Tips for Moving with Children

February 1, 2018

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Donovan Mitchell Group

Moving with Children  Donovan Mitchell Group

   *This blog post was inspired by recently watching the new Disney Pixar movie “Inside Out” (A story about the emotions a little girl feels during a move to a new home) with my own kids.

 

Moving with children can be quite an ordeal. Children thrive on familiarity and routine, and uprooting their lives can leave them reeling. If you promote the positives and downplay the negatives, you can help your kiddo’s chances of adapting to the change. Here are some suggestions on how to ease the transition and possibly excite them about their new home.

:: Maintain Positive Attitudes: Start talking about moving day way in advance and illustrate the positives. Tell them how you feel about the move. Encourage them to express their feelings and concerns. If this is their first time moving, it could be particularly difficult because they are leaving their childhood home. Share with them your first-move experience. Let them know you will be depending on them to help out during the move, from packing to settling in to the new place.Talk about some of the better things the new house, neighborhood and school has to offer.

:: Make it an Adventure: Research the new neighborhood. For distant moves, the new city or state.  Find kid-friendly activities to get them excited. Be tourists in your new neighborhood. Make a family wish list for the new home– let them plan their new bedrooms and play spaces. These tips for moving should keep the kids excited and stop them from thinking too much about what they are leaving behind.

:: Take It Easy:  If possible, involve your children, in the selection process of the new home. Once you’ve narrowed the choices down to two or three houses, get some feedback from the kids. Ask them to share their favorite things about each house. Let them know you will take their comments into consideration when making the final decision. Spread the move out over a couple of days, if possible (even if you could get it done in one). Get family members to help, as familiar faces can make things smoother. In order to keep the children engaged in the move, give them simple jobs.

:: Smooth Transitions: Now is a great time to purge and cut clutter. Get the kids to help you go through the house, to identify what should go with you and what you could get rid of. Let them know that you do not want to toss everything. It’s OK to keep certain things that hold important memories, the familiarity might make the transition smoother.

:: Build New Connections: Make it a priority to begin building a new life in your new home. If your child obsesses over the old house or neighborhood, talk through it with them. Let them keep in touch with old friends, encourage phone calls and letters. Let them know they do not need to break the ties between them just because they have moved away, but gently encourage new friendships.

We hope you find these “Moving with Children” tips beneficial. We love helping homeowners sell their homes quickly and for top dollar and would be honored to be one of the REALTORS you interview to market and sell your home. Feel free to call anytime with questions or if you would like a complimentary home valuation.

Donovan Mitchell :: DM Real Estate Group :: 215-688-3863

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