Six Tips To Prepare Your Family For A Long Distance Move

When initially blending families its important to make a special effort to minimize disruption to the lives of your stepchildren.  Moving and the associated changes: new home and neighborhood, new schools, making new friends, loss of old friends, concerns of the biological dad, etc. are potential stress producing events for everyone involved especially the children.

The addition of these stressors, in addition to the stresses associated with blending and adjusting to you the new stepdad will most likely increase the difficulty in blending.  The children may direct their resentment of the changes in their life toward you the stepdad.

If you must move especially long distance please read and consider the tips provided by Anita.

Moving long distance can be a very exciting time in everyone’s life, but it can also be difficult to leave familiar friends and family. It is very tough to leave everything you know in your life for a new opportunity.

If you follow these six tips, then you should have no problem preparing the entire family for the long distance move.

Get Everyone’s Support

Moving long distances is much easier if it every family member has an input on the decision. If the family is moving because someone got a new great job, then it is vitally important to get the consent of the other spouse.

Accepting a job requiring a long distance move without discussing things a recipe is not a way of endearing yourself with your family.

Even though kids may not have much of a say about moving, giving them an opportunity to make choices about it helps them support the idea of it. Choosing what room they get, the color of paint in their room and decorations will give them something to be excited about, helping them support the move more.

Visit New City Before Move

Everyone is going to be more comfortable with moving if they can experience the new city beforehand. Once everyone sees the new city is exciting and a great place to live, then they will be much more comfortable with the move.

If the new area is close enough, try visiting a couple of times on the weekends to help everyone feel more comfortable.

Get Kids Opinion

Moving long distances is much tougher on kids than adults, so you must get their views on the move. An excellent way to get the kids involved in the movement is by asking them to help pick out the new home.

If they are old enough, let them tour houses with you and ask them what they like about each house. Again, even though they aren’t making the decisions, they can feel like part of the process.

Say Goodbye to Everyone

The last thing you want to do is leave your current city without saying goodbye to your family and friends, especially if you have kids. Moving is not only hard on you, but it is also hard on the people you’re are leaving.

Giving them a chance to have fun and say goodbye one last time is essential. It is also a good idea to make sure everyone knows that you will be seeing them again soon.

Get a Storage Unit

Once you get to your new home, it is a superb idea to utilize a storage unit. This will allow you to store your boxes, so you do not have to move everything in the new home at one time.

The move is going to be hard enough without having to unpack every box at the same time. It’s also a great place to store extra furniture or items you don’t know if you are keeping yet.

Take Time to Enjoy the New City

The biggest benefit of getting a storage unit is that it allows you to go out and enjoy your new city once you arrive. There is no better way to start your time in a new city than with a great night out with the whole family.

Start by doing something unique to that town, like shopping at new places, trying different foods, or enjoying the entertainment. Following this guide will take the stress and pressure off of moving long distance.

The move is going to be hard enough, so there it’s important to be prepared and help everyone adjust to their new lives. With a little effort, the move can be a very exciting time for the whole family, instead of a dreaded change.

Informational credit to The Self Storage Place.

Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She writes about finance, home and family, and business. A mother of two, she enjoys spending time with her family and reading a good book when she isn’t writing. Anita has contributed several articles in the past:

Six Life Skills to Teach Your Kids Before They Leave Home

Six Tips to Help Kids Make Wise Decisions

Six Life Skills to Teach Your Kids Before They Leave Home

Please make some time to check them out.