Moving with Kids

Did you know that moving is one of the top five causes of stress? Helping your children cope with stress during and after the sale of your home will help alleviate some your own stress as well.

Here are some tips from the experts to help the transition go smoothly for your kids:

• A child should be informed of a move shortly after the decision has been made, according to Shari Steiner, co-author of the "Steiner's Complete How-To-Move Handbook." Discussing the possibility of a move only causes unnecessary anxiety.
• To minimize the stress that children feel when moving, parents should get children involved in their favorite activity--whether it be a sport, academics or drama--before the move actually occurs. Children can do research on the Internet to find out about events, teams and other interesting facts about their new area.
• Give children a chance to become familiar with the new area before moving. Taking a vacation or short trip to the area lets children get to know their new environment ahead of time.
• Allow children to stay with relatives or friends during the actual packing and loading. Most children don't react well to seeing their possessions packed into boxes and taken away.