Moving With Kids: Making It Easier On The Little People
Moving is stressful. There’s the process of finding and closing on a new house or leasing a new apartment, selling your old home or giving notice to your landlord, selecting the perfect option from a long list of Denver moving companies, and packing up your belongings, just to name a few. What will you keep? What can you get rid of?
If you have children, this complicates things a bit. Sure, you need to think about the situation at your new home a bit more – is there enough room for all of you, and is there adequate space to play outside or a playground in the vicinity? What are the schools like? Before the moving company in Denver loads even a single box on that truck, you need to look at every single way this is going to impact your little (and not so little) ones so that you can ease their anxieties and meet their needs.
In order to avoid listening to incessant “I hate you, you ruined my life” comments, here’s a list of things to think about before Denver moving companies are selected.
Can You Stay Where You Are?
Obviously, I’m talking about the city here, and not your actual residence. Do you need to relocate due to a new job? Then you probably can’t remain in the city your child has come to know and love their whole life. If you’re just looking for a new house, do you need to look outside of town? Staying in the same vicinity keeps your child in the same school and near the same group of friends they have acquired over their short life, which removes the anxiety that goes along with starting in a new school and starting from scratch.
Can It Wait?
If it isn’t job related, there are times when you might want to wait on contacting residential moving companies for a bit. If you’ve just gone through a divorce or a loved one close to your child has recently passed away, you might want to wait just a little bit. They need a chance to work through their grief before they start over in a new location. In times of emotional stress, the last thing they need is to watch Denver moving companies hauling their stuff from the home that is comfortable and stable to an unknown world. Give them some time to heal, and introduce the idea slowly.
Make Them Feel Important
Sometimes, all it takes to make a child feel better about moving is to involve them in the decision-making processes. Make them feel like they have some say, and take their opinions seriously when deciding on a home, a moving company in Denver, and even what items you plan to get rid of when packing day comes along. The more involved your child is, the higher the chances they will look forward to the move.
It’s important to remember that your child’s feelings are important. While you know this move is in the best interest of the entire family, your child probably doesn’t see it that way. Listen to their feelings, and try to put yourself in their shoes before you respond in a negative fashion. Remember that the issues they are worried about are really important to them.
Are you moving to another country, or to the other side of the United States? Turn to the Internet to show them all of the exciting things this new area has to offer. Let them look at the community, things to do there, the website of the new school they’ll be attending, attractions, museums – anything that will pique their interest and make them look forward to the new move. Is there a club they would consider cool at their new school, like Lego Club? Look for opportunities and experiences they don’t currently have available to them to change their opinion from negative to positive.
Toddlers: Special Considerations
They say there’s no reasoning with a toddler. This is very true! You might notice that they are excited about the prospect of moving, until you actually move. They realize they are in a scary new room, in a scary new house, and their world is falling apart. You’ll likely notice tantrums, episodes of acting out, and all sorts of unruly behavior once the move is complete. Because of this, try to keep other changes to a minimum – don’t do things like transition them to a bed from a crib or potty train during this period. Keep as much as you can the same as it was in the old house, just until they adjust to the new place.
Once You’re There
Make setting up your child’s room your first priority, although you’d probably rather be unpacking the kitchen! Place the furniture, fill the drawers, and let your child decide where important toys and books will go. What’s more, don’t get so wrapped up in the move you toss schedules out the window. They are more important than ever now!
Be sure your child meets with teachers and tours their new school before their first day. This is important to making them comfortable before being in front of a new set of peers.
If you need to, find a child therapist in the area to work out any anxieties or unresolved hostilities that remain.
While a move is tough on kids, the majority are resilient and bounce back quickly, realizing their fears were unfounded. They’ll see that it isn’t so bad after all!
