Moving can be an extremely stressful event, even for kids. Particularly for kids.
Because let’s be real, moving is a life-altering event that forces them to leave their comfort zone and all that they knew – the environment they were accustomed to, the school they attended and the friends they had made there, their playmates back at home etc.
The move is seen as a disruption to all this as it literally means starting all over again.
Being the parent(s), though, the onus is on you to guide your children and ensure they feel more secure and less distraught and anxious about the changes that are about to take place in their lives.
Here are 5 things you can do to make the process of moving to NYC less stressful for your kids.
Jump Ahead To:
- Let expectations be known
- Inform the kids early on
- Instill a sense of purpose
- Let the kids have their cake
- Create memories together
Jump Ahead To:
Let expectations be known
It is highly recommended that you advise your kids to be open and honest with you about their feelings towards moving.
Reassure them that it is perfectly okay for them to be nervous, even scared. Ensure that you don’t forget to reinforce the fact that change is always hard but there’s more to life than changing schools and making new friends.
If you have any teenagers in the house, it is important that they are involved in the decision-making process. As you probably are aware, teens can be a hard bunch to deal with if they aren’t fully sold into an idea.
When everybody knows what their expectations are, then the fewer the misunderstandings there will be.
Don’t forget to factor in the school calendar when making the decision to relocate to NYC.
Inform the kids early on
It is always advisable to inform your kids of the decision to move from the onset. This is not one of those things you want to surprise them with. That’s because kids need more time to process and warm up to the idea.
Once you have broken the news to them, it is important that they become active participants in the process moving forward. Consider involving them in selection of the neighborhood, house and school.
You can even go one further and have them accompany you to view the new home prior to the move.
Instill a sense of purpose
When you have chosen your preferred residential movers and moving day draws closer, you can have the kids help with the packing.
This allows them to own the process and feel that their contribution is well appreciated.
You can delegate important tasks to them, probably starting with packing their own personal items and belongings.
Let the kids have their cake
When the moving process is over and the family is just getting settled in the new home, it never hurts to involve the kids in the very important process of turning the house into a home.
It is easier for them to get that sense of belonging when you, for instance, let them decide on the paint they want on their walls, how they want to organize their rooms and so on. Of course, you’re not entrusting the whole project to them, but working together is key.
Create memories together
Lastly, create memories of the new neighborhood with them early on by taking neighborhood tours to check out new parks, ice cream shops, movie theatres, restaurants, malls etc.
The most important component of moving to the Big Apple when kids are involved is to encourage them as much as possible to be part and parcel of the process. This puts them in better stead to adapt to their new life in the new surrounds, which they do faster and with minimal protest.
