Moving to a new city can be quite difficult for the whole family, but especially for children. No doubt, they will focus on all the negative aspects. They may even hold you responsible for ruining their life. Moving to a new city means losing either friends, being the new kid at school, and missing out on life. It may seem overly dramatic to you, especially when you are dealing with the stress of moving. However, it may be beneficial for all to take some time to acknowledge your children’s feelings and help them with the adjustment. Adjusting your kids to a new city does not have to be hard, here are a few tips for before, during and after the move.
Before the move:
Talk to your children about the move. Find out how they feel and why they feel that way. Don’t just tell them “it’s not the end of the world” or “you will survive.” Rather, be considerate of their feelings and assure them that everything is going to be fine. Also, be honest with them. Let them know it may time some time for them to adjust. Check out our blog on emotional preparation for your move; this could be helpful for kids, too. Fun activity: Research your new city. Find out what cool activities you can do or sights you can see. Give your children something to look forward to.
During the move:
Let your children be a part of the moving process. Sure, it may be easier and faster for you to pack up the whole house on your own, but allowing them to be a part of the move makes them feel important, too. They can sort things into boxes, or even help clean the empty home. Sweeping and vacuuming are ideal cleaning task for children. Fun activity: Make a few scenic pit stops along the way and snap some pics. Take their mind off the move by making the road trip fun.
After the move:
Get back into routine as soon as possible. If your child was involved in sports or clubs in the old city, getting them back into those activities can help them make friends faster. The sooner they get back to their lives the faster they will forget about the life they left behind and can focus on their new life. Fun activity: Let your children keep in touch with old friends. They can be pen pals (Wait, what decade are we in?) or email each other. They can even get creative and send pictures and videos.
We hope these tips help your adjust your kids to a new city. If you have any other tips please share them below.