How to Help Your Kids Adjust while Shifting Homes?

 

Your most precious possessions are your children and making them comfortable during shifting is of prime importance. It's for sure that children will be a bit upset about going to a new place, as they have to leave their old friends, old school, and many other things. Parents must take care of their children's every need and here too, the children need their parents' support to handle this situation and you need to bear this in mind.

You should start this process a few days in advance, as suddenly if you break the news, it's going to play havoc in the children's minds. Shifting may be inevitable for you, but it's difficult for the child. You should be able to understand what the child is going through, as this entire process is taking a toll on you already, so you can imagine the condition of the children. This situation must be handled with utmost patience and gentleness.

Here are tips to prepare your children for the move:

Be gentle while announcing the shift – Be prepared to face your children's wrath or sorrow, when you announce regarding the move, for the very first time. Handle any of these or both, with patience. Make them understand that it was not possible to take them into this decision, as it's not that you also want to do it purposely. You'll also miss many people like the kid, but since it's something required for the entire family's future, you need to do it. Shouldn't they also contribute towards their Dad's success and to achieve something, many times, you have to give up certain precious things. You can promise your children though, that you'll be visiting your neighbours, once a year or something like that, which will cheer them up.  

Give yourself enough rest during the hustle-bustle – Give yourself enough sleep, in spite of the hectic schedule, of clearing up everything, like paying off all the bills, selling off unwanted things etc. As if you are under stress, you'll just blast at the kids and then things may really get ugly and out of hand. So, handle this part well, plan in advance and take it slowly with your kids. Sometimes there may be reactions like I'm not coming, you'll go etc., you should not get angry at such statements, instead make him/her understand, that he's only a kid and how can you leave him alone and go?

Take a tour of the new place with your kids – If visiting the new place before-hand is possible, then it's good to do it. It'll help them to get familiarized with the new place.

• Show the new school to your kids, at least from the outside, even if you don't enter it and give a listening ear to the comments he or she got to say. Accept the criticisms too patiently; don't get edgy with them.  
• Take them to the playground close to your new home.
• Visit the local library close to the new home.
• Get him/her familiarized with the neighbour's kids, if possible.

All these activities will enable your children to understand that it's not going to be as bad as they expected.

Allow your child to express his/her grief – This will help the child to accept the move, as he/she will realize that he's no more going to see these familiar places again.

• Don't get irritated when your child wants to express his or her grief to you, like Oh! How I like my Maths teacher, I doubt whether the teacher at the new school will be as good as this one. At this moment, try to be patient and tell him that maybe she might be better and don't get irritated if the kid answers in the negative.
• Walk together as a family around the whole house, after the house is empty.

Ask children for their opinion on the new home – In the sense, taking the child's opinion with regards to shifting was not possible, but taking his/her opinion in small matters, as to what colour should his room be in the new home, etc. can be taken from him.  See how important and proud it makes him/her feel when you ask such questions to them.

Saying proper good-byes to all your acquaintance is quite important – Take your kids to their friends' homes for a formal good-bye and make them give a token of remembrance to their friends, be it hand-made or something bought of your child's liking. This would be a nice gesture, which will bring happiness to your own child as well as his/her friend. 

Make them realize that you understand that shifting is a very tedious process. To make sure you don't compromise with the time you'll spend together, hire the best relocation company in Delhi, and entrust your relocation task to them. Once they take complete responsibility of your tasks right from packing to loading to transport and unloading your stuff at your new destination, you can make sure to spend your time with your kids and keep them entertained. Guide the moving company experts to unload the kid's items first and set up their room as soon as you reach your new place.