6 Top Tips for Moving Home with Children

Moving home is one of the most traumatic times for adults – but can be equally difficult for children. As letting agents providing quality flats and houses to rent in Kettering, at Ashan we take an interest in everything involved with settling into a new home.

Here we have put together a list of tips to help make things easier when you move into a new house or flat with youngsters, ensuring they get settled quickly.

Tell the Children You Are Moving – Although it may seem a good idea to keep the news from your children that you are planning a house move; it is better to get them involved sooner rather than later. Change can be hard for everyone, but if they know all about it they will have longer to get used to the idea. Feeling included and involved in the moving process and decisions will make moving a family affair where everyone has a part to play.

Take the Children to Viewings – This may seem like a bad idea but if the children are a little older, it will help them to feel more in control of the changes that are occurring around them. You might want to allow the children some minor decisions, over issues such as the colour of their room, where the sofa will go, what type of curtains they like. This will give them confidence and help to get them onside around the whole idea of moving to a new home.

Let Kids Have Their Own Boxes – We all know packing up your home can be a chore, especially if it is a quick move. Allowing the children to have a box or two for their own items can help. If you get them to decorate cartons with coloured pens and stickers, this will personalise them and help you to know whose possessions go where when you get to your new home. You could also ask the removal men to put the children’s boxes in the van last so when you arrive at your destination you can get their stuff out first. Unpacking their bits and pieces will give the children something to do, while the remainder of your household items are moved into the new place.

Visit the New Area Before You Move – In all the drama of moving, time is rarely in abundance, but if you can spare an hour or two exploring your new location then this will help the children to adjust to their new surroundings. If your move is too far from your current location, then use the internet to show them your new home on a map. Try making it fun for the children to find places of interest. Perhaps look for a playground in your new area, showing that moving home does not mean losing playtimes or having nowhere to go. Get the children to draw a map of the new area, helping you and the children to find shops, parks and other places of interest.

Say Goodbye to the Old House –  There are plenty of ways to say goodbye to your old house. Keep a scrapbook of all the photographs taken there.  Find scraps of old wallpaper used and create a collage of memories to hang on the wall of your new home. You could organise a party for friends, family and neighbours to say goodbye and take lots of photos of them at the party to enjoy later in your new home. These can be printed and put into a special frame named Home Sweet Home. You could even fill a time capsule with items taken from your old home and bury it at the bottom of the garden for the next family to find. Perhaps the children can leave some of their outgrown items behind for the “new children” who need their old home.

Settling into Your New Home – Once you are in your new home don’t be too surprised if the children become clingier and need a bit more reassurance that everything will be fine. This is perfectly normal, as the children take time to adjust to their new surroundings. If you can try and get the children’s rooms sorted out first, providing familiar toys and bedroom furniture that they are used to, this will help them to settle in more easily. Maintaining normal meal and bedtime routines also means there is as little change to the child’s world as possible. Depending on the age of your children, finding groups to join is a good way to make new friends. If you have small children, then a parent and toddler group will help you and the child adjust. If the children are older, joining Brownies or Scouts, or other clubs in the vicinity will help them to find and make new friendships early on, helping them to settle in as quickly as possible.

Ashan Property knows it can be stressful for everyone moving home, but with a large number of family houses to rent in Kettering and the nearby area, we can help you to find your ideal property and soon start enjoying your new home. Click here to find out more.