Moving to the Denver, Colorado area can be an exciting time for everyone involved. New home. New surroundings. New restaurants to try out. So many positive things to experience and enjoy.
Unfortunately, your children may not feel the same way. Although some kids do great with adapting to new environments, there’s a tendency for many to feel stressful about a move. Young children with often miss the smaller things, such as a nearby park, whereas the older kids will most likely concentrate on friends they’re leaving behind.
You may never be able to fully satisfy your children when you decide to uproot them and travel to a new place, but here are some tips that will help the move go more smoothly for your youngsters:
Divulge the Details
The last thing you want to do is keep information regarding the move from your children. As soon as you know it’s going to happen, let them know. Not only will this help them feel that they’re part of the process, it will give them more time to come to grips with reality and make their own preparations.
Encourage Them to Speak Openly
Talking through any type of pain can release a great deal of stress. Encourage your kids to speak openly about their feelings, including any sadness they’re experiencing about leaving certain things or people behind, or any fears they may have regarding the new location.
Develop a Moving-Day Battle Plan
If you’ve ever ventured into the unknown, be it a promotion, the start of a personal relationship, etc., then you’re quite aware of how chaotic and stressful it can be. For children, big changes can be even worse. A great way to alleviate the anxiety is to develop a battle plan for moving day. Let them know exactly how it’s going to play out. The less surprises, the lower their stress level.
Make It an Adventure
It doesn’t matter why you’re moving. The trick is in how you’re moving. The best way to tackle the task for your children’s sake is to treat it like an adventure. Use the internet to help your children explore the area you’ll be moving to, especially places like playgrounds, parks, sporting events, libraries, or other locations that will spark their excitement.
Give Your Kids a Bit of Control
There are certain elements of your new home, and even your child’s room, that you must maintain control over. That being said, giving them some control over their own room is a great way to get them acclimated to their new surroundings. Ask them about paint colors, new lamps, pictures, and other elements that they can choose.
Scout It Out
If it’s possible, don’t make your children’s first exposure to their new surroundings be at the point when you’re driving up to your home. Instead, plan a trip to the area and poke around a bit. Take them to the grocery store you’ll be frequenting, play at the closest park, and eat at a restaurant or fast food place that you’re likely to visit after the move. This will show them that their new area isn’t so different from their current surroundings.
Let Them Pack
Giving your kids something to do during the move will help them feel as if they’re a real part of it and not simply as someone being taken along for the ride. You’ll need to do much of the heavy lifting, but allowing them to pack up their own stuff is a great way to involve them on a physical level.
Stick to Your Routines
If you change a child’s routine after a move, it’s definitely not going to make things easier. What you want to do is stick to whatever family activities you enjoyed before the move. If that means a Friday Movie Night or Weekend Game Night, then don’t deviate from the norm.
Yes, moving to a new home can be stressful for adults, but it can be an especially difficult time for children. The more you can alleviate their stress, the more smoothly everything will go. If you’d like to learn more tips about how to make your move to a new location go smoothly or have any other concerns, contact The Denver 100 for the best in Denver Real Estate.