How to prepare kids for relocation

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When it comes to moving, you need to think about a lot of things. You need to plan everything and deal with some really tough situations. There is a long road of decisions in front of you, and it is natural to feel overwhelmed. And now, just imagine how your kids might feel. They do not quite understand why they have to move, and they only see that their world is changing. Everything they feel familiar with will disappear. Kids spend most of their time in their homes, and it is their safe bubble. Kids are also very dependent on routine and well-known places. To avoid any negative feelings, you should prepare kids for relocation. You should talk to them, pay more attention, and play with them. You need to make the relocation with one of the moving companies Cordova TN as fun as possible for your kids, and we will help with that by answering your question on how to prepare kids for relocation.

What is the first step to prepare kids for relocation?

Well, first of all, you should try to imagine how overwhelmed they might feel. They don’t understand why and where they are moving, and it will cause distress. Imagine yourself in their shoes, you would reach the same! Depending on the age of your kids, they can react differently to the relocation, but to be honest, it till most likely be a negative reaction. You can be sure of one thing though. Kids always know that something is happening. So, the first step is to sit down and talk to them. You need to be open with your kids, ask them for their opinion, and consider it. Although you are the one making all the decisions, you should let your kids decide about some smaller things, age-appropriate things.

Woman talking to her kid

Sit down and have an honest talk with your kids about movingFor example, they can be the ones that will be deciding what they want to take with them to the new house. Regardless, you can always hire professionals that will help you with the packing and unpacking process – but your kids should be in charge in their own room. Let them decide what toys and other things they want to keep, and which not. Those are some small steps that will make them feel safer, and they will know that it is important to you how they are feeling. It won’t make a big change for you, maybe a little patience and time invested, but for them it will mean a lot.

Help them learn about the place you are moving to

So, after you have talked with them, now comes the second part. You should sit down with them and explore the new town you are moving to. You should try to find something they like – parks, comic stores, music festivals – it all depends on how old they are and their interests. And since you are probably moving for a good reason, you will have a lot of things to show them! Google all the fun stuff with them, make plans, and help them understand that everything will be okay after you move.

If you want to prepare kids for relocation, you can even try to find a good Oxford moving company that can help you with the relocation. Although, as we mentioned, you are the one in charge – if you include them in every step of the way, your kids will feel safer and more open to changes. Keep that in mind and help your children to prepare for relocation!

Make the relocation fun!

Although you might feel overwhelmed and you are not really for the fun things – you have to do it because of your kids. They will feel your stress, and they can react negatively to the change. You can prepare kids for relocation really easily if you make it fun! You can create some simple games. With enough creativity, you can turn almost every moving task into a game. Just make sure that it is age-appropriate. You can also create a reward system if they finish some task. You can ask them for help to go through your family belongings and ask them about their opinion on whether you should keep or donate something.

Parents looking at their daughter and wondering how to prepare kids for relocation
Try to make the fun of the moving preparation

Also, you can create simple tasks for them. For example, they need to pack all their toys in one big box. But before they pack it, they need to color the box, and that way they will label their boxes. Kids love to draw, and this way, they will get creative. And, they will actually help you with the labeling so your move to Oxford can be stress-free! Labeling can easily be overseen. Don’t rely on the fact that you will remember the contents of the boxes because you won’t. Let your kids label their boxes, and you should label yours. It will make the unpacking process easier both for you and the moving help that you hired.

Don’t forget about the going-away party!

So, you need to understand that your kids, same as you, are leaving all of their friends. Even if you are just moving to the other part of town, there is a high chance they will not be able to see their friend as often as they would like or as much as they used to. So, what you can do to prepare kids for relocation – you can throw a party! Explain to them that this is just a temporary goodbye and that they will keep seeing their old friends whenever possible. Tell them of all the new friends that they will make and the good times they will spend together. You can invite their close friends, as well as your own, and have a nice evening or maybe even a whole day! That way, they will be able to say goodbye and to enjoy their time in the old home. This will also create nice memories for the whole family that you will cherish and love forever.

Be ready for obstacles when you prepare kids for relocation

Although you might plan everything out, you need to be prepared for possible barriers when trying to solve the how to prepare kids for relocation dilemma. If you have toddlers and young kids, they don’t know how to regulate their emotions yet. Although at the first glance it might seem like your kids are happy – they can change their minds. And that is when your positivity comes in. If you keep everything positive, there is less chance for them to change their mind. When you feel overwhelmed because of your children’s behavior, calm yourself down first. They sense bad vibes, so try to keep as cool as possible. Basically, when you are preparing your children for moving, you need to consider everything.

So, to avoid additional headaches, you can find great residential movers and set up a date with them. You can get all the additional services like packing, packing materials and similar. And after that, you can enjoy and help your kids to overcome the relocation problems and focus on the things that matter on the daily basis. 

Girl cutting paper with assistance
Kids thrive on routine, so try to keep the normal one up as much as possible

Keep all your family rituals

You should keep in mind that your kids need to feel safe and welcomed into your new home. So, to achieve that you need to keep all your family rituals. Kids thrive of off routine. If you usually went for ice cream every Sunday – keep doing that. All those little things will help your kids to prepare for relocation. If you have pets, and you take them to a park or for a walk, make sure to do that even when the moving date is close. And, also you can try to find new routes for you and your kids while walking your pet. You can always add new things to your routine that maybe weren’t possible in your old home. Always try to make the best out of your move with some movers in Memphis TN area. If not for you, then for the sake of your kids.

Conclusion on how to prepare kids for relocation

So, the day before, sit down with your kids and talk. Explain to them how the whole day will go, and that if they feel overwhelmed they should tell you. Prepare some juices, snacks, and toys. Anything that has worked to calm them until now, will probably do so on this day too. You can get them notebooks so they can draw. It is essential to keep them busy, so they don’t get hurt in the moving process and to avoid any possible issues. The best solution would be for your kids to not be in the home the day you are moving from Mississippi to Tennessee. Ask family members or friends you trust to have your kids for a day. The most important thing to remember is to just stay positive, and your kids will reflect that! We hope to have answered your question on how to prepare kids for relocation, and wish you good luck!