Supporting Transitions - Moving home

Is your first family house move on the horizon?

Moving can be a stressful time for the whole family, with lots of things to juggle.

Some children will take the move in their stride and others may find change a bit more worrying.

Here are our top tips for a smoother house move:

Online viewings

You may not want to take your child around lots of homes, but you can look at favourite homes online. Seeing pictures helps them understand that every home is different.

Pre-move visits

If possible, arrange a viewing of your new home before you move in. Take your child with you and show them their new bedroom.

Take your child to view the exterior of their new home as much as possible. This could be challenging, especially if you are relocating out of the area. Taking a picture of the exterior of your new home can be useful if you are unable to see it again so that you can talk to your child about it and keep the memory of it fresh. You could even print out the house details from your estate agent and allow them to look at it whenever it suits them. You might even use this picture in their play by asking them if they can build their new house of blocks, whilst looking at the picture.

During visits, walk or drive to the house a few times to familiarise your child with the location. Talk to them and use simple language such as “We’re going to live in this house soon, I really like the red door.”

Visit local places of interest, such as their nursery, a park, or shops.

A child in control

Involve your child in their new bedroom. If you redecorate and furnish it with new items, keep some from their old room; having familiar items can help them to settle more quickly and talk to them about what will stay the same for them.

Countdown

Some children like to know when things are happening. You could mark down the move date on a calendar or create a simple countdown using a chalkboard. When you are getting closer to the date, talk about this with your child.

Old house / new house

Photos can be a great comfort to children and seeing their old room lets them know that it is still there. So before you begin to pack up their things, take some photos of their room, you will both enjoy looking at these in the future. Children like to talk about their lives and seeing their old room might help them to settle.

Read stories

Sharing books about house changes with younger children can help them better understand the process. We like moving house by Sam Taplin and Topsy and Tim move house by Jean and Gareth Adamson.

Packing

Try to pack your child’s things last and unpack first. Your child might feel like a big helper if they are asked to help pack and move some of the boxes. Creating a special moving box with your child may be appropriate. You could decorate it and let them choose special things to keep safe in the box, leaving it in their room in the weeks prior to the move and allowing them to unpack it when they arrive.

Acknowledge feelings

Children may experience a variety of emotions. If your child is upset, don’t ignore it. Try to find out how they are feeling and comfort them and talk to them about how you feel about moving, whilst keeping it upbeat and reassuring. For example, “ it’s ok to feel sad about leaving our old house, mummy will miss this house as well. But I am very excited about our new house and all the fun we are going to have there.

The day of the move

Talk to your child about what will happen on the day of the move and describe how the movers will pack everything into boxes, and then transport them to the new home in a large truck. You will know your child best and you might decide that it is best for them to be out for the day or that they are involved in all aspects of the move. Either way, talking to your child about what will happen, will help them to understand and plan for something for them to look forward to in the new house, such as having their dinner on the floor, on boxes.

Routine

Try to maintain your child’s routines as much as possible so that they feel less worried about the change.

You

Moving is not only a difficult transition for your child but will also be for you! Be kind to yourself and take time for yourself where you can. Ask for help from those near to you and recognise that this is a difficult transition, especially with children. But it will be so worth it!