A long distance move causes enough strain as it is, but we at Atlanta Peach Movers understand how much harder bringing a child along can be. Having decades in the moving business has allowed us to gather some helpful tips and tricks to preparing your child for a long distance move.
Show them your excitement
A very important part of preparing your child for a long distance move is sharing your excitement with them. If they see that you are looking forward to it, they may start to feel the same way. Let them be apart of the process, as well. The more they know about the move and the new area, the less unsettled they will feel. Show them photos of nearby public attractions for them to look forward to. Parks, playgrounds, toy stores and more are all good ideas to get your child excited for their new town. You can also do a virtual tour of the new home and get started on design ideas for their new bedroom. This is an excellent way to make them feel more involved and gives them something new to get excited about!
Listen to them
Listening to your children is a huge part of making them feel comfortable with a long distance move. It is very normal for kids to feel uneasy, as there is a lot of uncertainty in moving. Listen and validate their feelings as they come, and try to ease any of the stress that you can. Perhaps showing them their new school before you move will help them feel more comfortable on the first day. A lot of the times kids are sad to leave their friends, so reassuring them that they can keep in contact with the friends they may be moving away from is always a helpful thing for them to hear.
Full disclosure
Being completely honest and open with your child about the move is a way to lower their feelings of uncertainty. This is important in making them feel more comfortable with the move. If they know more about what is happening during the moving process, it makes it easier for them to have time to adjust to the idea of living somewhere else.
Move in a few days before school starts
This is one of the most important tips when preparing your child for a long distance move. Long distances relocations are already stressful enough for the kid. They just left all of their friends and familiarity behind, so there is no rush on jumping immediately into a new environment. Arriving a few days before school starts gives your child a chance to adjust to their new home and town. If they have those few days to settle in first they may feel more ready to join a new school environment and meet some new friends.
