Easing the Transition with Your Children

Here at MovingWithKids.com, we encourage you to include your child in the purchase of your family's next home. Below you will find listed many tips to insure your child is an active participant in your family's home buying and moving process.

Buying Your Next Home With Your Kids

• Allow your kids to take an active role when searching for homes for sale
• Let them create a favorites search folder on the website to save listing they select
• Show them pictures and allow them to view listings on the web
• Bring them along for house hunting trips
• Go explore the new area with your child and find kid-friendly activities and attractions in their new location
• Encourage your child to pack their belongings in their room
• Allow your child to color their boxes so they are easily identified. This will create excitement when their belongings are unpacked as they will quickly recognize their things when they are unloaded
• Let the child pick out the paint for their new room
• Set the emotional tone for your move by remaining upbeat
• Explore with your child kid-friendly activities and attractions in the new area
• Treat moving like it is a mere fact of life
• Try to maintain your child’s regular routine up to the day of the move. Routines reduce stress and help eliminate uncertainty of a move
• Children don’t have a good sense of time. Use a chart/calendar to count down the days until the moving day
• Make sure your child has the opportunity to say their goodbyes. Keep these experiences upbeat as possible.
• Emphasize that moving to a new home will be an adventure
• If your child expresses sadness about their upcoming move, let them know you understand and that it is all right to be sad
• If your child does experience stress it is possible they may regress which could manifest itself with bed-wetting or other infantile actions. Should this occur, reassure your child; with time and nurturing, most children adjust smoothly to the transition to a new home.
• If your child participated in play groups or other social gatherings at their previous residence try to locate a similar group in your community, at your school or house of worship for continuity.
• Learn about the Moving with Kids Team
• Learn more about moving with kids from Dakno