Moving, in and of itself, is a real source of stress. If you have kids, and you are moving, your stress levels are bound to increase. Although neither variable can be eliminated, you can take steps to help yourself and your kids make the move more bearable.
This list is meant for kids between the ages of two and 12. If you have teenagers, you can imagine the challenges you are going to face moving them; likewise with infants.
Reassure your kids. For kids, routines are very important -- especially for toddlers. Talk to your kids about what a move is. Explain to them what the move will entail. You may find that by keeping them in the loop you will resolve some very basic concerns that will help make their transition to the new location much easier on them and you.
You will also want to keep the channels of communication open once in your new destination. Again, young kids are so into routines, you will have to be patient and work with them until they get back into their routines.
Keep the kids involved. It may just be human nature to want to be part of something, but this could be a real help to you before, during and after the move. Find tasks that are appropriate for your kids' ages; this benefits you because they will keep busy and out of your hair while helping you with some of the tasks associated with a move.
Entertain your kids. This is not to say that you have to be the entertainment, however, this is important if you are traveling by car. Hopefully traveling long distances with the kids in the car isn't a new experience for you. If it is, you'll definitely want to plan ahead. Get travel friendly games or even invest in a DVD player for the car. Whatever form of travel you choose, have something to keep the kids occupied, otherwise you become the entertainment by default.
Have a contact in your new location. This is ideal, but not always possible. If you are fortunate enough to have a point of contact or a friend in your new location, it will make the transition for your kids -- not to mention you -- a lot easier. Because there will likely be a lot of things to do once you get to your new location, having someone who can take the kids or better yet, provide instant friends for the kids, will take yet another load off your already heavy-laden shoulders.
Hopefully your kids have been a big part of your moving plans; if so, you are already on the path to a less stressful move. It will be impossible to create the ideal moving situation -- there are too many factors to account for -- but if you make your kids your priority throughout the move, it will be a benefit to you in the end.
