Moving can be as challenging as it is exciting.  Sometimes more so. Moving is as hard for kids as it is for adults. They are leaving behind familiar places and important friends. They are starting over: seeking new friends and adjusting to a new home, neighborhood, and school.  But because they're still learning how to socialize and how to effectively get their needs, children need caring adults to listen and help them adjust to their new home, now more than ever.

The best way to handle moving with kids is to communicate with them at all times. You may not feel that they are paying any attention but the information you give them will change in somewhere! Treat your move as a positive thing and they're most likely to do the same. According to the age of your children you may see various reactions ranging from over excitement to apathy to downright resentment. Help them talk through the way they feel about the move and explain why you are moving. Even young kids understand reasons and it will help them cope with the process.

Remember that children have different concerns at different ages. For young children and preschoolers, family is the center of their lives

Tell your kids the things that you know will be basically the same in their new home and community, such as having a backyard to play in and going to school. Explain that pets and favorite toys or belongings will move with them. If there are lessons or other activities your kids enjoy now, assure them that you'll find new instructors or similar programs for them in your new community.

Different children react to moving in different ways. There are instances, where kids felt, they are in an alien climate and kept on crying for days. Chances are, the moving process may lead to a depressive atmosphere with the child too. The key to making the move a success with kids is, ‘getting them involved’. Be upbeat from the beginning. Talk to them as much as possible. Make them come up with ideas on how to do it better. Give them the ‘Feel’ that they are important members of the family moving team. Further, involve them in the selection of the new home and make them think of the new home all in a positive way.

If possible, take the kids with you for selecting the new home

You need to make a specific research on the new community so that you know what benefits your kids will enjoy in the new home. This can include schools, areas of interest (museums etc).

Here you'll find helpful moving advice for telling your younger children about the planned move.

Actively encourage kids to decorate their rooms, play areas, including color choices, decoration, and arrangement of furniture.

You lead the way making new friends and becoming actively involved in your new community immediately. This is taken as an example and your children will do the same.

With a spirit of adventure, let your kids tell the neighborhood that you're moving to a ‘new’ place.

Involve with them for planning to take care of plants and/or pets during the move.

Help them collect addresses of their friends and neighbors (don't forget e-mail addresses)

Help them to get rid of their old and no-longer-wanted things. Organize a tag sale or charity donation of toys, clothing, books, etc.

Encourage them to have a "good-bye old friends" party.

If you have infants, make sure that you have a sitter or a friend watches your kids during the packing , loading and unpacking process.

Many children in their excitement may disturb the moving process by running and doing things that may distract the movers doing their job. So make sure that they are busy in some activity, to insure this does not happen.

Let kids color or play with their picture books , or make box labels, so they will be immediately recognizable coming off the moving van

Younger children will be be curious about moving, and the concerns they may have such as being left behind and getting lost. It's important that parents pay attention to those concerns and not treat them as trivial.

The actual process of packing up for a move can alarm some children - especially if they don't like disruption. Try to leave the packing up of their stuff until late in the process and then let them help you - no matter how young they are - and explain that their toys and games will soon be back with them.

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