How to help your kids adapt after a cross country move

When you’re moving house with your family, it will affect each family member in a different way. You may feel really excited about the process, while your partner can be a little more stressed out. Also, when you are moving with kids, they won’t necessarily be very happy about the relocation, either. It all depends on their personalities – and on how to approach this subject with them. While adults can remove some of the moving stress by proper planning and hiring good Florida movers to give them a hand, kids don’t really have that. You will need to help your kids adapt after a cross country move and be there to support them along the way. If you’re not sure how to do this, we’re here to help!

family making breakfast in the kitchen — Moving will affect all family members in a unique way. Sticking together through it all is the way to approach this relocation!

Easy ways to help your kids adapt after a cross country move

First things first, there are things you can do before you even start moving that will help your children come to terms with the changes. If you have school-age kids, you should let them know that you will be moving at least a few months in advance. That way, they’ll have plenty of time to think about it and seek your support. These kids can feel a lot of emotions about the upcoming relocation. While they might be very happy and excited, they can also be really sad. After all, they will be leaving their friends and teachers behind and moving to a completely new, unknown area. A long-distance relocation is much harder on them than a local relocation. When moving locally, they don’t have to necessarily change schools and they can see their friends so much more often.

In case they are sad and upset about the move, there are a few things you can do to comfort them. First things first, let them know about all the positive sides of your relocation. Show them their new school, the new home and the town you are moving to. In case there are some attractions they will be happy about, make sure they know about them! For example, all Orlando long distance movers will definitely include “living close to Disney World” as a plus of moving to Orlando. There isn’t a kid that will stay mopey after learning they will be moving close to the happiest place in the world.

mother talking to a child — Talking to your kids about all the aspects of your move will make them feel included and reassure them that it is a good step for the family.

Help them say goodbye

Another way to help your kids adapt after a cross country move is to help them close this chapter before beginning a new one. Kids still don’t know much about saying goodbye and keeping in touch. It might make them feel better if you throw a goodbye party in your old house and let them invite all of their friends to play one last time. Involving them in the planning of this party and letting them decorate and bake treats is a good stress-relief and will definitely make them happy. Create fun invitations, cook their favorite food, and maybe even rent a bounce house – all in the name of great fun!

Staying in touch with old friends has never been easier. In case your kids are younger and don’t have a phone yet, get in touch with their friends’ parents and note their numbers. You can still call them from time to time and even send old-school letters to keep in touch. Even though you are moving across the country, you can visit each other sometimes and remain good friends. It’s important that your kids know you will have their back and do everything you can to help them keep their friendship alive.

kids jumping in a bounce house — Throwing a kids goodbye party is the best way to say goodbye to their friends! Let them organize it however they way and have some fun before you move.

What can you do after the move?

Moving across the country with newborns and toddlers is much easier. They won’t have that emotional connection to your old home like older kids will. However, they will still know that something has changed. Sticking to their routine and daily rhythm will help keep them calm and unaffected by the entire moving process. Even after you move, don’t change much in their routine and you’ll be good to go.

With older children, it’s a bit different. Once the moving day arrives and you’re finally leaving, it can be very hard on them. To help them adapt after a long-distance relocation, you can do a few other things. For instance, let them decorate their new rooms first – you can do your own at a later time. This process might keep them occupied enough so they don’t feel as sad about the changes. Visit the new school together before they begin classes and introduce them to the teachers and the staff. Knowing who they are will make their first day at a new school so much easier. Encourage them to participate in extracurriculars in school, as this will be a great way to make new friends and meet a lot of people.

In the end, it’s not that hard to help your kids adapt after a cross country move

All in all, the most important thing is to remember that you need to be their main support. They’ll come to you with questions, concerns, or ideas and it is your job to listen to them. Once your kids know that you are there for them at all times, they’ll have a much easier time adapting to the changes. Much like you can contact us and let us help you in this process, the kids can turn to you for support and be reassured that this move is in everyone’s best interests!