Essential advice for moving home with children

If you’ve reached the stage where you feel like your family home is shrinking and becoming over-crowded, a big house move could be on the horizon. Amid all the stress and preparation, it can be easy to forget about the little ones in your life and how they feel about a big move. If you’re finding it stressful, it may feel confusing, exciting and even frightening for them as it is completely out of their control. What is the best way to prepare your children for moving home?It’s a JourneyWhen considering up-rooting your kids, it is essential to keep them in the loop right from the very beginning. Don’t hide your plans but discuss it with them from day 1, talk openly about the idea of moving house to gauge their reactions. Allow your children to be actively involved with your property search, it is crucial to take children to viewings and let them explore and get a feel for a house. You may even find they highlight concerns that you have not even explored.Once you’ve chosen the perfect family home and decided to put in an offer, you can encourage your children to start thinking about how they would like to decorate their new bedroom. Grab a few interior and home decor magazines and browse through them with your children. Decorating is fun and it will help kids to imagine living in your new home.It’s an AdventureChildren can become anxious about moving to a new area just like us. However, this is often just a fear of the unknown and can easily be overcome by taking the time to explore the area with your children. Put yourself in their shoes and have a think about what’s important to them. Perhaps local schools, parks and fun places to visit. If you’re unsure, at Hathways we will always be happy to guide you. Treat it like an adventure and take the children out to explore and visit places that they will enjoy and they will soon see that moving to a new place is not so scary after all.It’s an OpportunityAnother concern felt by many children is the thought of leaving their friends behind when moving house. This is something that can affect us as adults too, however, it is more difficult for children to understand the concept of “keeping in touch” with friends. A great way of tackling this is by visiting the local school and clubs which might interest, to show them that new friends will be all around them.It’s a GameFor younger children who might not understand moving house as well as teenagers, turning the process into a game, can help them to come to terms with the change. You can be creative and introduce games to make packing and decluttering fun, or you could make a memories box for your little one to take to the new house with them. We love the idea of using reward charts for when children help out and creating scrapbooks of what they would love to take to their new home too.It’s all in the PlanningMaking a solid plan for moving day is essential as with removal men, heavy furniture and the chaos of things coming and going, it can be a dangerous place of the little ones. Think about organising to move during school time or allow your little ones to have a sleep over with friends or family. Packing an essentials box can help them feel right at home straight away, so be sure to include their favourite things, such as toys and cuddly teddies and they will start to feel at home in no time. Research has shown that moving house has a bigger impact on our children than we might realise. At Hathways, we want it to be a positive experience for you and your little ones. For more advice on moving home contact our team on 01633 870777.