Top Tips For Moving House With Children
Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful things a person will undergo in their lifetime, so add children to the mix and the stress levels soar.
But here are some handy tips for helping children with moving house:
- Involve them – might sound like a no brainer, but children have no concept of the process; To them, you wake up in one house and you go to sleep in another but children are naturally curious so get them thinking about the layout of their room and if it needs decorating ask them to start thinking about what décor they might like.
Children can also help with the packing the unpacking (probably not your best china though)
- Talk to them, explain what’s happening – they will need reassurances that the whole family (and pets) are moving together and that they will still see family and friends (if moving far away, best to reassure them that you have plans so they can still see their existing friends)
- Ask them for help packing their room up, labelling their stuff and then unpacking – this will help them understand that things have been safely put into a box and have successfully transferred to the new house (essential if you then move again as they will be able to recall)
- Pack all their essentials (clothes as well as favourite toys/teddy) for the first week into a suitcase and make sure this is unpacked first so that the child immediately sees their favourite belongings.
- Take all help that is offered – could the child stay with family or friends for a couple of days or at least on the day of the move. Worrying about the whereabouts of your children on the day of the move can only lead to more stress.
The best tip is to be prepared, make it fun (or as fun as a house move can be!)