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 [Read more…]