Moving house can be stressful enough, but if you’ve got young children you’ll be presented with a whole extra set of challenges and concerns for their wellbeing. To make their experience as smooth as possible the preparations have to start well in advance. Have a look at these tips on how to handle each stage of the moving process.
Start Positively
Young children often take their cues from the adults around them, so it’s important that you present any changes as a positive thing. Telling them that it will be an adventure that you’re really looking forward to will help them to accept it.
If you have older children who may react badly, then for the same reasons it may be worth telling them separately first. If a negative impression is instilled from the start by an older sibling it can be very hard to reverse.
Involving Them
Consulting your children is very important so they feel involved in the process and don’t become resentful. Even if you’re not entirely convinced by their input, opening up a dialogue will make the process easier. Asking them for their likes and dislikes will allow you to point out positives in the new house that match up.
Getting to Know Their New Home
Once you’ve chosen, take them to see their new home before the move. It may help to do some research into the town together, or even use Google street view to look around the area. When you drive down the streets for real, you can spot the places you’ve seen online and build excitement by turning it into a game.
Settling In
After the initial excitement, returning to their normal routine of meals and bed-times will be key to them quickly settling in. Painting their bedroom the same colour, taking some of the same furniture, or laying out their new room in the same way will provide familiar comforts while they get used to the new house. On the other hand, your child might be really excited to have a newly decorated room, in which case this is something you can do together.
Moving Day
You’ll have a lot of distractions on the day, so always remember to do everything you’d normally do before a journey - prepare snacks and drinks for the journey, scope out possible places along the way for toilet breaks or fresh air if your child gets car-sick.
Now you’ve got your plan for preparing and settling your children, you need to think about the practicalities of the move. Hiring an experienced Chippenham removals company like Intransit can take much of the stress out of the process with our professional and personal service. Call us now on 01225 759200 to get moving.
