You might be feeling a bit stressed and anxious about your impending move but it’s very important that you think about your kids’ feelings too.

Before you move

·         Show you kids photos of your new home. If you, arrange a visit with the estate agent/current owners so they can see it for themselves. This should remove some of their anxiety (especially if they’ve lived in one home their whole lives).

·         Try and get them excited about their new room by getting them to start thinking of ideas of how they’d like it decorating. Mention that they’ll be able to have sleepovers and playdates with their friends.

·         If you’re going to be moving to a new area, try to visit it at least once a week. Go to the park, show them their new school and go shopping together. It might be that they can join a club (Beavers/Brownies/gymnastics) before the move which should help them settle in.

Packing up

·         Once you receive the packing materials you need from your removal company, you’ll probably want to do most of the packing yourself. You can still involve your kids by letting them decorate the boxes.

·         Leave boxes that are ready to go in your garage or in a room your kids don’t go in so they’re not tempted to go rooting.

·         Give them a box to store their favourite things so that you can make sure this box is the first to be unpacked in their new rooms.

Moving day

·         Take photos of your kids in each room as they say goodbye to your house. Try to be upbeat and not get emotional yourself as this will be picked up by your kids.

·         If a friend or family member offers to have your kids for the day, say yes as this will allow you to sort out their room before they arrive back. It should also allow you to do things a lot faster.

·         Let your kids choose which takeaway you have on your first night. You could have an indoors picnic and make it more exciting.

The first few weeks

·         Your kids might take a while to settle but don’t despair. It’s just going to take time.

·         If there are kids of a similar age that live nearby, try to arrange some playdates with their parents.