Moving – Preparing Young Children for a New Location

Moving to a new neighborhood isn’t always easy. Once your child realizes he or she has to go to a new school and meet new people, their fears will probably multiply. In addition, they’ll be sad to leave all the things that are familiar to them. Help them transition from their old home to a new one by following a few tips.

Allow them to say goodbye
Saying goodbye to friends and neighbors is difficult even for adults. However, young children may not realize that they will not be seeing familiar faces any time soon, so it’s important that they get a chance to say farewell. Explain to them that since they are moving, they won’t visit with these same people again. Help your kids make a list of all the people they want to say goodbye to and specify if they want to call them on the phone or visit them in person so they can chat face to face and give each other hugs.

Answer all their questions
Kids, no matter how old they are, are going to have questions. Young children in particular will wonder about everything from why you’re moving to how you will get there. Other concerns are about new schools, making friends and getting to know their surroundings. Some questions will be logical and on point, while others will be confusing or even bizarre. Whatever question they ask about, it’s important to make an effort to answer it to the best of your ability.

Help them stay in contact with friends
Even though they are saying goodbye and won’t be around everyday to see their friends, there are numerous ways they can still stay in touch. Ask your child who they would like to continue to talk to and help them write down addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses for everyone they want to stay in contact with after they’ve finished moving.

Visit favorite locations one last time
Since your kids are going to a new neighborhood, there may not be the same restaurants and kid centers like there was in their current hometown. If your child loved going to a particular place to have fun or eat, don’t hesitate to make one last trip to these locations. If the list is extensive, decide on no more than the top five. Also, plan at least a couple of months prior to the moving process so you can allow your kids a sufficient amount of time to enjoy their favorite places.