Moving Anxiety in Children: How to Help Little One’s Cope With the Unknown

Putting a child through a move isn’t ideal, but it’s sometimes necessary. Whether it’s work-related or something else, you must relocate, and it’ll be hard on your children. All the stress you feel during the process, your children feel as well.

Make your move as stress-free as possible, and with as little Anxiety as possible, using the following tips. In our guide below, you’ll find several ways to help your children cope with their moving anxiety.

Continue reading to learn more. 

Talk to Your Children

If you leave your children in the dark about the situation, you’ll leave them feeling confused, which adds to their anxiety. Don’t avoid talking to them about the move out of fear for how they’ll respond. Instead, keep it an open conversation with them.

Explain why the move is necessary and allow them to ask any questions they have about the move. 

Give Them Some Control

Your children don’t have much control in situations like these, which can be stressful for them. To help ease their stress, consider giving them some form of control. 

Perhaps allow them to choose their own rooms or new furniture and design plans for their new bedrooms or bathrooms. Once they feel they have some control, they’ll begin to feel more relaxed. 

Teach Them How to Keep Friendships

One of the biggest issues of moving, in your children’s minds is losing friends. They’ll build relationships and friendships with several other children over the years and won’t want to leave them behind. This can become a difficult situation for everyone.

However, you can teach them how to remain friends with these other children even if they’re no longer in the same neighborhood. Consider throwing them a moving-away party where proper goodbyes can be said. You can then exchange phone numbers and contact information with other parents.

Your child can write letters or keep up with friends on social media, and you can schedule play dates if you’re ever back in your old neighborhood. 

Choose the Right Time

Not all move dates can be chosen. There are times when you have to pick up and move without an option. If you can select a date, be sure to select the right time for your children. 

Moving during the school year can be hard on them in several ways. To prevent added stress, try to plan your move for during the summer. Your children will then have a fresh start for a new school year, which makes the transition a smoother one.

Moving Anxiety Doesn’t Only Affect the Parents

Moving can be difficult for everyone because moving anxiety doesn’t discriminate. Help your children, and you’ll have the most enjoyable move possible by following these tips listed above.

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