May marks the month when families typically begin the summer moving process.
Summer vacation offers the best time for families to get their kids resettled in a new home before school starts in August. While moving is stressful for adults, we usually have a series of logical reasons for moving that motivates us through the hassle of it all. Kids, on the other hand, aren’t always equally motivated. For them, moving can be unsettling, disruptive and even traumatic.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you plan for your family:
Give Advance Notice
Springing the news about moving is never a great idea for kids of any age. Be sure to tell your kids in advance of your plans and help them be part of the process as much as possible. Some of our clients bring their kids along for showings while others just bring kids for the highlights tour. Either way, allow them to participate where possible and listen to their concerns. They may pick up on something about the house that you miss. If you are moving out of state, a pre-visit can be beneficial in helping them wrap their heads around where they are going. Also, allow enough time to say goodbye to friends, caregivers, family members and even their favorite restaurant.
Be Positive and Also Understanding
Your attitude will shape how your children feel about the process. When you are talking around the new house, be sure to share what you love about the house and not only what needs to get done. Take the time to tell the kids about all the great things that are nearby, and make a visit to the new nearby park or ice cream shop part of the visit to the new house. However, also temper your enthusiasm with understanding. Kids find moving and leaving friends difficult, so be sensitive to how they are feeling. Don’t get so wrapped up in moving stress that you can’t give them the reassurances and extra hugs they need.
Unpack the Kids’ Rooms First
Getting the kids settled is perhaps the most important part of the move-in process. It will help them feel secure and get them adjusted faster. Let them be part of unpacking their rooms so they can decide how they want to set up their new space. Empower them to get settled and make it fun. If beds haven’t arrived, let them build a fort and sleep inside. Let them express themselves in their space—even if it isn’t Instagram perfect.
Stay Consistent
With everything in flux, try and get back on track as soon as possible. Family dinners, movie nights and bedtime stories need to get back on the schedule as soon as possible. Also, be sure to place familiar bedding, favorite stuffed animals and artwork from the previous house in your kids’ new rooms to help ease them through the transition period.
Get Everyone to Participate
Find ways for your kids to participate in the moving and unpacking process. From unpacking canned goods to alphabetizing books and placing them on the bookshelf, stop and think how your kids can help at their age level. Kids of all ages can learn valuable life skills about organization, project management and teamwork just by helping you with the move.
You Will Get Through It
People have moved for as long as they have been on the Earth (really). You will make it through the move. In the end, everyone will settle in. Remind yourself that everything doesn’t have to be perfect right away. The people you are moving are more important than the things. So, make them your priority.
Here are a few great books about moving for kids of all ages:
- Big Ernie’s New Home, by Teresa and Whitney Martin
- The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day, by Stan and Jan Berenstain
- The Kid In the Red Jacket, by Barbara Park
- The Essential Moving Guided Journal for Teens: My Life and My Thoughts Before and After Moving, by Sara Elizabeth Boehm
John Karadsheh is the Designated Broker for KOR Properties. He has been a Multi-Million Dollar producing agent for more than 16 years and is an Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR) and Certified Residential Specialist (CRS). In 2014, John was voted the No. 1 Real Estate Agent in Arizona by Ranking Arizona. You can reach John at (480) 568-8684, or visit his website at KORproperties.com.
KOR Properties is a boutique real estate brokerage serving the Valley of the Sun and the creator and founding sponsor of Mesa Food Truck Fridays.