Preparing kids for the move

You can’t make your pending move completely stress free, but you can help your children become more comfortable with the situation by applying the following suggestions:

 

• Gather information about the city and local attractions, and then sit down with your kids and share the information and pictures you found.
• Create a fun project in which your kids make a map of the neighborhood or draw pictures of the new house.
• Encourage your children to talk about their feelings. Talking things through may help your kids understand their fears and work through them.
• When possible, take your child to see the new city, neighborhood and house.
• Visit your children’s future school. Schedule time to meet the principal and some of your children’s teachers and future classmates in advance.
• Involve your children in planning a moving party. Then help them compile the contact information of friends and family they will be leaving.
• If you have older kids, give them a scrapbook and let them fill it with mementos from their friends and school.
• Pack some of your children’s essentials for the trip: toiletry items, snacks, games, pillows, stuffed animals, photos and special comfort items.
• Request that your children’s school records be sent to their new school(s).
• Obtain medical and dental records for your children.