The choice is made. You’ve accepted the promotion, whittled down your options, and will be moving soon. That leaves planning and telling the kids. Moving, whether out of town or just down the street, is usually unwelcome for kids and teens. They rarely enjoy this kind of change. Fortunately, there are several actions you may take to ease the transition. How you feel about moving and how much you want your kids to be involved will affect their feelings. Follow these 10 ideas to make the relocation less stressful.

Invite the family. Order a pizza and have a casual supper with lots of discussions. If you’re moving for work advancement, tell your kids you’re excited. Explain your decision and how it will affect your family. Comment on the move. Encourage them to communicate their emotions. Departing their family home might be challenging for first-time movers. Tell them about your initial move. Let them know you’ll need their aid with everything from packing to unpacking.

Get Kids’ Opinions On The New House

If feasible, engage your children, especially older ones, in the new home selection process. Ask the youngsters for input once you’ve limited the selections down to two or three. Bring them to see the properties if you’re moving within driving distance. A video tour online is a great way to show them your new location and show them the homes you’ll be moving into. Ask them to name three favorite features of each home. Let them understand you’ll consider their input while making a decision. Once you’ve chosen a home, keep them updated. Celebrate once you’ve bought the house.

Pre-Packing Cleanse

Let the children know that it’s time to clear the mess. All through the house, there will be items that do not have to be moved. Ask the kids to help you walk through the house room by room, deciding what to keep and what to discard. Let them know that you would not want to throw everything. It’s fine to keep mementos. However, unused stuff (clothing, toys, electronics) should be carefully selected for the trash pile. Or sell them instead of throwing them away.

Hold A Moving Sale

Organize a moving sale with your kids once you’ve decided what to take and what to toss. They can assist you sort, arranging, inventory, price, and tagging everything. Let them know the sale earnings will go towards a family project. You can even hold a family gathering and vote on it. The big flat-screen TV for the new place, or a chocolate lab puppy? The more committed the kids are to the objective, the more willing they are to help organize the sale.

Research The New Spot

Make an effort to learn as much as you can about your new town. Find out what your kids think. Truthful, accurate data will be most useful in the long term. Expectations might be raised too high, leading to disappointment. Encourage your children to research. They can look up school and community websites with your help. You might also find some local publications and a weekend newspaper. You can learn about local organizations, sports, and other civic and social activities.

Room Planning

Make room ideas to get your kids enthusiastic about the move. You are not limited to their rooms. Let them help you decorate other rooms if they want. Examine paint swatches at the hardware shop. If your kids want to buy new furniture, take them along. Set a budget and allow your teen to choose their own colors, linens, rugs, and furniture. Encourage them to shop thrift and consignment. You may help younger kids create a budget and budget their ideas. After that, you can have a “grand reveal” with family or friends, just like on TV.

Visit The Destination

Bring the children to see the new place if you can. If you’re just relocating across town, plan on spending the day touring the new area. Then you can go to the library and the kids’ school. If you’re going far enough, you might be able to beat the moving services by a few days and stay in a local motel. Visit the local clubs, community theatre, and music school, as well as the kid’s school and library. You can also take your kids to your workplace.

These are just a few of the ways you can help your children to adapt quickly to moving. Do you have other tips that should be included? Why not add them to the comments below.