4 Tips For Transitioning Your Family During an Upcoming Move

Making the decision to move isn’t always an easy one, especially when you have a family to consider. You don’t know how your children will act or feel when you tell them your family is moving away, but it’s not something you can avoid forever. Use these tips to help make the transition process as easy on your family as possible.

Find Your New Home Before Telling The Kids

Children need to feel safe and secure so you don’t want to discuss your upcoming move before you have any details. Instead, wait until you know as much information as possible about your new town and, if possible, have a new home secured. For example, if you’re moving the family to the Palisades, Pacific Palisades real estate agents can help streamline the purchase or leasing process for you. They can also send you photos or a video tour of your new home. This way, when you discuss your upcoming move with your kids, you can show them their bedrooms and other home amenities they’ll enjoy.

Also, with photos and/or videos in hand, it’s easier to transition the conversation from the fact they are moving to a new place to what a fun adventure moving is going to be. You might even discuss how they want to decorate their new bedrooms and let them choose new bed linens or curtains for the new house to give them something to look forward to.

Keep Your Children Involved In the Discussion

When your kids know and understand exactly what is happening, it’s less likely they’ll see moving as a scary thing. So make it a point to explain each part of the process with them and set specific dates to accomplish moving-related tasks.

For example, you might put a calendar on the refrigerator or wall — somewhere that’s easy for the kids to see. Then, highlight moving day using a sticker or by drawing a big star on the date. Then, use other stickers and/or symbols on dates before moving day that tell the kids when you’ll be sorting through household items, packing their bedrooms, dropping off items you’re donating, and any other tasks your kids can help with. This keeps them involved in the process so they feel confident about the move.

Make Plans to Explore Your New City After the Move

Research different attractions, landmarks, and activities that are available in or near your new home town and make a list of anything you or your other family members want to explore. Then, plan regular family fun days starting about a week after you’ve moved. Be sure to put all of your plans on your calendar and talk about them regularly to keep the kids excited.

You can even go a step further and make the entire move one big adventure. For example, if you’re driving to your new home, make plans to stop at different places along the way. It’ll be like a mini-vacation for the kids. You might even see if there are any hotels or resorts along the way with free kids’ clubs or activities.

Make Plans to Return Home For a Visit

One of the main reasons moving is scary to kids is because they often don’t realize they can come back home to visit friends and family members they’re leaving behind. Before you move, choose a weekend to return to your home town to visit family or friends. If your kids know they can still visit their loved ones and there’s already a plan in place to make it happen, the transition will be a lot less stressful for them.

Moving can be hard on kids, but it doesn’t have to be. As long as you keep them involved in every step of the process and find ways to ease their fears, your upcoming move can be a smooth one.