Moving is stressful for all involved, but for children even more. We, as adults, have discovered many coping mechanisms and healthy ways to deal with stress. But, we needed a lot of experience to reach this point. So, you can’t expect your children to be so accepting and self-soothing as adults can be. Today, at A2B Moving and Storage, we’ve prepared some of the best tips on how to help children deal with the moving stress. We will try to present everything through a parenting lens.
Announce the move in advance and be prepared for various reactions
Most often, children tend to react with sadness or anger when you give them life-altering news. And this is completely normal and expected. Imagine yourself just living your life, enjoying each day, and suddenly you have to move and change your lifestyle. Anyone would feel a bit mad, scared, or sad. Try to approach your children with an open mind and understanding and this way you will help children deal with the moving stress. Can you even recall how scary everything seems when you’re that small?
Before you book local movers Northern VA, try to truly listen to your child. Give them space to let out their emotions in a healthy way. Listen to them as they tell you what they’re afraid of, or mad about. Answer them truthfully. Create a safe space for your kid to express themselves completely. Also, remember to put the accent on the exciting new things coming their way! Maybe you’re moving to a house from an apartment, and your child might enjoy having a yard. Or you might be moving closer to the ocean. Try to explain your reasons for the move as well! You might be moving for a job to be able to afford more for your family, or a more laid-back nature-filled place for health. Your children understand you better than you know!
If your child is very small, just try and explain that the whole family is moving. Little ones tend to think they might be abandoned, so just reassure them.
Be sure to rest
You will surely need to show more patience and compassion to your children at this time, yet you are stressed as well. The best thing you can do for everyone involved is to make sure that you always get enough sleep and rest. You can’t be patient with anyone if you’re running on a few hours of sleep and a lot of coffee. Basically, you’re creating a chain reaction. By fulfilling your personal needs, you will be able to fulfill the needs of your children as well.
Visit the location you’re moving to
This is not possible for everyone and it’s not a make-or-break situation. But, it can be very beneficial for your child to see what their new normal will be. The worst thing you can do is keep your children in the dark and then suddenly introduce them to your movers Virginia on moving day. Organize a little road trip if you can. First, you can show them the neighborhood and your new home. You can even drive by their future school or a few parks where your kids will be able to enjoy their time. This is an incredible exercise. Not only will you strengthen the trust between you and your kids for being open and honest, but they might just end up getting excited about the move.
Allow your children to say all of their goodbyes
Another good way to help children deal with the moving stress is to allow them to say goodbye to everyone and everything they want. It’s a good exercise on how to process grief in the long run. It’s extremely healthy and it will allow them to create a clean slate. Very often, kids want to honor everything that brought them joy in their life, and this is exactly what you should let them do. And, honestly, it might do you yourself some good as well.
- Visit loved ones and friends to say goodbye – Your kids might like to see their grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. Make the time to visit each of these people, take photos, say goodbye, and even cry if needed.
- Visit your child’s favorite locations – Their favorite park, fast food, playground, ice cream place, etc. Treat them one last time and say your goodbyes together.
- Talk about everything you will miss – A great deal of emotional processing can happen in oral exchange. Don’t be afraid of your child talking about the same things over and over again. This just means that whatever is bothering them is very important to them and they need a bit more time to process the emotion.
- Talk about what you’re excited about – The same as the previous point, allow your child to rave about whatever they’re most excited about. You and your partner are more than welcome to share your opinions as well. This will encourage your child to think about how amazing the future will be.
- Say bye to the home – Once the best movers Alexandria VA take everything out of your home, be sure to walk through it and say goodbye to all the rooms.
Let your kids participate
To help children deal with the moving stress as much as possible, be sure to allow your children to participate. This can mean that they get to choose the color of their new room, or they get to put up some new decorations around their new rooms. If your children are grown enough, you can let them pack up their own rooms. Remember to set a good example beforehand. It’s always important to declutter before the move, but your child is still pretty stressed and emotional. Give them a box where they can place all the items they don’t need anymore. Additionally, to create a completely safe environment, tell them that they don’t have to put anything in the box. But, let the box just be there. They are likely to use it.
