The decision to pack up and moving to a new state is a big decision that is often very carefully calculated. You may be relocating interstate for a new job opportunity, to live closer to family, or for a warmer climate.
Moving to a new place can make the bravest of adults anxious, and even more so for children. Kids thrive on routine and familiarity and it’s not unusual for older children to feel anxious about leaving their friends behind, surroundings, and school.
How Does Moving To a New State Affects Family?
Creating an environment where they each feel safe is an impactful way to support your family and children. Moreover, validated in expressing their feelings and experiences in regards to the moving process.
Keep the lines open through consistent communication, wherein you are committed. You should also focus on the good things about the move with an emphasis on why you are moving.
Sometimes relocating with children especially when they are older, can lead to decreased social skills and emotional issues. In addition, it is important to monitor in the early stages of the transition to your new home.
Even if you have qualms about the relocation yourself…
A positive attitude will make a significant impact on how your kids handle the move.
Reminding them of the adventure they’re about to go on will help them with the transition. Perhaps, encourage them to even look forward to it.
Moving To A New State Should Be Discussed With Kids
It’s important to have open discussions with kids when moving to a new state.
Accepting positive and negative feelings that your children may have will support them in understanding that it’s normal to feel stressed or anxious.
Let them know they can talk to you about the move at any time and that you’re willing to listen. More often, younger than six years old may be easier to move with, as they have a limited understanding.
However, your guidance will be vital to a smooth transition. Consider that you may want to hold off on making any other changes that require adjustment for the child which includes the following:
Firstly, advancing the child from a crib to a bed or introducing new meal routines. Secondly, moving with school-age kids may be somewhat easier, in comparison to older kids, however, they still need help with the transition.
Keeping Kids Involved In The Process Of Moving To A New State
Kids will benefit from a sense of agency in the transition. To make the change seem less imposed and more of a choice for them… Involve them in the planning and search process for schools or social activities in their new area.
Also, it’s a great idea to visit the new city with your kids and explore the new neighbourhood.
If you can’t travel to explore the place before you move, you can get a friend or a real estate agent to take pictures of the home for your child.
Talk to your kids about their new school, while collaborating with your child’s new school. Plan and let them know about your arrival, so they can better support your child in the new surroundings and make them feel welcome.
In the lead-up to moving to a new state, be consistent in your communication about their experiences. Get them involved in packing their own belongings. Encourage your kids to stay connected with old friends through phone calls, video chats, and other parent-approved social media. You can also plan a farewell gathering with all your close friends to say goodbye.
How To Help Yourself In The Transition Process
Relocating interstate with a family can be overwhelming for parents. Because of many decisions to be made leading up to the move, it can feel all too much.
One way to help yourself in this transition is to delegate parts of the transition process to professionals and loved ones. From finding a good home to searching for quality schools in the area, all these decisions can be daunting. However, with the support of others, you don’t have to do it all yourself.
A big way to support yourself is to ease the hassle and logistics of moving to a temporary living situation.
If you are making the huge decision to moving to a new state with all your belongings, it would make more sense to relocate directly to your new home to save you from having to pack and unpack multiple times.
To make this step a breeze, consider that hiring someone local to the area you are moving to. This will help you to find a new home according to your desired criteria.
This big task will be made a lot simpler and probably much more informed, than if you did it on your own from afar. A local buyers agent will attend open homes on your behalf too.
Therefore, you have someone doing the groundwork for you. The time-consuming part of researching the local housing market is done for you, and you will be presented with the best options for you to choose from.
Having a local person support you in finding a place will enable you to make an informed decision on choosing the best area for your family.
This way, gives you proximity to a good school, green parks, and amenities, in a family-friendly suburb. Even if you are buying now and not moving in for a while, a buyer’s agent can help you get ‘things right’ the first time and do all the legwork for you, so that you can focus on the move and settling in.
Delegate Time-Consuming Tasks To Professionals, So That You Can Be Present With Your Family
Between states, there are differences in legislation, terminology, and processes. By hiring a buyer’s agent to act on your behalf, you are helping yourself navigate the overwhelming task of finding your dream home.
These professionals can help you with the whole process of moving to a new state, from search to settlement in acquiring your new home.
Something to keep in mind is that vendor agents are skilled in a variety of sales tactics; when implemented, these tactics can instill a sense of scarcity and desperation in potential buyers.
These can lead to unfavorable terms and can be particularly heightened with the added time pressures during a relocation.
Making the big decision of moving to a new state with a family is the first decision of many that will follow.
The task can seem overwhelming at first, but remember that you can delegate tasks such as the following: finding a home to move into and hiring cleaners to do the bond clean of your home when you leave.
The act of delegating tasks, no matter how big or small they may be, will support you as the adults and decision-makers of the family. When you feel supported, you will have much more time and space to be present for your children as you all make this big and exciting move to a new home.
To Sum Up
There you have our tips on the processes of moving to a new state with your family. Involving our kids in the process and preparing yourself with these tips and ideas will help your family moving to a new state smoothly and a new home as well.
Learn also how to Create Goals With Your Family
My name is Andrea Thompson and I’m a home based freelance writer. I’m 23 years old, married to my best friend, and mother to a wonderfully independent and opinionated 3 year old girl and step-mother to a sweet seven year old boy. I live in a tiny, little town in Kentucky, where I spend my free time fishing with my kids.
Writing has always been my passion, which I followed through high school, and for a while in college. Life happened, and once I discovered we were pregnant, I switched directions; opting for the healthcare industry because of the stability.
Finally, years later, I was in a place where I could leave the day job that never truly made me happy, and pursue my dreams. I’ve built, and am still building, my writing career from scratch. But, I’m passionate and I’m good at what I do. And, in the end, I can prove to my daughter that she can do anything she wants with this life.
