Moving means that you are starting a new chapter in your life, whether you’re just moving down the street or moving to a completely new state. It can be exciting, yet with change there is always the unknown of what is to come. For kids, it can be a challenging time especially if they are leaving the only home they have ever known. Getting your kids involved with the moving process is the best way to make the transition as smooth as possible. Moving with kids of any age can become both stressful and overwhelming. Having your kids involved from start to finish will not only make it exciting for them, but make them feel like they were a big help for you. Here are some fun ways to get the kids involved with your move!

Take them house hunting: Having your children tag along when house hunting will not only build excitement about the moving process, but offer some insight about what aspects about a home that you all value. Running through empty houses, playing in the backyards, and pretending which bedroom they want also enhances the experience. Especially if they have a visual of the home they will be moving into, your children will feel that their presence and opinions matter.

Family Opening Moving Boxes and Smiling

Let them pick out/design their rooms: Some children are fine and even excited at the idea of moving while others will grieve the current house and will be upset about moving into a new one. Giving them the freedom and option of choosing their own room will make the transition exciting and give them something to look forward to. Once their rooms are picked out give them some ideas of how they might want to decorate and design their new space.

Garage sale: Everybody loves a garage sale. More importantly, a garage sale allows you to clean out your home of unneeded items that will surely lighten up the load when moving. Kids can help set up stations, label price stickers, and even attract more customers with a lemonade stand. You could even allocate the money raised from the sale towards new stuff for their new rooms.

Going away party: If you are moving out of state or even just out of your school district, one of the hardest things for kids is to say goodbye to their friends. You can promise them that they will make new friends and still keep in contact with their old friends, but throwing a tantrum may be inevitable. Throwing a going away party is a great way for your kids to see their friends, but also for you to speak with their parents about your transition to move.

Routine: Having a routine is one of the most basic and stabilizing things in a child’s life. It provides stability and comfort for them even when they are in new and potentially scary situations. As soon as you have moved into the new house, try to reestablish a routine in order to bring back this feeling of familiarity. This is also a great opportunity to create new family traditions.

When it boils down to it, all kids really want is to feel like they are included and involved. When you first know you are going to move or thinking about it, talk through it with your kids in order to help them understand why you are moving and how they feel about it. Having them involved from the beginning to the end will lead to a smoother and welcoming moving process.