Ways To Help Your Kids Adjust To A New City

 

Moving to a new city can be rather overwhelming, even if it is exactly what you have always dreamt of doing. Can you imagine how your children feel about it? Some will be open about hating the transition, while some will suffer inside. However, that is not the reason to stay in one place for the rest of your life. You should follow your dreams and relocate anywhere you want to, but bear in mind that you will have to help your kids adjust to a new city. But how to make that happen?

Don't Hide Anything From Them

This is rule number one - don't hide from your kids that you are planning to relocate. If they hear it from somebody else, it will hurt their feelings even more, and you might lose their trust. Even at an early age, children can sense that something is going on when things are changing around the house. Pre-schoolers and school-age kids will probably find it difficult to say goodbye to their friends, while the younger ones tend to get attached to their rooms. If this is the first time they are changing homes, the experience can be quite traumatizing.

For all those reasons, it is crucial that you talk to your kids and address every little concern they might have. The more they know, the easier it will be for them to adjust. They usually fear the unfamiliar, but once you make everything known, they will find the transition easier.

Organize A Field Trip To Your Future Home Town

If you are moving to a place that is less than several hours away, organizing a field trip can be a great idea. Pack some travel essentials and get ready for the road. Your kids will be able to see their future family home and the neighborhood. Of course, they will be most nervous to see their rooms, so let them do so if possible. Take your time to look around and point out all the positive aspects of this particular change. More sports facilities? Bigger parks? Modern cinemas? A zoo, maybe? Nobody knows your kid better than you do, so you will probably know which benefits to point out.

Let Them Make Some Decisions

Children like their opinion being taken seriously. So, this is the perfect time for you to encourage their creativity and let them decide how their new living space will look. Of course, those should be some small things that matter to them and do not require your plans to change.

For instance, you can let them decide about the layout of their room or wall decor. Kids just love being asked about that. You can even make a blank map of their new room and encourage them to draw the arrangement they would like.

Is there a particular cartoon character they would like for the theme of their room? If so, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce it to your future home.

Are there some pieces of furniture that your kids have coveted? A new car-shaped bed can make any room appear more inviting. Or, if you haven't planned to make such investments, you can at least get some new decorating items. A pack of wall stickers of their choice can be enough to make a room their new favorite place.

Include Them in The Preparation Process

Just like we think it is important to let the kids know about your decisions to move in a timely manner, we also believe that getting them involved in the packing process can be rather helpful in coping with the transition. They like imitating adults, so participating in packing and sorting will make your kids feel more mature. Here are some ideas you can try:

●        If your kids are old enough to make this sort of decision, ask them to separate the toys they do not need anymore. The younger ones will probably get attached to every single one of them, so maybe it's better you do this without them. Get rid of everything broken or damaged. Make a donation pile and separate the toys that would be sold on a yard sale.

●        Some kids will be excited about giving their old clothes away. Let them decide who among the younger relatives would get their outgrown clothes. This is an activity usually enjoyed by girls, so that can be a great idea to keep them entertained.

●        For most kids, decorating the moving boxes is usually the best part of the moving process. Let them express their creativity by painting the boxes any way they want to. You can make this a positive experience for your children by making costumes from the boxes once you get to your new place. The little ones love playing with robots and dinosaurs made like this. If you present the situation to them as a game, that is exactly how they will accept it. 

●        Older kids can keep themselves busy by planning a yard sale. Let them invite their friends and neighbors and make sure they have enough lemonade and snacks for this occasion.

Share Their Hopes and Fears

Kids are usually worried about leaving their friends and not being able to make new ones. Changing schools is also a stressful situation for them. You might be wondering how you can help ease the anxiety. Again, start talking to them about their hopes and fears as soon as possible. Some of them might seem trivial to you, but for them, they represent a lot.

Even though friends are irreplaceable, let your kids know that they will make some new ones, while they can still be in contact with their old pals. Your relocation doesn't have to mean the end of the friendship, especially nowadays when there are so many social networks available. E-mailing, video calls, and texting can be fun too. If your new home is not so far away from the old neighborhood, arrange for your kid to visit their old friends from time to time or, even better, invite them to be your guests.

Get Informed About Your New Home Town

Before moving to the new place, research the sports clubs your kids might join if that is something they are into at the moment. Is there a swimming pool or a hockey rink in the city? Maybe the kids would like to try out some new activities they didn't get the chance to in their previous hometown.

The choice of school or kindergarten facility is even more important than that, especially if your kid is joining mid-term. Teachers will play an important part in your kid's adaptation. Don't hesitate to get in contact with them even before your child joins. The teacher should be aware of your child's character traits, ambitions, and many more particularities. Letting them know the reasons for your relocation might be helpful too. A good teacher will know how to approach your kid and introduce him/her to the new class.

Focus on Your Child's Interests

Does your kid enjoy going to the cinema or theatre? Get tickets and find some time to take them to their new favorite place. Research some fun facts about the city and its people and share them with your kid. The more they know about the place, the greater the chances they will love it.

Don't Introduce All Changes At Once

If you want to help your kids adjust to a new city, try to be steady and change only what really needs to be changed in their lives. Routine means security for them, especially at a young age. When they are coming back home from a new school, they will take comfort in the fact that, at home, everything will be the same.

Movie nights and special days when there is pizza on the menu mean more than we can imagine. Those little family rituals should be moved from your old home to the new one too!

Is It Time For A Pet?

Even though we do not encourage too many changes in your kid's life at the moment, there are some that can only make things better. Getting a pet they have always wanted is certainly one of them (if having a pet in your new home is viable, and you have enough time to take care of it). Their new furry or feathery friend will surely help them adjust to the new circumstances more easily.

A Little Bribe Can Do No Wrong

Adjusting to a new city can be really hard on kids of all ages. The younger ones might react by regressing, while school-aged kids and teenagers tend to withdraw when they do not like their new surroundings. A responsible parent will do all that he/she can in order to prevent that. Sometimes, that means spoiling your kids with gifts. There is nothing wrong with buying toys or clothes and giving some extra attention to your little ones, as long as they don't start taking it for granted.

Those were just some of the ways to help your kids adjust to a new city. We hope you find some that work for you and your family. Good luck with your relocation!