Moving to another city or state can be difficult enough for an adult, but moving with kids makes for an even more difficult task. Children need safe and secure environments in order to thrive, and a change as drastic as moving can cause a great deal of uproar in a young child’s life.
For these reasons and more, when moving with kids, paying close attention to helping kids cope, making them feel comfortable in this new space, maintaining familiar routines, and assuring them that their entire family is here to support them through the move. For further help in the planning process early on, make sure to check out our best tips for Planning Your Long-Distance Move.
Involve Your Kids in the Move
One of the most essential upfront aspects is getting your kids actively involved in the moving process. Talk to the kids, help them understand what the upcoming move will be like, and assure them they are always your biggest priority.
Trying to hide the move from your kids is a surefire way to make them resent and fear it. Conversely, if you just talk to them, they can view the big move as exciting.
Even better, for older kids, if you can get them physically involved in the packing and planning process, moving to a new city, new community, or new neighborhood becomes less daunting and more of a wondrous adventure.
If you’re moving out of state to somewhere like Arizona, Ohio, or New York, check out Your Essential Guide to Moving to Arizona and Is Moving to Ohio Right for You? Find Out Here! and Insider Tips for Moving to New York.
Involving and preparing Younger Kids
Involving your kids at this most vulnerable stage in the process can help them feel confident in their own abilities and actively encourage them to participate further in the process. If you plan your move, create and identify projects the kids can assist with. Even small tasks are essential in their own right.
Some of the child tasks we recommend are:
- Planning out their own rooms.
- Exploring similar interests in new spaces by looking into extracurricular activities in their new school district.
- Memorializing their current home, soon to be old home, by taking pictures of the old house and making drawings of it.
- Looking into local sports teams or social clubs and the nearest amusement park.
Make the Kids’s Room a Priority
As mentioned, safety and security are crucial to childhood development. They are leaving friends, changing schools, maybe even going to a foreign country. This can complicate how kids feel and make them feel lonely, losing close friends and missing their old town.
This is why the kid’s room is so important. From familiar surroundings such as their furniture or stuffed animals to simply feeling like they finally have a place they can call their own in this new house, the kid’s room should be among your top priorities when moving with kids.
It can become an invaluable resource in helping kids cope with the moving process. The name of the game is Overcoming the Fear of Change During Relocation, for both children and adults.
Pack a Bag for the Moving Trip
You and your child can work together to pack their own moving day suitcase filled with everything they need to make them comfortable in your new house. You should utilize these Expert Packing Tips from Cross-Country Movers when doing so.
Take Your Kids Along on a Trip to their New Town and New School
If you’re preparing to relocate for work and want to visit a new location, consider bringing the whole family. Make an extended break and explore the new city – especially those sites with child-friendly activities like the park play areas and the nearest ice cream shop.
Once the children know the places of interest within their new town or city, they will be confident to go into a new place. YMCAs or community centers offer a chance for younger kids to meet new friends, especially during the summer.
Keep Your Kids Engaged in Solo Activities
Even when the children aren’t directly involved in a given moving project, ensure they are engaged and actively involved in something. Allow them to play outside longer, have an extra snack, etc.
These simple tools at parents’ disposal may seem insignificant to adults, but they make a world of difference to a child. Such activities and blessings give them the sense of being treasured, which is very important when moving to a new place and making new friends.
Maybe you’re thinking of moving to Texas? Read our 2023 Guide to Moving from Denver to Texas here. If you’re undecided, read Top 10 Destinations for Those Moving Out of Denver.
Establish a routine
Children are happiest with familiarity and routine because this structure provides consistency that helps establish an environment of security and a sense of belonging. A child’s life is constantly changing internally: they grow at an accelerated rate, experiencing time and evolution in a way entirely different than the way adults do.
Thus, having stability and structure to counteract this rapid change is key. As they move to a new house, structure can help give them the sense that their family still deeply values them and prioritizes their needs.
The time of year you are moving also comes into play here, so it’s important to know the Best Months for a Hassle-Free Move and the Ideal Days of the Week for a Smooth House Move.
Introduce Your Children to Your Movers
On the day of the move, dozens of strangers will be walking in and out of your child’s home. This could make them very anxious very easily. Again, communication is key, as introducing the movers to your kids could make a world of difference. Even allowing older kids to assist the movers with smaller items can help to get them involved and on board with the move. If you’re looking to move somewhere beautiful and scenic like Illinois, read Your Guide to Moving to Illinois here.
Host a “Moving Away” Party
No matter where you move, a move-away party can help commemorate the time spent in this home and celebrate the opportunity of your new one.
Have Them Plan Out Their New Room
Your cash may be very tight while you move, but something as simple as allowing your kids to pick out the perfect piece of furniture for their new room, however tiny, goes a long way. Then, it will be easier for them to control their space.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Prepare
Moving is an arduous task that always seems to take far more time than you initially think it will. The task of moving with kids is twice as tiring and time-consuming, so make sure that you’ve taken enough time off work to properly devote care and effort to not only the move but your child as well. This is especially true if you are Preparing for a Cross-Country Relocation.
If you’re looking for somewhere to move to, here are 5 Compelling Reasons to Move to Denver and a Denver Moving Checklist for the Weeks Ahead.
Arrange Childcare
Moving is a dangerous place for children as they might fall on their own. Having older children around can help ease your moving costs, as they help. But having said that, if you are heavily involved with the moving of heavy furniture yourself, it is always best to arrange childcare on moving day. If you cannot afford to devote your full attention to your child, you need to have someone on hand who can.
Hire a Babysitter or Nanny for the Day of the Move
Moving day presents many stresses. Imagine how upset or terrified your child could feel if they see strangers coming in and out of their home and don’t understand why. It can be an excellent day to get a babysitter and nanny to stay on schedule and help protect the children and the animals from the chaos that could occur during moving day.
Plan for a Visit to see the Old House and Old Friends
Change that teary hello to a happy goodbye! Everyone likes to enjoy things that make them feel special, and this is an easy way to get kids excited about the possibilities of their new home. If the new home is simply an imaginary, theoretical thing to them, they are bound to resent it. However, getting some real experience there and getting to know the people and the place can quickly change that tune.
Help Your Kids to Stay in Touch With Old Friends And Make New Friends
Moving from one place to another can be difficult and costly. Understanding Long-Distance Moving Costs in Denver is crucial, as is Navigating Denver Moving Costs. For further help with the financial responsibilities of moving, check out the Cheapest Ways to Move Across the Country and The Realities of Cross-Country Moving.
Let your kids know that their old best friend will still be there for them but that they’ll also meet other kids and other parents. Pre-emptively set up a visit after the transfer to make the tour of the new space easy and fun. Keep friends’ contact information on paper or digital notes for the recipient to mail or take gifts for birthdays and other events.
To examine how the housing market has evolved in the past few years, read Analyzing the 2021 Surge in Home Prices Across the U.S. and Average Costs of Cross-Country Moves. You want the secret to Avoiding Hidden Costs in Your Next Move, and we’re the team to ensure moving to your new house doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Make Time to Reflect
Let the child think about their new place and their old place. Give them time to understand the differences and how that makes their new home unique. Reflection allows the rest of us to explore and develop positive narratives about what we have gained in our lives; allow your kids to do the same.
FAQs
For a further collection of the most Common Questions Denver Movers Face and to find Denver’s Long-Distance Moving Questions Answered, click here. We offer Professional Packing Services as one of the most Trusted Long-Distance Movers in Boulder, CO.
What is the best age to move a child?
Children ages 4 to 8 are typically more malleable and can quickly become friends with a new kid. Similarly, some parents move to a new place before kindergarten to ensure their children go to college together with their peers and have consistency throughout their education. Further reading regarding Denver as a possibility includes Denver’s Top Neighborhoods for Families in 2023-2024 and Discover the Best Schools in Colorado.
The young people most at risk when being moved are the ones in their early childhood, between 12 and 14. This is such a crucial developmental age for their emotional state that such an upset can fundamentally damage or stilt their development, especially if done during the school year.
How long does it take kids to adjust to moving?
Rimm-Kaufman says the change could take up to several months for a young child to feel definitive.
Why is moving hard for children?
The hardest part of relocation is leaving family members and lifelong friends behind. Friendship is crucial for young children, and young people feel very isolated when they move into communities with no built-in community. If you’re looking for Reliable Long-Distance Moving Services in Colorado Springs, you can’t do much better than our team at Denver’s Premier Long-Distance Movers.
When children move, they experience a very different effect than their parents. Residential movements between birth and kindergarten impede social and cognitive functioning in school. Moves from kindergarten to fifth grade affect cognitive and psychological functioning.
Is relocating hard for kids?
Moving from one place to the next can be daunting to children. Kids must leave friends, teachers, and the community in a chaotic time. Once moved, children must adapt to the new school and may be behind in class.
Expert Cross-Country Movers Are at Your Service when you work with one of Denver’s Top Local Moving Companies. It is not an easy process, but it is one that they can make it through and thrive during with your help.