STRESS FREE MOVE FOR YOUR CHIDREN Written By: Harry Gribnitz Moving into a new home can be stressful for both adults and children. A move can be particularly stressful for children. While the adults are wrapped up in the details of finding the new home, obtaining a mortgage and planning the move, children only know that their life is about to change. To children the current house may be the only home they have ever known or at least remember. Parents are focused on the new house, but children are concerned about loosing their home!!! For a child a house is more than a roof over their head, it is the center of their world. The familiar friends, schools, stores, parks and yard will no longer exist for them. It is being replaced by frightening “new” children, schools, stores, parks and yard. The best tactic is to get the children actively involved in the whole process. The amount of involvement depends on their age, but don’t just promise they can decorate their new room. Get them actively involved in going to the paint store or shopping for a new bedspread, towels and carpets. On moving day, it is often best if they are not actively involved depending on their age and physical ability. However be sure they are involved or at least see that their “stuff” is being packed for the move. The day of the move is not the day to try a new baby sitter for your five year old. That is a day that, if they can’t be directly with you, they are with a familiar and trusted (by them) person. Grand parents are great for this job!!!!! Mostly importantly they will need your help to cope with the move. The hardest part can be to pay attention to your children during and immediately after the moving process. Even the “best” parent can get so wrapped up in the details that they forget to listen to their children’s concerns. They need your support!!!! If you or they are not making new friends fast enough, throw your own welcome to the neighborhood party. One of my clients moved just after school was out for the summer. Afraid that their two young daughters would not meet friends until school started, they threw a “pot luck’ barbecue for the neighborhood. They provided the grilled burgers, hot dogs and sausage and drinks, everyone invited was asked to bring something to pass. Remember the newness will wear off. The best way to make that happen for you and your children is to take action. Being a good neighbor and friend always seems to attract good neighbors and friends!!!! PDF VERSION Warning: main(/home/wmmh/westmichiganmortgagehelp-www/bannerbottom03.htm): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/wmmh/westmichiganmortgagehelp.com/html/pr_stresschild.php on line 45 Fatal error: main(): Failed opening required '/home/wmmh/westmichiganmortgagehelp-www/bannerbottom03.htm' (include_path='.:/usr/share/pear') in /home/wmmh/westmichiganmortgagehelp.com/html/pr_stresschild.php on line 45