Moving house is a stressful time for adults but it can be worrying and unsettling for children as well.
If you are planning a house move with your family, it’s important to be aware that change can be difficult for young people. This week is Stress Awareness Week so we have put together some tips on how to make moving easier for your child:
As soon as you know you are likely to be moving in the near future, introduce the idea to your child. Talk about how people live in different kinds of properties and sometimes leave their home to live in another. Read stories in which the characters move house and see if there are any episodes of their favourite TV shows which deal with the issue. Children’s books about moving house include Topsy and Tim Move House by Jean and Gareth Adamson, Moving House (Usborne First Experiences) by Anna Civardi and Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Show your child photographs of removal vans and point out For Sale signs on other houses as you go for a walk so they realise moving house is an ordinary part of everyday life.
If you can, take your child to visit your new home before moving day so they know what to expect. Show them lots of pictures of the property and take them for a walk in the area near their new home so they can explore where they will be living. Talk about the positive things about the new property – will they have their own bedroom? Is there a bigger garden? Will they be able to choose how to decorate their room? Even if you don’t feel positive about your move, make sure your child doesn’t realise this. Stay upbeat and focus on the good points of their new home.
When you are packing up your home, make sure you leave your children’s favourite toys out for as long as possible. If everything that is familiar to them is in boxes, it will add to their unsettled feelings so tackle other rooms before you pack up their bedroom or playroom. Get your child to pack a bag of toys they will keep with them on moving day itself – this may include a favourite soft toy, a familiar book and something to keep them occupied. By keeping this bag with them, they will feel they still have some of the things which matter to them most.
If your child is old enough, get them to help with the packing but try to make it fun. Invent some games like seeing who can pack the fastest or count how many books will fit into a box. You could even allow them to decorate the boxes with pictures or write labels for them so you will know which rooms they need to go into at the new property.
It is usually a good idea to get someone else to look after your children during moving day while you are busy making sure everything goes smoothly. However, with strict rules in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, this will not be possible for a lot of people. Come up with some sort of plan for what your child will be doing on moving day. Can you take them out to the park while the removals crew moves everything to their vehicle? Is there somewhere in the property they can relax or play while most of the work is carried out?
It is natural for your child to feel sad about leaving their home so listen to them when they talk about their feelings and show them that you understand how they feel. Let them say a proper goodbye to their old home. This could mean saying goodbye to each room or taking lots of photographs. Don’t rush them and comfort them when they get upset but stay positive yourself.
Once you get into your new property, there will be a lot of jobs to do. Try to make sorting out your children’s bedrooms a priority as they will feel much happier and more settled once they have their own space filled with familiar things. Get their toys and books out quickly. If you can’t get their bed set up by the first night, then have a family sleepover with snacks and games and turn it into an adventure.
