Now that you have successfully packed and moved all of your belongings and family members to your new home a whole new task begins. There will be cleaning, unpacking, and settling in to your new home.
It is time to begin meeting neighbors and making new friends. Young children may need to be taught new household rules, such as the oven is hot and should not be touched.
Even though this time is busy and exciting, it is important to pay attention to how your children are feeling. They may have difficulty falling asleep in an unfamiliar room which can cause them to cry a lot and be grumpy.
Even if your children seemed excited about the move before you arrived at your new home, they may have a dramatic change of attitude once they arrive at the new home. This is very normal behavior for a child.
Do not get upset or frustrated with them, but let them have some time to get used to the new house and be considerate of their emotions. It will not take too long for them to become comfortable in their new home and start making friends again.
However, do not ignore the signs of being exhibited by your child if they are angry, tired, or moody a long time after the move. There may be particularly difficult schoolwork problems, peer related issues, and simply changes in sleeping and eating patterns that will cause these mood difficulties.
Be sure to show extra support to them during this difficult phase. There are several things that you can do to make settling into your new home a good experience.
The first one is to make the goodbye to your old home and community a positive experience rather than a sad one. Start by inviting particularly special friends and neighbors over a few weeks before the move to say good-bye.
Visit your family’s favorite restaurant or other special locations before you leave. This will add closure to all of the fun times you had in your town and will allow a new book to be opened for a new town.
When your house is empty and all of the stuff has been moved take your children through it room by room and discuss the happy times that you had there. Talk about birthdays, holidays, and other family times the house has seen.
Remember to walk around outside as well. Emphasize how empty the house feels now that there are no things or people in it.
Talk about how a house is not a home without its family. Then, plan a special ritual for entering your new home.
This ritual can be as simple as walking your children through the home and discuss what will go where and who will have what room before the rooms are filled with things. You can also plant a tree or bush together somewhere outside that will symbolize the life you and your family will have in the new home.
If it is wintertime, you can plant something indoors that you can transfer outside later. As the years pass you may be surprised how attached your family becomes to that plant.
An alternative to planting a plant is hanging the first family photo together or placing another particularly special object. This is also a good opportunity to make connections to your old home by putting up something that was always found there, such as a fountain or a swing.
As you pack, make sure that everyone has their basic necessities in a place that is easy to get to. This will make the first night go much smoother and it will help your children adjust more fully.
These things may include things other than what you consider to be a necessity. For example, a baby blanket, a certain CD for the teenager, or a stuffed animal for a toddler may all be considered necessities.
Moving does not have to be a particularly difficult or challenging task. It can be a fun experience that will help your family grow closer together.
Tom Selwick is a resident of Utah and has written hundreds of articles relating to tourism and real estate. He recommends (http://www.parksedgeparkcity.com) for your Park City real estate needs.
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