Moving is always hard for everyone–whether we’re moving across town or to the other side of the world. Of course, grown-ups get to call all the shots and moving falls into that category…or does it? Children don’t have a perspective on these things, so what is children’s view on moving? When planning on moving, it is your priority to keep your children out of all this. Moving can be very traumatic for a child. You can talk to experts like Sittingbourne letting agents understand if the area engaging activities for your child to get them accustomed to. With the stress and hustle and bustle of moving there are bound to be some tears. This article gives us some insight into this and points out some things we need to do as parents to help our kids through moving.
Moving with children can be a daunting prospect, especially if they’re very young. When you move house as an adult, it can be stressful and anxiety-inducing enough, but when you have one or more little people to think about too, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many things to consider when moving house with kids, and the most important thing to think about is how this big change will affect them. Moving with children can often be very stressful for them. It doesn’t matter how excited they might seem about the new house or their new room; change like this can be very unsettling for kids.
Warning signs
All children have different mechanisms to express their anxiety and some of the main symptoms include problems with sleep, aggression, lethargy, odd habits like thumb sucking, clinging to you, trouble concentrating, headaches or stomach aches.
Age-wise symptoms
Children below five years of age generally do not exhibit any signs as they still learning and exploring their surroundings and would be more curious and interested while in new surroundings. For kids between six to ten years old, you will probably start seeing some signs of anxiety. They might be reluctant to pack up things and start feeling sad about leaving their current place and friends behind. They might also feel nervous about moving into a new place with new friends and classmates. For teenagers, that’s when things really get tough. Since they have formed strong connections with friends, they will feel upset to leave everything behind. Not only that, they are going through puberty as well so they have enough on their plates already. This is why it’s even more important to be extra patient with them during this period of time.
Ways to handle anxiety in older children
Give them responsibilities
The move is a major transition for the whole family, but it may be particularly challenging for children. There are several things you can do to help them cope with the move and make it an enjoyable experience.
Give them something to do: Just as adults feel most comfortable when they have some kind of control over their surroundings, so do children. Give your children an active role in the house-hunting process by taking them along to visit potential homes. Let them play a part in getting ready for the move by helping pack their own toys and books and label the boxes.
Keep in touch with friends: If possible, keep in touch with friends your child is leaving behind through email, phone calls or video calls such as Skype or WhatsApp.
Take advantage of technology: You can use technology to involve your child in planning their new home.
If you’re doing it on your own, let them help choose paint colours or furniture
Give them time to say goodbye to their friends
Kids may have a hard time saying goodbye to their friends. If possible, make sure you give them enough time to say goodbye before the move. This can help ease the transition process for them and make it easier for you as parents. Moving is hard for adults. But it’s even harder for kids. After all, they are used to seeing their friends every day at school and spending time with them after school.
If possible, talk with their closest friends’ parents and plan a farewell party for your child and his friends. You can also help them organize a sleepover before you move away. That way, they’ll have some time to say goodbye to each other in person instead of just via text messages or Skype.
Ways to help them love their new neighbourhood
The best way to make a child accustomed to a new place is by signing them up for after-school sports, art classes etc., This will ensure that they have friends and something positive to look forward to every day. It also helps build confidence and self-esteem as well as gives them the opportunity to socialize with other children from different backgrounds and cultures, which is important
