When I told my husband that I got promoted and that we would be moving across the country, you should have seen the look on his face. He was clearly devastated, and I didn't know what to do to make it better. Instead of focusing on the negative things, I started working with him to help him to overcome his grief. We talked about how we could stay in close touch with family and friends, and how to make the move less stressful than other moves in the past. This blog is all about moving without the hassle and heartache.
Moving to a new place that's far from friends, family, and familiar surroundings can be intimidating and stressful for kids. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help your children accept your long-distance move so they can better enjoy the experience:
Talk About the Event Early and Often
An effective way to make sure that your children are able to comfortable accept the long distance move your family will experience in the future, is to talk about the event early and often. It's a good idea to start telling the kids about your move as soon as possible so they have plenty of time to absorb the idea and understand exactly what it means for their life. Try to give them at least a month's notice and then talk about the move daily once they find out about it. Make your conversations exciting and encourage questions. The more they learn now, the less surprising and stressful things will be for them as your move progresses.
Make Early Plans for Family Visits
After the news about your move sinks in, it's a good idea to start planning family visits so your children have something to look forward to after moving away from people who are close to them and things they're familiar with. Reach out to grandparents, cousins, and even close friends to see if you can schedule a visit at your new place within the first few months of moving in. Scheduling visits will keep the kids engaged in the move and help to make sure that they feel secure about leaving their loved ones, as they'll be seeing them again soon.
Explore the New Area Before the Move
Visiting the area you'll be living in after you relocate is another great way to prepare your little ones for and to make sure that they'll be comfortable with their new surroundings immediately after the move. Travel to your future neighborhood and spend a week exploring. If possible, visit your new home and let your kids spend time checking out their soon-to-be rooms. Head to the local parks so everyone can meet some new friends. And tour the school your children will be attending so they can get to know the other kids and their new teachers. The idea is to make them familiar enough with the area that things aren't completely foreign to them upon their move so the feel secure with the experience.
Long distance moving doesn't have to be hard. These tips and tricks should help put your little ones at ease and keep lower stress levels for everyone in your family overall.
Share2 March 2017
