In a previous blog I wrote about moving with children and some ways to help make it easier on the family as a whole but specifically the children.
Let's face it when we are moving, whether across town or across the country we become all focused on the myriad details, stressing over the buying trip, the packing, the actual move. Children and pets kinda get misplaced in the shuffle.
Our last move was from Chicago to the DC area. We had a 12 hour drive ahead of us, traveling with two dogs and two boys. Yippee. I know many of you are envious of me and wished that you had been in my shoes!
Some of the ways we made is easier was by leaving right after school on a Wednesday-our closing was scheduled for Friday-and since the Chicago schools got out three weeks earlier than Bristow, VA we were enrolling my kindergartener in school for the final weeks to become acquainted with riding a bus, the school and to make friends We left right after school. It was tough on my son but it offered him time to reflect by himself; it is very important that the kids be allowed to grieve (even while we emphasize looking forward to the next "big adventure").
We had small gifts for the boys to open each hour of the trip. The first six hours the boys got presents reminding them of the neat places that we used to frequent. Some of the gifts were books on places such as Cantigny Park-an amazing place to visit in the western suburbs of Chicago that is dedicated to the Big Red One, the famous First Infantry Division. Cantigny has about 20 tanks that kids can climb all over, beautifully landscaped grounds to play on, an incredible museum and a mansion! We also gave them water globes from the Shedd Aquarium, coloring books from the area and the like.
We did break for a good night's sleep-except we picked the worst flea bag in the country to stay at...YUCK- I couldn't wait to get out of there the next morning. I don't think we even spent 6 hours in the room. We hit the road pretty early. So here's a tip... research possible overnight stops in advance!
When we got to hour 7 we began to concentrate on our new home. The gifts now switched over to all the great places we could go to in northern Virginia and the DC area. Postcards of the monuments in DC gave us plenty of opportunity to talk about how cool it was going to be to move so close to the Capital. The Air and Space Museum offered some neat airplane gummies that were a great treat for after breakfast. Or was it their breakfast? I can't remember! Another gift was a DVD (yes, we have a minivan with a DVD... which my 4 year old refers to as "Mommy's bus") that talked about tourist attractions in the DC area.
We made it to our hotel near our new home early Thursday and had lots of time to swim in the indoor pool and do some more exploring of our new hometown. We got the boys to bed early that night, trying to maintain their normal schedules and routines as much as possible. Here's another tip... kids flourish with set routines. Do what you can to maintain them. They provide a sense of normalcy and comfort.
So while you're dealing with all the details of the move, try to remember the little things that will make it an easier transition for the kids. And most importantly remember the kids. Don't do a Home Alone!!
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