Managing Children's Stress During Relocation

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Ease the Transition of Moving With Kids Whether you’re relocating across countries and continents, or only your current city limits, doing so with children automatically complicates the process. A move can be extremely stressful even if everyone’s excited about it. And, when they’re not, the experience can become an ordeal. While adults tend to stiff-upper-lip their stress, kids are more vulnerable and transparent. Here are suggestions for helping your family’s smallest members have a happy move. Share Your Adult Feelings Kids make great radar dishes. Many can sense adults’ feelings without knowing much about what’s happening, so make time to sit and talk with your kids about how you feel about moving. Honesty and a sense of humor will go a long way. It helps kids to know the adults also are …show more content…

Allow them to talk about their feelings, whether funny, scary or indifferent. Be prepared for negative emotions. Pouting and crying may surface, but also are an opportunity to communicate and connect — as long as timeout corners aren’t needed! Give Them A Sneak Peek of New Neighborhood If your new town is within driving distance, take a family trip and visit schools, grocery stores, dog parks, places of worship, daycare and shopping areas. Stop by your new home even if it’s under construction. Try to meet new neighbors. None of this is possible if you’re 1,000 miles away from your new town, but do it digitally. A good place to start is to ask your real estate agent to send photos. Let Them Personalize Moving Boxes Parental bonus points: Allow your kids to decorate the moving boxes filled with their belongings. Having individualized boxes, rather than a tower of bland cardboard labeled in black magic marker, allows kids to feel special. It also gives them a physical connection to their items during a hectic time. Help Them Say

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