While Moving Your Family Across the Country
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When it comes to making life-changing decisions, parents feel immense pressure to get everything right. Major decisions like moving across the country can’t be taken lightly. Naturally, parents want to do all they can to ensure the decision to uproot their family or change the family dynamic will improve the lives of their children in addition to their own.
Sometimes, parents realize that a move across the country is necessary for their family’s financial status, health and well-being, or happiness. The challenges of orchestrating a large-scale move involve telling your kids about the move, finding the right school, and helping everyone settle into a new home and life. It’s enough to make any parents lose their minds, but our tips will help you keep your sanity.
- Keep Your Kids in the Loop
Kids of all ages deserve to know what is happening in their families, and keeping them in the loop while you plan to make a move is a must. By involving kids in discussions and helping them understand what to expect and when, you help them feel less scared and anxious about the changes that are about to happen to their lives.
Your kids may not be able to decide to move or not, but they can ask questions, share their concerns, and begin to accept the move when you involve them in discussions early in the process. Be clear and direct in your discussions with them, give them a timeline, and understand that they will need some time to process and accept the news that they are leaving their home, school, and friends.
The Art of Happy Moving shares some tips for telling your kids about a move across the country. They recommend telling them as soon as you can but waiting until you know specific details, so you don’t scare your kids with too much uncertainty. It’s also a good idea to plan where and how to tell your kids about moving; some families turn off the television and hold a distraction-free family meeting, while others tell their kids individually. The best approach is to explain why and when you are moving and then follow up with three reasons they should be excited about the move.
- Find the Right School for Your Kids Ahead of Time
Moving is a chaotic process, and the last thing you want to do is spend time visiting schools while you are packing and helping your children through the transition to a new area of the country. That’s why, as soon as you choose your destination, you should begin finding the right school for your children.
First, choose the type of school that best suits your child’s needs. It may be helpful to talk to his current teacher and get her recommendations; she may suggest a private school with smaller class sizes, a public school with a strong theater program, or a charter school with an emphasis on collaborative learning environments.
Then, research schools near your new home and make a list of those that best fit your child. Plan to visit the schools on your short list and to meet with teachers, principals, and counselors to learn more about their educational philosophy and teaching strategies. Finally, take your child to visit the new school before you move so he can see his classrooms, meet his teachers, and begin to meet new friends.
- Hire Help So You Can Focus on Your Family
One of the best ways to ensure a smooth move is to hire help. Professional moving companies have experience orchestrating moves and getting families across the country with all of their belongings in one piece. Moving companies also can save you time (and your sanity) by packing your furniture and appliances safely, loading your boxes, and driving your possessions across the country so you can spend more time focusing on your family and their needs.
Best of all, full-service moving companies will unload and unpack your items. By leaving the heavy lifting to the pros, you’ll have time to take your kids to visit local playgrounds and schools so they can start making new friends and getting acclimated to their new home more quickly.
You can move your family across the country and keep your sanity in tact if you keep your kids in the loop, find the right schools ahead of time, and hire help so you can focus on your family.