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Whether your kids are young or old (or they span a wide age range) you’re bound to face some issues when it comes to uprooting them. Forcing them to move away from the family, friends, and home they’ve always known, taking them out of the schools and other locales they’re familiar with, and plopping them down in a foreign place where they don’t know their way around and they have no friends is bound to raise their ire. And you’ll have to help them deal with a slew of negative emotions, possibly including anger, frustration, depression, helplessness, sadness, and fear. They may experience some or all of these, but mostly they’ll probably be confused about how to feel. As a parent you face the unfortunate prospect of watching your kids suffer for your decisions. But you’re not without means of helping them through this difficult process. There are several steps you can take to make the move easier on your kids so they can more quickly adjust to their new surroundings.
The first thing you’ll probably want to do is prepare your kids for what’s to come, and this entails having a family meeting before you move to talk through the process. When children know what to expect they can temper their fears and anxieties. This will also give them a chance to discuss their feelings, vent their frustrations, and ask questions. It’s important that you give them this forum so that they can start to come to grips with the situation instead of feeling like you’ve blindsided them. In addition, this pre-planning phase will give them time to say goodbye to friends and take whatever steps are necessary to prepare themselves for the move.
What you should do next is give them back some power over their situation. You might not be able to avoid moving to a new neighborhood or even a new city, but you can let the kids participate in the process of selecting the new family home. Bring them along on your house-hunting expedition or simply show them your top picks to see which ones they like best. This will not only give them a first glimpse at their new neighborhood, but it could also help them to feel like they have some measure of control in a situation where they might otherwise feel helpless. Whether you’re looking at New York, Atlanta, or Philadelphia, this crucial step could really help to get them accustomed to the idea of moving.
Once you’ve completed your move and settled down in your new neighborhood it’s time to start exploring and making your family feel at home. You might begin by wandering around in search of recreation and entertainment options such as parks, hiking trails, public pools, museums, and local eateries. From there you should make an effort to meet your neighbors and figure out which ones have kids that your children will attend school with (or possibly play with during the summer if they’re currently out of school). Think about knocking on doors, shaking hands, and even hosting a barbecue as a meet-and-greet for everyone on your block. Once your kids start to settle in they’ll see it’s not so bad. And the sooner they make new friends and find some favorite hangouts, the sooner they’re going to adjust and things won’t look so bleak.
good tips!