People who have experienced household moving know that the bigger he family is, the harder your move is going to be. The good news is that each family member can become a helper at some point during the relocation process. Support and assistance can really mean a lot during such hard times. Once you decide to move house, it’s very important to communicate with your children about the upcoming move.
How they will take the news depends mostly on their age. Kids are usually very attached to the family home and what it represents. Be honest when talking about why moving to another home or even to another city is currently the best solution for everyone. Make sure you stress all positive aspects of the move and help them realize that moving to a new place will open new possibilities. Show how excited about the move you are and eventually you will manage to transfer a bit of your enthusiasm on them.
Help them prepare mentally for what’s next. Describe how your lives will look like once you get there, what will change so that they can imagine and look forward to it. Only by supporting each other this news will get accepted and then you can proceed with the preparation for a big day. Let them know that no matter where your home is, they can always count on their parents.
Tips for large family moves
– Regardless of your children’s age, let them help. They would love to be involved in so important family activities, so let them feel helpful. After all, you could certainly use an extra assistance during the relocation process. Furthermore, since they cannot have your full attention these days, the move will keep them occupied all the time.
– Take advantage of your family’s size when it comes to moving preparations. Start packing early and have your children take care of their clothes, toys and other accessories. They will know best what to keep and what to throw away.
– Take care of each member’s documents. Losing just one important piece of paper may cause total confusion and additional stress for whole family. Organize all paperwork before the move and keep all documents with you all the time during the moving day. Bare in mind that if you are moving to another country it will be a lot more complicated to get an original document.
– Usually daunting and stressful moving can become a family adventure if you stick together all along and try to have fun, although there are lots of tasks and stressful and challenging situations.
– Explore together your new neighborhood/city online so that they can anticipate and imagine their life after the move. They should know that you are together in this and you will overcome all difficulties that might appear.
– If you have started preparing for the move well in advance, there will be less pressure and stress. Have moving checklist on hand and act accordingly. After all day of hard work reward yourselves with a movie night or go out and grab a dinner.
– If you are moving with a large family to a house that needs repair works, make sure they are completed before the moving day. Your new home should be in move-in condition so that your family can smoothly continue with their usual activities and routine.
– Each family member has different needs, therefore adaptation period may vary. Some of them will adapt easily to the new place and socialize with the new neighbors, colleagues and school friends, while others might feel homesick and depressed. Not pushing and being there for each other is a crucial factor in an adjustment period.
