Moving house is one of the stressful things you can do in your life. According to a survey by Index Digital, around half of Brits say it’s the most strssful day of their lives. Moving house with children can be even more stressful, not just for you but for the kids too.
As professional movers, we’ve used our knowledge and expertise to put together this guide to help combat those stress levels.
You can find tips and advice to ensure your children have a happy, stress-free move. Let’s start unpacking things.
1. Help Them Understand You're Moving House
Depending on how old your children are, a very useful starting point is to try and help them understand what’s going to happen.
Youngsters may grow scared, fearful or worried about the prospect of leaving their first home. It’s their comfort zone and the environment that they’ve grown used to. To remove them from that without any explanation would be jarring and may have a stressful effect on them. In fact, scientific studies have shown that frequent moves during childhood could lead to increased stress and anxiety.
To help your children understand, you could try reading books about moving house which uses easy-to-understand analogies if your child is a little younger.
Older children would benefit from a proper discussion where they can voice their concerns and ask questions. It will be stressful for them too—they may be leaving behind friends and social networks they’ve built. But providing reassurance and highlighting the positive aspects of the move, such as making new friends or exploring a new neighbourhood, can help.
2. Get Them Involved In The Move
One way to help tackle your children’s stresses, worries or concerns is to get them involved in the move as much as possible. This can help them feel in control of the situation and help to build a positive sense of anticipation.
One way you can involve your children is to allow them to pack their belongings. Although time might be tight, it’s important not to overly rush them or put pressure on them.
You could also allow them to choose their new room, and ask them to think about decoration ideas.
Helping your children engage with the moving process will overall make them feel more valued, which can have a benefit int he long run. According to a study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), giving children a role in major family changes fosters resilience and adaptability
3. Move During School Holidays
With so much to do on moving day, having to worry about doing the school run is an added stress you don’t need.
Many people with children choose to move home during school holidays. This way you have lots of time to get the move done, get everything unpacked, and to allow your children to settle into their new environment.
It also minimises any disruption to their schooling and education.
Here’s a handy resource from the UK government which provides a breakdown of school holidays for the current academic year based on your postcode.
4. Arrange For Childcare On Move Day
If you have young children, it may be easier to arrange for childcare for a few hours while you get the bulk of the move done.
Moving is stressful and physically taxing. You may have to move furniture and appliances, bulky items like beds and mattresses, and get couches out of narrow doors and around awkward angles.
There’s a good chance a few curse words will be said. Moods may sour as you tire. Avoiding the chance to expose your children to these feelings can be very helpful to them. They feed off our moods, and if we’re stressed, they’ll grow stressed too.
It can also be a lot safer for them to be looked after by someone else. With heavy items being moved, there’s a chance they may get hurt.
5. Try To Make The Process Fun And Enjoyable
Framing the house move in a different way can help make it feel like a different experience to your youngsters.
For example, if you describe the house move as an adventure, a chance to explore a new place, you can help build curiosity and enthusiasm.
You could even factor in games, like scavenger hunts in your new home to help your children settle in. Seeing the move as a chance to bond as a family can help transform the experience.
6. Pack Kids Toys Last
A wise step to take is to pack your children’s toys last of all.
In the build up to move day, you don’t want them to be bored or uncomfortable without some form of entertainment.
To help minmise disruption to the move, you could pack most toys away and keep out their favourites, or save the packing of children’s toys to the night before move day.
You could also keep some small toys out during the move as a way of helping them maintain some continuity and familiarity.
7. Try To Maintain Routines
If your child is feeling stressed, worried or anxious about moving house, trying to maintain their regular routines can really help.
For example, keeping to regular meal times, bedtime routines and other habits, like sports clubs, can help minimise stress and disruption in their life.
Again, studies have shown that maintaining solid routines are beneficial to youngsters in helping them reduce stress levels, especially during transitional periods.
We Can Help Make Your House Move Easier
If you’re looking for help with a house move, you’re in the right place. Here at Man With A Van Liverpool, our house removal service is designed to make move day the least stressful day of your life.
With the help of our professional movers, we can safely and securely transfer all your items to your new property, allowing you to look after and prioritise your children.
We offer free quotes on all home removal jobs, so if you’d like to speak with us today, just click below.
