By the time you’re an adult, you’ve probably moved several times and lived in a variety of homes. You’ve been through the taxing experience of packing up your old home and moving into a new, unknown one and survived to do it all over again.
It’s a different story for children who may have only ever lived in one home and leaving it can be a sad, stressful and emotional experience. Not only is it difficult for them, it’s difficult for you as a parent to both juggle the act of moving, and make the experience a positive one for your children.
So, as an experienced removalist who’s seen hundreds (if not thousands!) of families go through it, here are Australis Removals’ top tips on moving home with children:
Before you move
- Communication, especially with older kids, is key. Have a family meeting to discuss the moving plans with your kids and wherever possible, involve them in some of the decision-making. If they feel involved from the get-go, they’re more likely to view it as a positive change.
- If it’s possible, take your children to visit your new home so they know where they’re going. If it’s too far away (for example if you’re moving interstate from Adelaide to Melbourne), or it is occupied, take a virtual tour online to show them around their new digs.
- Borrow or buy books about families that have moved house to help prepare them for the move. Your local librarian will be able to recommend age-appropriate books such as Moving House by Stephen Cartwright, Who Will Be My Friends? by Syd Hoff, We are Best Friends by Aliki and The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day by Stan Berenstain.
- Get your kids to help you research your new area. Look for exciting new opportunities that the move will bring, such as nearby parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities. Ask them to draw up a list of what they’d like to do first when they move into the area.
- Share stories with your children about your own previous moves so they know you’ve been through it too. Highlight the great stuff you discovered about moving into a new home.
- If your children are worried about leaving friends behind, reassure them they can stay in touch. Teach them about Skype, arrange some play-dates with special friends for a week or two after the move and perhaps consider holding a “see you soon” party or BBQ before you leave so they know it’s not “goodbye”.
- Make your kids’ favourite meal before you move. Freeze and pack it in an esky and enjoy it on your first night in your new home.
Packing
- Don’t attempt to pack when children are underfoot. Either hire a babysitter to occupy them while you pack, or pack at night after they’re asleep. If you can’t avoid packing while the kids are around, get them to help pack non-fragile items. Distraction techniques include letting kids decorate and write on the packing boxes to show what is inside.
- Get your children involved in packing their own things by giving them a special bag or box and asking them to fill it with things they love. Also, ask them (if they’re old enough) to put a few items aside to keep with them during the actual move and settling in time.
- Make the packing process a fun experience for them by treating it like camping. Disassemble their beds a week or so before the move and let them sleep on the mattresses on the floor. Oh, what a novelty!
- Again, like camping, pack a suitcase for use in the first week or so after the move. Then you can slowly unpack and take the pressure off yourself when you arrive.
- Once you have packed, put packed boxes in a separate, closed room, to prevent littlies climbing over, in, or unpacking those boxes.
Moving day
- Pack a picnic basket for the car filled with sandwiches, drinks and special treats for when you all need a break. Having food and drinks readily available will keep both you and the kids happy.
- If you’re moving locally and not, say, interstate between Adelaide and Melbourne, undertake the move while the children are at school or day care. It minimises the stress for you and them. If that’s not possible, pack lots of fun things to keep them occupied both in the car and at the new property while the removalist truck is being unloaded.
- Fun things to pack to keep your kids occupied could include:
- Books and picture books
- Colouring, activity books, pencils and crayons
- Stickers and sticker pads or books
- Favourite soft toys
- Small puzzles
- In-car DVD players/tablets with streaming
- Music device with earphones
- Electronic games/tablets
- Cards and board games
At your new home
- Make sure you’ve got the tools needed to assemble your kid’s beds asap. Always stick screws and bolts to bed frames in a zip lock bag. Make setting up their rooms first a priority so they can start to settle in and explore their new home.
- Use a family member, friend or baby sitter to help you look after the kids while you unpack. It’s important safety wise that they don’t get underfoot while your removalists are unpacking the truck because children are often below the line of sight when removalists are carrying furniture.
- Let your kids unpack their special box that they packed earlier when you get there. It can be a little ritual to begin the settling in phase.
- When the dust has settled, introduce your children to their new neighbourhood. Go for a walk around the block, explore local parks, playgrounds, shops, cafes and the library together. You could even put together a treasure map of the new garden and local area to explore and get them excited about their new home!
- Talk to kids about their new bedroom and encourage them to decorate their room and any play spaces they way they want them so they feel a connection to their new home.
- Use a nightlight or play a favourite CD in their new bedroom until they adjust to the change and aren’t upset by unfamiliar night sounds.
- Make sure you have basic food supplies like bread and milk at the ready. Nothing worse than hungry, upset children and no snacks!
Remain calm
Finally, remember that experts like Dr Micheal Carr-Gregg advise that it’s not uncommon for children’s behaviour to change during times of stress, such as moving home. Give them time to adjust, try to stay calm yourself so that your kids don’t pick up on your anxiety and, if you possibly can, make it an exciting family adventure! Give them some great, fun memories to pass on to their kids when eventually they’re in your shoes.
If you have any great tips for moving with children that you’ve picked up on your adventures, we’d love to hear about them. And if you have any comments about our tips, we’d love to hear about those too. Australis will be back soon with more tips on moving.
