Relocating your family or just moving to a new home may be necessary, but it can still be stressful. A lot of things can happen after a family upheaval, and you need to be prepared for these things by knowing what to expect. This is a life changing event that could change the entire course of your future and the future of your family. So what do you need to know before you go ahead and do it? Read on…
School Districts And Education
You want the best for your kids, so make sure you consider the educational opportunities and the quality of the institutions before you make the move. Will you be in the right area for the schools that you want? If not, then you may need to think things over again.
How Much Space Do You Need?
Is your family growing/getting smaller? Over time, the size of your family will change, and you’ll need to consider this before going through the hassle of moving. What are your family’s needs now and what could they be in the future? You may need a single house at some point, but that may not be now if your children are still growing. Your children may leave sooner than you think, though – and is there any possibility that one of your own parents could want to move in with you later on down the line? Consider every eventuality so you know what you need.
Your Kids Relationships
Kids won’t understand that this is important for your career, or for the reason you are doing it, whatever that may be. They will be upset about the friends and social experiences that they are going to lose. Come up with options for them so that things don’t feel so glum. Could you have weekend sleepovers with their best friends? How will you help them to make new friends and get involved in activities?
Getting Used To Your New Location
Visiting before you actually make the move is a good idea. Let everybody look around and get used to the idea and have fun together. Make some memories in the area and it’ll be so much nicer when you actually do move.
Find things you can do together once you have moved, too, such as the park and hiking. You’ll also want to get a good feel for the cost of living, transportation in the area, and so on. This isn’t just a nice weekend away – try to get used to things you’ll need to do/know once you have made the decision to move for definite.
Can You Make This Easier On The Day?
When it comes to moving day, there are ways you can make it easier. See if you can find sitters for both pets and kids. If not, then the least you can do is create moving day emergency boxes so you can grab what you need quickly.
Throwing A Leaving Party
Let your kids say bye to their friends and loved ones – even the house that they are about to leave. It’ll help with closure.
Meeting Your New Neighbours
Introduce yourself to your neighbours once you arrive. Build a rapport, and they will look out for you. Neighbourhood Watch will help keep your home safe, and they will likely keep an eye out for your kids while they play in the street. It’s always a good idea to have a good relationship with your neighbours.
Ensure You Align Expectations
Make sure you discuss and align expectations as a family. Don’t assume what anybody is thinking. Make sure you ask questions and get to the bottom of what everybody is worried about. Make sure you consider every aspect of your lives, including your health and physical wellbeing, family, friendships, work/career, home environment, financials, support system, social life etc. Consider the challenges you may face, both as a family and individually. Will you need to get used to a whole new city? Will your partner also need to find a new job? Having a family meeting to go through it all is key and ensures everybody is on the same page.
By going through the above with your family, you’ll ensure you decrease the amount of tension and arguments, and that everybody is on board with this change. It doesn’t matter how young your kids are, they can still get very stressed out about something like this, and you still need to address how this will affect them.