Our Favourite Tips for Moving House With Children

Moving house is something that some people enjoy and others try to avoid like the plague. It's hard enough to do when you're moving solo - packing up many years of your life is an emotional roller coaster. When you add a partner into the mix you find out a lot about the person - how they pack, their attention to detail, and you discover their true interior design tastes.

Moving a family adds another whole dimension to the move - especially when the reasons for the move go over their heads. If you're moving for financial reasons, or the safety of a neighbourhood, it's harder to explain than better schools, or someone's job being relocated.

When children are involved you'll not only be managing your emotions, you'll also be dealing with new rooms and surroundings, individuals who don't want to leave their friends, and in some cases full on temper tantrums - I'm not leaving, or I'm running away.

There are a few things that can help you make the move smoother:

Think about how you would have felt

Remember what you were like at different ages; there might have been times when moving was the best idea ever, and other times when it would have felt like the end of the world. And treat your children accordingly. It's important to tell them together - so no one feels left out - but the subsequent conversations should address how each of them are feeling and how you can limit the damage - imagine how a teen feels when you're taking them away from friends or when your child has a favourite.

Ease into the conversation

Unless it's a last minute decision, try to plant the seed early. If someone else you know is moving, get excited about it and talk about the things you could do if you were moving.

Involve them in decisions

So you're not going to let them choose where your new house is, but once you've decided which room is for each individual, let them get involved in the decorations, or choosing new furniture for their playroom. Simple decisions will make them feel like they are a part of the move and it's not being forced upon them.

Encourage communication

Once you leave, make sure you encourage communication - whether it's visits to see friends, phone calls, emails - or even letters.

If they feel like they still have a connection to their old home it can make it easier to transition into their new home.

Take a deep breath

You'll soon learn to roll with the punches - take a deep breath and ask yourself, 'in the fullness of life what does this matter?' If it really matters, then try to find a solution. If it's a cosmetic issue, then stop worrying... tomorrow is a new day. Moving can be stressful, don't make it worse for yourself by stressing about things you can't change - just remember what's important.