As if you don’t have enough going on, is moving homes on your to do list in the next few months? The biggest question along with “how am I going to pack all those boxes” should be
“How can I best prepare my young children for the move?”
Toddlers are remarkably resilient. However, such a big transition can be tough without preparation. So here are some tips on what to do leading up to the move, during the move, and after the move to ease the transition.
Before the Move: 1-2 months in advance
- Involve them in the house-hunting process. It makes your child feel like they’re part of the decision, too.
- Visit the new house (if possible). Go through each room and explain who is going to live in each room, and draw parallels between your old home and new home.
- Think of things about the new home that will excite them – a porch, a yard, a playroom – so it will be something to look forward to
- Take pictures of your old house. Even after the move, your child may want to look at pictures to remind herself of the house she just left.
- When you deliver the message that the family is moving, make sure your child knows that everyone in the family is moving as well – parents, siblings, pets. This will help ease some of the anxiety.
- Maintain a positive attitude about the move; children take their cues from you!
Moving Day
- Make up some games to involve your child. Get a couple extra boxes, and have your child pack and unpack her stuffed animals. Or allow your child to jump into the box. You can also have your child draw on boxes that are already packed.
- Say “goodbye” to each room; this helps your child with a sense of closure.
- Take special care of the particular box for your child’s most treasured things – let them watch you pack it, put it in the car not the moving van, and unpack it first.
Settling Into Your New Home
- Forgo the kitchen set up to get the important pieces of your child’s room set up. If they are comfortable and getting used to their new room, you’ll have more time to move in the rest of the house.
- Find time to explore or take your child to a nearby park. Hopefully you can point out some of the landmarks the child saw in your preparatory photos.
Because the transition of moving can be tough on toddlers and on families, we wrote a Twigtale book to help you with the language and the story to explain the complicated feelings of the unknown around moving. Since it’s personalized with pictures of your home and your family, it ends up being much more relatable and effective for your child. It’s only $20 and available on twigtale.com, along with many other titles that help parents better communicate important information to their children.
Summary
While a move can be stressful to plan and manage, with a bit of advance planning, you can prepare your child for the big change. The key is to communicate what will be the same and what will be different, acknowledge the variety of feelings, and clue your child in on the “plan” so even on a chaotic day, she will recognize what’s happening. Your child may actually enjoy the adventure! Best of luck!