Moving with children
When a change occurs, children can often have a hard time dealing with it – even if they don’t show obvious signs of distress. Though a move may be exciting to you, your child may feel as though their world is being turned upside down. To help support your child during the moving process, we have compiled a list of top tips.
Consider their worries
Put yourself in your child’s shoes. Their world is likely to be a lot more compact than your own. What things do they consider to be important? They may be worried about:
- Missing current friends
- Making new friends
- Moving school and keeping up with their studies
- Being bullied
- Feeling lonely
- Living in a new area with new surroundings
- Having a new bedroom that they’re not used to
- Feeling safe in the new house
If you’re concerned, talk to your child about these things before, during and after your move.
Look out for signs of distress
Children may often attempt to conceal their worry or stress, but there are still signs you can look out for to make sure they are comfortable with the moving process and settling into their new home. Symptoms which may indicate stress include:
- Stomach aches or headaches, resulting in time off school
- Avoidance of tasks
- Less social interaction, e.g. spending more time alone playing on computer games
- Difficulty sleeping
- Focus on the positives
To take your child’s mind off any negative aspects of the move, make sure you try and get them excited about it instead! To do this you could:
- Encourage them to join new clubs or activities
- Take them shopping in the new town centre, or go for a walk in the local park
If you own your new home, ask them if they would like to plan the colour scheme of their new bedroom. If you rent, consider picking out a new wall-hanging or decoration for them to mark the move with.
Remember, a happy move means a happy new home!
