Must Know Tips To Make Moving With Kids Less Traumatizing

The average American will move home almost 12 times in a lifetime. Relocating can occur for many reasons, whether you are moving closer to your relatives or you need to change location for work purposes. Unfortunately, while moving home can be an improvement for adults who are in control of the situation, it can be highly stressful for children. 

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It is, therefore, essential to take the time to talk to them and discuss their fears. Children may be anxious about discovering a new place, so you can help them a lot by taking them to visit the new home or neighborhood. Additionally, many feel that they have no say in the situation. While you can't change your plans or cancel the move to please your kids, getting them involved early in the process can give them back some power over the decision. 

However, one thing you can't do is eliminate the heartbreak of moving away from their friends. So, it can be helpful to find options and solutions that can make it less traumatizing for your kids.  

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Consider a sleepover party

Whether you are moving into 2 bedroom apartments for rent in the middle of a busy city or into a renovated barn in a remote location, sleepovers can help kids create meaningful memories in their new home. 

You could discuss with them the opportunity to invite their best friend to stay overnight with them. 

You can prepare delicious snacks together for their sleepover party, helping them get used to the new home and routine. 

Make sure to share the new address with other parents

Teenagers are old enough to stay in touch with close friends through smartphone apps. However, younger kids may need to rely on their family support. So, you can work with the parents of their friends to maintain a close connection:

• You can sort out frequent video calls, so kids can get to see and talk to their friends
• You can exchange postal addresses — your child will be excited to receive letters!
• You can create a group chat with parents from your former neighborhood so that you can share news

Document the journey

Give your child a platform to express their thoughts and experience in a way that can be shared with others. You can help them start a blog on a free platform such as Wix or WordPress. Using WordPress allows you to check posts before your child publishes them if you set yourself as an admin. It can be a good idea as you don't want them to share confidential information online. 

The blog can help your child process their emotions and let their friends know about their new day-to-day life. It is a form of journaling that can become public or protected by a password that is communicated to individual friends.

Blogging can encourage kids to:

• Meet new people and try new things, so they have something to write about
• Build a blogging routine that helps them settle into their new life
• Capture new memories to share with others
• Understand and express their emotions

Losing touch with friends is painful, but it doesn't have to happen. Moving away doesn't mean your kid can't maintain their friendly bond. Helping them process the trauma of the move and stay in contact with their friends can be a game-changer! 

This is a contributed post.

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