Moving the whole family with interstate movers Florida can be a real adventure and quite a challenge! When it comes to adapting to a new city or school, it is our job as parents to support our children in the transition and point out the wonderful opportunities that it entails. So let’s put the boxes aside and see what you can do to help your kids adapt after an interstate move.
Here is how you can help your kids adapt after an interstate move
1. Discuss it
The more you involve your children in the move, the more comfortable and confident they will feel. Explain as much as possible about the decision to move, the new neighborhood, and the new school. Encourage your children to ask questions and express their feelings about the move. Tell them how willing you are to support them and help them find balance in every way you can. Are they afraid of losing their existing friendships or not finding new ones? Are they nervous about favorite activities that might not be available at their new school? Or are they afraid they won’t find the bathroom when they need it? Encourage your children to express their feelings, respond with empathy, and then see what you can do to ease certain fears and concerns.
2. Take a tour
Plan scouting work with your child before moving. Drive around the new area, paying attention to all important landmarks, parks, or buildings. Keep an eye out for attractions that could be special to your child — a good pizza place, toy store, skate park or pet store in a new neighborhood will make them feel right at home. If your child is younger and adventurous, you can take it up a notch by setting the ride up as a secret spy mission or an imaginary detective’s game. But even a simple walk or ride through your child’s new habitat can help ease his feelings of uncertainty or nervousness.
3. Visit the school
Ask your child’s new school administrators to visit before day one. Be sure to visit all the places in the school where your child will spend time – classroom, cafeteria, gym, auditorium, and so on. Don’t forget to include the nearest bathrooms! These simple things can help reduce anxiety and reassure your child that they can confidently navigate this new environment.
4. Do your homework
Try to find interesting or fun facts to help your kids connect to the new school. Have any famous people ever attended it? Has it ever been on the news? Do they have a famous or even infamous sports team or drama troupe? Small pieces of information of this kind can help your kids adapt after an interstate move.
5. Communicate
Do it as if your life depends on it. Remember: you are a role model for your child, so set an example and invite new neighbors to a casual meeting as soon as you can, right after you move. This way, you will help your children meet new friends and show them a positive and active attitude towards change. You can also join your local community center or religious group to meet new people and set a friendly and outgoing example for your children.
6. Keep it steady
Routine is the key to maintaining order and balance. While your child may be overwhelmed by new experiences in the outside world, following a predictable routine at home will provide the safety he needs. And while the best movers in Florida are unpacking your belongings, you can work on maintaining the same routine.
7. For young children:
Try to delay packing toys and bedroom furniture for as long as possible to maintain a sense of stability. If possible, visit your new home with your child once or twice before moving in, and bring some of his toys on each visit. Thus, they can gradually say goodbye to their current home and get used to the new one. Also, include them in the unpacking process and let them decide what their bedroom will look like.
8. For older children:
Think about how your older children or teens can keep in touch with their friends. Can they visit, and if so, how often? If a visit is not possible, look for online solutions. In this era of social media, there are countless ways to develop online relationships.
9. Honor grief
Children can express their regret for saying goodbye to everything they knew. In fact, this is great and makes it easier for them to adapt to a new location. Here is how you can help them:
- Be sure to visit their friends to take pictures, exchange addresses, and say goodbye.
- Go to your favorite places in your city to say goodbye. Add pictures to your Move book along with your child’s words of what they love: “I love this playground because it has the best swing”.
- Write goodbye and thank you letters.
- Walk around the table at dinner and share what you love, what you are missing in your current life, and what you are looking forward to in your new life.
- Once you empty the house, walk through it together, saying goodbye to each room.
10. Help your child stay connected
When we move, it’s hard to stay connected. Our attention shifts. And it hurts. Children cannot do this on their own, but it makes their transition easier, so you should help them. Set up Skype calls. If the kids don’t know what to say to each other, let them play simple online games with each other, such as checkers, that will help them continue to communicate and interact. Send photos and write letters, talk about their friends. Over time, as they connect with new people, you will find that they do not pay as much attention to their old friends, but they will do better if it is a gradual process and they can control the pace.
11. Give it time
Teachers estimate that most children take about 6 weeks to get comfortable. Some children find it easier to adjust, while others may take longer. Like adults, all children have their own individual way of experiencing and responding to change. Be patient in this process and encourage your children to express their feelings by reassuring them that you are there for them every step of the way.
Moving with kids is often overwhelming – emotionally and physically – for everyone in the family. And asking children to leave behind the only life they know means a lot for them. But children get well quickly and lay new roots in the new community. You need to help your kids adapt after an interstate move. After about a year, they will move on emotionally. We can help them by honoring their loss, and at the same time, we maintain a vision of the wonderful new life that awaits them.
