Make Your Washington DC Move Easy for your Kids
The issues involved in the planning, preparation and the move itself is already quite difficult and challenging to contend with. How about your kids? What are you doing to prepare your family for the move? You've put in the time to research DC Movers, and have seen which movers Washington DC residents recommend above all others. Now you have other considerations on your mind... Moving means a totally new beginning for everyone. It is a period of drastic changes and it involves being uprooted from everything and everyone familiar, away from their friends and school, and being transplanted in a totally alien environment. It is for this reason that this particular aspect should be given prime importance to make the move easier and a great adventure for everyone in the family.
Spending time with your kids and helping them understand why the move has to be made will go a long way in making them accept the inevitable. An older child will experience more difficulty with your move compared to his/her younger siblings. Everything is just so intimidating. There is the fear of the unknown. They are going to be overwhelmed with the thoughts of adjusting to a new neighborhood, going to a new school and meeting new kids, and leaving their lifetime friends behind.
Leaving is never easy for anyone. That is why you need to go the extra mile to help your kids be more comfortable before and during the move, and after you have settled in on your new place. Here are some of the ways to make the move easier on your kids:
- Kids need to know about the move. You have to tell them as soon as possible. Involve your kids in the preparation and all aspects of your impending move so that you can talk about the important details and they will feel that they are an important part of the decisions which has to be made including house hunting. Encourage them to ask questions and you should take time to listen to what are in their minds.
- When you have selected your new house, find time to visit the place where you will be moving in and walk around the neighborhood together. Letting each child select and decorate his/her own room will also make moving exciting for them.
- Give your kids individual responsibilities in packing and undertaking small moving chores which they can easily do. Let them pack and label boxes that contain their own things.
- Have them prepare a day pack which will contain their most prized possessions which they can bring with them on the day of the move.
- Give them enough time to bid their friends goodbye. Encourage your kids to inform their friends of your impending move and to exchange addresses and phone numbers with their friends. Hearing from old friends can certainly do wonders when your child is in a strange, new place.
- If your child had been actively involved in scouting activities, little league, the school band or choir in your old neighborhood, enrolling them in the same activities in their new school will increase their chances of making new friends and reinforce their feeling of belongingness in their new school
- Keep the lines of communication open. Spending time with your kids once you have settled in on your new home will help your kids cope with the travails of moving to a new neighborhood and community.
- Be alert for early warning signs such as changes in your child’s behavior that will indicate your child is not coping well with your move. It is important that you these early warning signs can be spotted quickly so that your child will be given help in coping with the new experiences that come with your move.
