five tips for parents on how to make the moving process as smooth as it can be for the whole family.
Make the move an exciting adventure.
To keep your kids entertained and cheerful throughout the move, make sure they see the event as an exciting adventure. This will help them to look forward to moving.
When talking about the new house, use the same tone of voice as you’d describe a trip to Disneyland or the beach. Try speaking about the positive things that will come from the move. Maybe they’ll have a bigger garden, or a new school to look forward to.
By getting them excited about moving, you’ll find that they become less stressed throughout the process. They may even decide to help out with packing their rooms!
Let your kids help with packing.
Speaking of the packing, by including your kids in the packing and unpacking process, you’ll help them to feel in control of the situation. The move will feel a lot less scary if they can participate in both packing and unpacking the household belongings. For some young children, waking up to find the entire house is packed up in boxes can be slightly traumatizing. Let them take part to show them it’s not as scary as it seems.
Take time to say goodbye.
While talking about the move in positive terms is crucial, don’t try to hide the fact that you’ll be saying goodbye to your old home and neighborhood. Instead, make sure you set aside a few minutes to walk through the house and say goodbye. If your kids have some friends in the neighborhood, you can even arrange a small goodbye party.
Hire a professional cleaning service.
You’ll be amazed by how much dirt and grime you find in your home once all of your belongings are packed up. Don’t panic! The best way to minimize the stress of moving is to hire a reliable and professional cleaning service. Let someone else take care of the cleaning, so that you can get on with the other stressful parts of moving with children. Easy Way Maids offers fantastic move-out cleaning, Austin TX and is excellent if you’re looking for a dependable service that will help you get your security deposit back quickly and seamlessly.
Plan something fun for your first night.
Once you’ve moved into your new place, it can be tempting to start unpacking. While this may help you feel settled, the chaos of unpacking can be stressful for your children. Take some time to explore the house, then settle down for a fun activity. You could try ordering take-away and watching a family-friendly movie to keep your kids happy and stress-free.
