Moving isn’t always an enjoyable experience for your children.  They are leaving friends and familiar surroundings behind which can prove to be a traumatic experience for them.  You’ll want to do everything that you can to reassure them that they will make new friends, have new adventures, and come to love their new home as much as the old one.  Let’s look at some tips to help your child transition to the new home smoothly.

1.    Before his first day of school, take the route with him in the car so that he’ll know where he’s going.  Children like to know things that other children know and feel comfortable in their surroundings.  By taking him ahead of time, you’ll ease his anxiety and help him adjust more quickly.  Also point out some interesting things along the way like cool billboards or toy stores located in a shopping center on his way to school.

2.    Visit the school a few days before your child has to enroll.  Schools are open to new parents and students who want to become familiar with surroundings before school starts.  Walk through the school with your child and locate the gym, the cafeteria, the outdoor play areas, and the bathrooms.  Be sure to make positive comments through the entire visit.

3.    Try to meet parents in your new neighborhood so that you can learn how the school operates, when some of the meetings will be held, and perhaps suggest that your children play together.  Your new neighborhood may have a community center where plenty of activities will be held for families and it will help to already know a set of parents who have children close to the ages of your own.

4.    Be sure to determine your child’s bus number upon registration at the new school.  It will be a lot easier for your child if he knows the bus number for your community and the route that it takes; your school will gladly provide this information.  You can ask new teachers for a buddy to be assigned to your child so that he can have a resource to help him make it through the first days at his new school.

Moving can be a stress-free adventure for your child if you take a positive approach and make the new area as familiar to him as quickly as possible.  Let him know that he may have questions and concerns but you and all of his new friends will be there to stand with him through this period of transition.  Educate your child on the area into which you have moved so that he’ll know some of the common threads of knowledge before he interacts with others.