How to prepare kids for the big move?

Are you moving your family to a new home in Dania Beach and are stressing about how it will affect your kids? How will they take it? Will they adjust quickly? What can you do to make the transition easier?

Moving with kids is never easy. Kids get attached to one place and can have a hard time even if you’re just moving locally. So, what can you do to make it easier on them? Here are a few tips to make the family moving as easy as possible.

1. Introduce them to the new house

If you have the chance, show them the new house. Show them where their room will be, where they could put their toys and explain how they will be in charge of keeping it neat and clean.

Make it into a little story. Describe how you’ll eat your family dinners in the kitchen, how you’ll have movie nights in the living room, how you’ll plant roses in the garden. Talk about how the family will now get to go to the beach more often. Give them as many details you can. They will more gladly move if they can imagine what their new life will look like.

2. Show them around the new neighborhood

The same logic applies to the neighborhood – the livelier the image of their new neighborhood in their head, the easier they will picture themselves living there.

Take a walk around the neighborhood. Show them the surrounding houses, comment how nice the front yards are. Drive around a little bit. Try to find the nearest park, grocery store, library, etc.

Make it an adventure: measure how long it takes to get from your new house to the beach, the mall or the playground.

3. Include them in decision making

By asking their opinion, you’re letting them know that you are not ignoring them. They will feel more included in the whole process. Make the family moving, a fun project. You can take them furniture shopping with you. Ikea is just 20 minutes away from Dania Beach and that can be a fun family chore.

Keep their new room as similar as possible to their old one, but let them choose a few new things.

Let them pick the color of their room and a new desk lamp.

4. Focus on your kids, not on the moving itself

Consider hiring local movers so you could focus on helping your kids to deal with everything else in the moving process and not stress about the physical aspect of family moving.

This way local moving services will take care of the logistics, while you’ll have time on your hands to take your kids for a walk in the new neighborhood or go introduce the family to your new neighbors.

In a stressful situation, kids will feel more at ease if you’re not snapping at them because you think you left something behind, or you’re not sure if you’ve placed breakable things securely enough in your car.

A calm, carefree face and a positive energy that you radiate will help your kids to be more relaxed about the whole thing.

5. Move their toys last

Ask your local movers to take the boxes with your kids toys last. That way they will be able to play with everything till the very last minute. Professional movers will gladly respect your wishes. This also means that your kids will be occupied if you have to clean or repack something.

6. Make it a game

Try to make the whole packing process, fun! You can race each other to see who will pack more toys in half an hour. Or instead of writing labels on the boxes, let them draw on them whatever is inside. Isn’t it better to have a lovely picture of pans and pots, instead of an boring old label? By combining games with actual assignments, you will make them feel useful, but at the same time their spirits will be high.

7. Meet some neighbor kids

Even before you move, try to arrange a little meet-up with a local kid or two. Reach out to their parents, introduce yourself and ask if you can organize a playdate. If they have a few friends in the new Dania Beach neighborhood, your kids will feel more at home there.

You can even organize a little event for the neighborhood families. This way not only will your children meet new friends, but you’ll also have someone you know in the area before you move in.

Moving to a new home is stressful even without kids. There is a lot to think about and a lot to organize. But a big family moving is a huge project. The trick is to get all the help you can and to keep a positive attitude. Kids pick up atmosphere very easily and your positive attitude about the whole thing will do wonders to keep them calm!