Moving House is a Big Deal for Children

Statistics indicated that 1 in 4 families move every year, whether your family are moving veterans or just contemplating your first big relocation, the commonly overlooked aspect to moving is the effect this move will have on the child(ren). Moving house is believed to be one of the most stressful experiences we face in our lifetime, so imagine how overwhelming this can be on children who do not have the maturity to understand the reason for moving.  Moving has become a common feature of our way of life and having the right tools will go a long way to ensuring an enjoyable moving experience for everyone in the family.

Remain Positive

Regardless of the motivation for your move, the secret is to remain positive, often the reason for moving will be exciting i.e. new home or career change. These reasons can somewhat offset the inconvenience of moving. However if the move is associated with disappointment or an unhappy event, children can become anxious and often unintentionally left to sort out their feelings of relocating without understanding the reasons. Children require more reassurance and attention to help them understand.

Talk

Discussing your move with your children is a matter of top priority. Explain to them at their level of understanding “What’s Happening”; “Why the move”; “Where the new home will be” and “How they can assist” and be involved with making the family relocation a success.

Encourage your children to express their emotions and feelings. Listen to them and accept their attitude, even negativity. It is only natural that they may be anxious, leaving family and friends. Giving up the known for the unknown can be pretty scary.

Most importantly, be honest with your children. Truth will go a lot farther than pretence. Reassure them they are important part of the family, and remember that the strength of the family unit will contribute greatly to your children adapting to the new surroundings.

Danger Signs

Children can and will express their anxiety in many different ways. You may have moved before and if the previous move was not positive this might trigger and recall memories and/or feelings that were not pleasant. Children may exhibit changes in behaviour by showing signs of depression, withdrawal or even throwing tantrums, as the pending moving day draws near. Watch for the signs and remember that they may not fully understand the reasons for their behaviour.

Age Difference

Children because of differences in age or life experience will view moving home differently.

• Infants will be least affected as long as their normal routine is not disrupted greatly.
• Pre-school Children can pose a real problem. Their sense of identity relies on you the parents, the family routine. When they see their toys being packed away and their bed being dismantled and their parent’s attention being diverted to moving they begin to worry, one of their greatest fears is being left behind. Prior to moving day let them help, let them pack and take along their favourite toy. Having familiar things around is a great comfort for youngsters.
• Primary School Age children have a more highly developed sense of identity since their world extends beyond the family circle. Their developing sense of discovery may make the idea of moving exciting to them. While they will be leaving friends, unlike older siblings, new friends are readily made.
• Teenagers place a lot of importance on deep and vital friendships. The teenager of course usually has enough problems even in the most stable of environments. Talk to them openly and frankly, help them track down organisations and groups in the new area that are involved in activities that interest them. Encourage them to bring new friends to your new home, even if the house is not as presentable as you may like.

Let us know how we can be of service by completing an online quote request or giving us a call on 1800 640 774 and speaking to one of our friendly team.