From Andrea Cueny’s Blog:
Here are my tips for moving with children:
1. Prior to moving to the new place, have your kids visit their new home and surroundings if possible.
- Show them their new schools, local places they will (the best neighborhood pizza parlor, for example).
- Go to their new house.
- Have your kids look on a map to see the place where you used to live and the place where you will live next.
2. Let your child pick the new paint color and/or a picture, bedding, something new for their room that will keep them excited about the move. Even a child as young as two or three may have a legitimate opinion about the color of the walls in their room or other decorations.
3. Involve your kids in the packing process. Let them label the boxes, sort toys they want to take or not take. Let them participate and make the task for them age appropriate.
4. For moving day, have a plan for them. Set up a final play date with their friends or have someone take them to a favorite spot.
5. Unpacking day will go more smoothly if your children are occupied and (ideally) not there while you are trying to pack or unpack your belongings.
- If your children must be there, try to make it fun for them and have games, snacks, crafts for them to do in a room while you are working on the house.
- Another good idea for unpacking day is to have a friend or relative “assigned” to your child and together they focus on setting up your child’s room.
Remember the amazing appeal of an empty box! 6. Remember the fun of the best (and cheapest!) toy ever invented….an oversize box or two leftover from moving day can turn into hours of enjoyment for kids!
7. Check out our buy a couple of books to read to help your child cope with saying goodbye to friends, their house and neighborhood.
- We’re Moving!: When Amy and her family move into a new house, it takes some effort to make it feel like home. Great book for infants and toddlers.
- Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day: The Bear family tells their story of when they moved to their tree house in Bear County.
- I’m Not Moving, Mama: When moving day comes, Little Mouse refuses to leave his room.
- Who Will Be My Friends?: Freddy moves to a new neighborhood and spends the entire book looking for new friends – until he finally finds them.
- Alexander Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move: Angry Alexander refuses to move away if it means having to leave his favorite friends and special places.
- A Tiger Named Thomas: Thomas realizes being the new kid on the block isn’t too lonely after a special night of trick-or-treating.
- Goodbye House: Baby Bear and his family are moving; just as the van is about to leave, Baby Bear says that he has forgotten something and goes back inside.