Tips For Moving Out Of State With Kids

You’ve made a big decision. It is time to seize a new opportunity in life, but the only sticking point is that you have to uproot your family and move out of state. While relocating is exciting, it can also be stressful and difficult for kids to handle on an emotional level. Here are some great tips on making a move out of state more agreeable with the young people in your life.

Have A Family Meeting

Well meaning parents sometimes feel that they don’t want to disclose potentially troubling news to their kids. While the timing of certain announcements should be given a great deal of thought, it is always best to give the family plenty of notice about events that will profoundly affect them. Have a family meeting and lay out all of the positives about a pending move out of state. Having everyone on the same page will enhance a sense of unity and teamwork. When is best to tell the kids? There is no single correct answer to this question. Telling your children a year in advance of a move may not be the right strategy, but giving them enough time to process it emotionally will be extremely helpful.

Let Them Freak Out

Children (especially teenagers) have many diverse emotions, some of which can be quite dramatic. When you announce the family’s move out of state, be prepared for a potpourri of emotions, including excitement, fear, outrage and sadness. While most parents’ natural tendency would be to downplay these kinds of reactions, it is actually more productive to let kids express themselves in any fashion they choose.  Blowing off some emotional steam early on in the process will help young people adjust to the idea much more quickly than bottling up their feelings.

Make Them Part Of The Team

Involving the whole family in the decision making process will make everyone feel that their voice is being heard. Talk to the kids about different neighborhoods, the type of house you are considering and what kind of amenities they would like to have in the new home. Including people in these kinds of big decisions has a magical way of building harmony and cooperation within the family.

Road Trip

Kids often try to picture things in their minds that they are unfamiliar with and it can often lead to anxiety. Take a road trip to your new state and give the family a chance to see for themselves what their new surroundings will look like. If you have already purchased a home, drive them to see it and go inside. Show them the school they will be attending and the local park. Doing this will put their mind at ease and actually get them excited about this new chapter in their lives.

Conclusion

Moving at any stage of life can be stressful, but when there are kids involved, it tends to naturally complicate matters. Young people often have different emotional reactions to big life events, so do your best to acknowledge this during the moving process.  Before you know it, the move will be complete and everyone will be settled into their new surroundings.  Moving out of state with kids is not always easy, but by following these tips, the journey should be much smoother.