Florida's Spacecoast

Research has shown that moving is one of the most stressful events in anyone's life, and this is equally true for children. To help make this process as easy as possible for your children, the American Moving and Storage Association offers families advice that is useful and which can be readily applied.

Moving with Kids Tips

    *  Include the children in making plans for the move. For example, take
       them house-hunting with you.

    *  Help your child learn about the new area.

    *  Through play-acting with dolls, boxes and a wagon, children can get a
       feeling of "moving."

    *  Let the children help decide how their new rooms are to be arranged
       and decorated.

    *  Encourage children to exchange addresses and phone numbers with their
       friends.

    *  For each child, prepare a package containing snacks, some clothing
       and a few favorite toys for the move.

    *  Take a "family break" as soon as the major unpacking is done. Don't
       try to do everything when you arrive.

    *  Parents should spend time after the move listening to each child
       about new schools and new friends.

    *  Follow progress in new schools. Accompanying your child to school the
       first few days may ease tension.

    *  Any lingering abnormalities (loss of appetite, insomnia,
       constipation, diarrhea, menstrual disorder) should be reported to a
       doctor.

    *  If your move involves suburban to rural, or vice versa, caution
       children about new situations they will face.

Additional practical, objective tips on how to plan your move and safely choose a mover, including tips on packing and a countdown-to-moving-day calendar checklist, are available at AMSA's noncommercial website, http://www.moving.org/. The U.S. Department of Transportation also offers advice on moving, including how to avoid rogue movers, at its moving website, http://www.protectyourmove.gov/.

AMSA represents 3,500 moving and storage companies that provide household goods moving and storage services, and other logistics services throughout the United States and the world.

Source: American Moving and Storage Association

Web site: http://www.moving.org/
http://www.protectyourmove.gov/