What Could I Expect After Moving?

Be upbeat and positive about it; they take their cues from us. Talk about the "new house" and new friends they will make. At this age it isn't as traumatic because their strongest bonds are still with Mom and Dad, so it isn't as hard to leave friends behind.

First off, welcome to Indian Trail. My family and I moved here about 4 1/2 years ago and we love it. My two youngest boys were 2 and almost 6 when we moved here and believe it or not they took right to it. I thought it would be a major issue but it didn't seem to phase them a bit. I think the hardest part for them was adapting to a two-story house(we lived in a small ranch). Goodluck with the transition!

Hello. My family recently moved to Knoxville, I have 2 boys, they just turned 8 & 10 - it was a very hard transition for my eldest son. My younger son was much better. I did see a lot of behavior change in my eldest son and still do - we have been here 8 months. I just feel he was so connected back home and this is a much larger town then where we came from. My only advise is to just be patient and give lots of love and encouragement. I wish you lots of luck!
D.

HI:) I have a son 4.5, and a daughter almost two. we haved moved four times since my son was born, and twice since the birth of our daughter. the first move was international:)
so, here's my advice and what worked for us:
first of all, keep a small suit case or diaper bag full of stuff you might need that first night, or if anything goes not quite right and you need to be in a hotel for a night or two,-diapers and wipes if still needed of course, PJ's spare clothes, and thier favorite toy or stuffed animal. and snacks and bottled water, breakfast cereal!!
also, pack up their stuff last, and when you arrive in your new home, unpack their stuff and set up their rooms first, and maybe try to set their rooms similar to the was it was before. Then move on to the bathrooms, then the kitchen, then the living and laundry areas:) as always with any move clearly mark your boxes at least with what room they came from or which room they need to go.
also, since yours are older than mine were at the time, you and your husband each take one child to their new rooms, and let them help un-pack. maybe if they help get settled, it will feel more like their own new place and not some strange, scary place:)
OH, also, try to get there during daylight, we seem to always be unpacking in the dark, one place we didn't realized didn't have any over head lights in the bedrooms!! that was a bug bummer! trying to set up a crib and a toddler bed with only the light from the hallway shining in:) also, think what you'll want to do for dinner that night, or breakfast the next day, you could always order take out, and go out for breakfast, but we always like the feeling of camping so we ordered dinner usually pizza, and planned for breakfast--cereal or eggs, etc:)

behavior: during the move after my son was three, he wanted me to sleep in his room with him. he had a new bed and a new room, we tried to set up him room like it was before, but he still felt insecure. so I slept on the floor next to him, and he wouldn't let go of my hand, even after he fell asleep:) but closer to morning, i was able to 'get free' and lay down in my own bed:)
oh, we put all our freezer and fridge food into two large coolers and dumped ice over them, and tried to unpack these items very first.
ok, gatta get last child up for school now, hope this helps. i am no expert, but this particular question i actually had experience with:) have fun with it, relax, it will evantually get done and feel like home, just seriously, take the time to really lable your boxes so that the next time you see them you know at a glance where it needs to go:) very important:)!!
hey, what does SAHM mean??
thanx,
LJ:)

I have 4 kids and have moved across country twice with babies and three year olds. It's an adventure. We actually camped in a tent from NC to CA with a 5-6 month old. In all we have had 7 moves.
I always pack the bag for the car and the liquids that go with us and get them out of the house. THat way when the movers come you don't have to stress about which rooms they can't touch, because they will not listen to you. So just remove anything you want to take yourself.
We also stay at a hotel the two days they pack up. It's just easier.
When unpacking I unpack the youngest's room first like the others have done. THe movers will set up the beds, you just have to make them. I let my kids unpack stuffy and clothes boxes and they can put all that away, even at 5 they could do that.
We have had some behavior issues, mostly clinginess. My eldest lashed out at move 4 but he was 12 and not happy to be moving yet again. By the time he moved out of three highschools he didn't care anymore and has now joined the Navy, So more moing, he knows nothing else. I'd say he adjusted just fine.
My mom has helped out a lot and has taken two of the children three times while we moved. They get fun time with Grandma and Grandpa and my hubby and I can get the hosue set up by the time they get home.
THere are some good books out there about moving. I think there is a Berestein book. THat helped my eldest the first move, he was 4.
My kids now ask when the next move is and where to. And if we will be in Germany or Hawaii or Japan like their brother.
Be positive and make an adventure out of it.

We moved a LOT when I was growing up. Each promotion for my dad meant a new home in a new city, sometimes thousands of miles away. I found that because my parents were excited and happy about the new home, it was easier for us (I am the eldest of 8) and my friends who had a hard time moving tended to have parents who were anxious and sort of 'helicopter' with their kids. Looking back, they almost engineered the anxiety their kids faced by acting like it was too big a deal. So my best general advice is to be low key and positive.

When we have moved our children, who are now 16 and 13, we have talked about the benefits of the new home and asked them what one thing they most wanted to do in the new location and then made it happen. For example, the home we are in now we moved to when our youngest was 8. He wanted to have his walls and ceiling a particular blue, so we had his room painted before the movers came and when he walked in on moving day, it was to that blue room. My other son wanted to be able to carry special things with him and not go with the movers, so we let him put whatever he wanted into one of the Rubbermaid totes and have it on the seat next to him in the car.

We board our pets two days before the movers come and bring them home two days later when doing a reasonably local (less than 100 miles) move. That helps your furry friends not be in the chaos of packing up and unpacking.

Hope you enjoy Indian Trail, it is a booming area!

M.,
As a mom that has moved many times, I'd recommend you check out some fun things to do in your new location. Find a Chuck E. Cheese or other fun playplace for the girls to show them their home offers fun like the old one. When you need a break from unpacking, you'll have a neat place to take a break! If you're driving, make sure to take a travel guide with your new destination inside. We get ours free with our AAA membership. These wonderful books let you know all the hot spots in the area and you can plan fun stops along the way. Make sure you talk to them ahead of time and let them know you're going on a new adventure. Oh! Don't forget to take pictures along the way and make a 'moving album' for the girls to show family and friends when they visit!
The whole idea is to present the new place to them in the best light possible. Happy moving!

Hi I have just gone through the same thing with a 7 year old, 3 year old and a 12 month old. Children are way more resillient than we think! I worried about how they would adjust and they have done beautifully.
As far as the move itself, make sure you have their things accessible to unpack first. Mine were very excited to find their "old" things and find new spots for them.
There were things about the new place that we were going to that I knew would appeal to them , so I made a point to talk about that and to talk about how much fun it would be to explore and find new fun things to do and new friends to play with.
My 7 year old gets quite attached and since she was leaving the only house she knew as well as tons of friends we spoke about how "home is where the family is" and that a house is simply that, just a house. She did fine with that. I gave her a chnace to say goodbye to the old house ans we atlked about it a lot. The three year old simply thought of it as a great adventure. She at first talked about the "old house" but it didn't seem to bother her too much.
Keep their routine the same and they will notice that their surroundings have changed but their Mom and Dad are still there as well as all thethings that they're used to.
Our move has been positive and the children have adjusted wonderfully, so stay positive and they will too!
Good luck, its a lot os work, but take it in your stride. I'm still organizing the house the way I want it...a work in progress

I am a army wife with 4 kids and we have made the moves. The best thing I can suggest is to make sure the kids bed is the first thing that gets set up and made. There beds in their rooms make it known that it is not temporary. Make sure they have access to their toys ASAP also. I always let them take a few favorite toys with them in the car we are traveling in. That way we dont have to search through boxes for one. Also tell them ahead of time you are leaving no matter how little. They may not fully understand but they can grasp more then we give them credit for. Good luck with your move!

My family just moved for the first time ever. My kids are 10,7,6,4 When we moved the two youngest were 3 & 5. I let them help me pack up their old room and decorate their boxes, then in the new house we unpacked together. Letting them put their stuff where they thought it should go helped. Their behavior was good. The 5 yr is a girl and she adapted very easily, she just goes with the flow as long as she has her teddy and kitten. My 3 yr, son kept asking when we were moving back. It was a little harder for him to understand that this was now home. We were just patient and let him cry and talk about what he missed. Taking him around to see all the fun things he could do here also helped. Good Luck!

If you have professional movers working in your home, make sure you take all the children's favorite toys, binkies, or anything that they sleep with out of the way of the packers. When we moved, my son was 4 years old and loved his stuffed duck. As much as I told the packer not to touch anything on his bed, they did. We had to make an 800 mile car trip without the duck. It was horrible. We weren't able to get it for almost 2 weeks but you can bet it was the first box we opened!
That is my best suggestion. Good luck.

I totally understand about moving. My husband and I have been married for almost 17 years. We have moved 9 times. Once we had kids I have found the foloowing things help.

Have them pack their own carry along toys in a pilot suitcase. (They know what's important to them)

Let them dictate where some of the things will go in their rooms. (I gave my daughters the 2 choices for bed placement and let them tell me which one they liked best.)

If you plan to paint their rooms. Show them some color choices that you have picked out (not the whole selection at the store) and let them deside which they like best.

The whole theme of these is ask their opinion on the things that they can change. It will make them feel more a part of the process.

Let them help pack their rooms. Then let them color on the boxes. That gives them something to do, plus it makes their things visible.

Have their things packed on the truck as close to last as possible so their rooms can be set up first. Or set it up ahead of time if your move allows that.

It is not easy, but it can be fun. Let them be as involved as possible. If they have concerns, address them immediately. Focus on all the GREAT things about the new house to alleviate the concerns over leaving the old one.

I left a gift on the beds of my children when they first came to the new house & saw their rooms.

Coloring on the boxes was huge for my kids. good luck! you will be fine!

Explain to them that you will be moving to a new house. Tell them that you have to pack all of your belongings to be able to move them to the new house. If you can pack a box for each person with necessities and a few fun things, like clothes, pajamas and a special stuffed animal or favorite toy or books for them to have quick access to when you move. I would also packed a kitchen one with throw away plates, bowls, cups and silverware and something easy to prepare for dinner. Possibly even a crockpot meal that you could take already in the crockpot and ready to go just plug it in and let it cook all day while you move. Then when its time to eat you have it all together in one place and no dishes to mess with. I saw some crockpot liners the other day to make clean up even easier. Good Luck!

sahm this means single at home mother and the next sentence you said you was married which is it....

I have been married 22 years and have moved 15 times! Six of those times with children. The best thing we found was to simply prepare for the unexpected. My oldest was a good adjuster and things like that rarely affected him. My middle son would simply be overly curious, so I tried to make time helping him "discover" his new world and make it a happy time. He loved the out doors, so we went looking for stuff in nature. My youngest had the most challenging time. He was two when we changed states. He did not adjust well. He quit taking naps and was grouchy a lot. I was home schooling at the time, so I was pretty flexible. I made it a point to do things that he enjoyed, and most of all, get on a routine and a schedule. He never did take another nap, but he found security in a schedule and his fits waned a bit. The hardest adjustment was daddy's new work schedule. We did not have access to him the way we were accustomed. So, when he was around, he made sure to spend lots of good quality time with his boys. Just embrace it. Let them see you happy about it since they draw so much security from how mom and dad feel. If you need to decorate or paint, include them. Just be consistent with whatever discipline you currently use realizing that is also a part of stability - not seeing you shift your habits. Good luck!