There are few things in life more disruptive to our daily routine and more important to the future of our lives and the lives of our families than moving. Today, moving is seen as extremely normal because it is extremely common, but this should not trivialize the endeavor itself. It still takes a lot of time and effort to complete a move, and there are still a lot of things a person thinks about before making a decision to relocate. Things like “how will my child react to all of this?”… It is a valid question. For that reason, we made this post about moving with kids to New Jersey.
New Jersey is a beautiful place to move to, but everything is a lot more difficult with kids. It is our hope that this post can help you learn how to do it with a child of any age under your care. We know it might seem overwhelming now. It is very easy for our minds to run wild. But we guarantee it is pretty easy to do it right when you do it step by step.
You are not in a hurry. You have all the time in the world to read this post and make your own plan!
Realize their perspective
So, first things first. To deal with moving with kids to New Jersey, you first need to understand exactly what your children are actually experiencing when movers New York come on that moving day, sometime in the future. Well, first off, like with yourself, for them to this will probably not be an individual experience. It will be connected with days and weeks that led to this (in their eyes) monumental event.
But, unlike yourself, they didn’t have to plan anything these days. They didn’t hunt for the right moving companies, picked the best route, compared the estimates, signed agreements, took inventory of the house possession, packed and unpacked, looked for storages, etc. You might think this is a relief! You would, quite possible, think of not having those responsibilities and such a complex operation such as a relocation breathing down your neck this hold time and relying upon you to be a good thing. But alas, not having any command of the process also has downsides your kid has to deal with.
First of all, they are not asked if they want to move. Or maybe a better way of putting is that they are moving even if the answer to this question is no. This is because, quite obviously, they are still dependent on you, the parent, to make decisions that will benefit them and the family. They are dependent. This literary means that their whole life is going to be uprooted and changed without any input from them. One does not need to think for very long as to why this might be problematic.
Now you understand the main conundrum that is happening in the head of still developing and still dependent person under your household, but you must have already asked this obvious question by now. Not all children are of the same age – are there differences, and if so, what are they?
Child ages and their influence on the process
Well, you are perfectly right. A kid/child has a wide array of possible meanings depending on which one of the child development stages the young person actually is.
So how do different ages of the children affect their reaction to the move? Well, we (in no scientific matter what so ever, but from experience) created three groups of children that are usually of the same exact reaction to the whole process.
- 0-5 years old. These are extremely young children. Of course, babies and toddlers are in need of constant care. During the moving process, they will still want to do things, play, demand their usual routine, etc. It is actually the routine changes while moving with kids to New Jersey that they will have the biggest problem with. However, if you somehow successfully keep the routine, you will find that they are pretty ok with the move. After all, they see no sense in calling a house a home if their caretakers – their family – is not there. As beautiful and maybe romanticized as this sounds, it’s true – their home is their family and that is mostly what they care about.
- 6-13 years old. This is the age at which children have found some identity outside the family group. They meet friends and kindergarten and elementary schools. People and things they prefer. This also goes for the homes that they live in. They have a preference. Moving with them is a little bit easier on the keeping-them-from-crying part, but they will feel the hit of moving just the same.
- 14-18 years old. Here, their identity is largely being built by outside factors. They found their long-term friends. Moving after-effects is the hardest on them, but they also deal with the stress of the move itself much better than the other two.
Project confidence
Returning now to the problem of agency. When you arrange the movers NJ to NY to relocate you and your family, they were probably not consulted. Do not get us wrong, this is a perfectly normal thing. A kid of 10 years knows little about how to pick a good moving company. However, they will feel left out of the decision-making process.
Now, if there is no way what-so-ever to include them, do this: portray confidence! This works with small children especially but will actually do the trick with older ones as well. When you seem to be as sure of the fact that the relocation to New Jersey is a good decision the same way you are sure that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow, your children will pick up on that. They could not be part of the process – but will know that you made the best decision possible.
This will put the sense of calm in their hearts. The world of adults is often a confusing place for them, and the only guide through the rough seas are you. Be the shining beacon you are in their minds and (with at least act that you do it) with absolute certainty guide them towards better things and safer shores.
We admit this metaphor is maybe a little bit deep, but remember that relocation is a through change to one’s lifestyle. And, once again, be reminded that the kids you are moving with did not choose this thing to happen to their lives. This is why you have to make sure they know that you know that this is for the best.
Moving with kids to New Jersey – let them research
However, there is something more you can do. If you can engage them with the process of moving, it would be of immeasurable help! The things are, you are not just moving your kids to New Jersey. Rather you are moving with kids to New Jersey. While they don’t get to make decisions that are that important, they can do many things to be part of the process. Chief among these, we feel, is for them to do some research about the place they are relocating to.
This will go best with children of the second and the third age group we mentioned (6-13 and 14-18-year-olds). This is because they are already writing and reading and, as a whole, capable of using the internet and computers. Why not let them do a useful experiment that will not just help with their acceptance of the moving process, but also practice and improve their capability of using the internet for research purposes.
Let them research New Jersey. How is the climate? The people? The food. What is the history of a neighborhood Chatham movers are moving you to, and the history of NJ itself? Maybe the location of their new school as well? All of this will involve them in the process of moving to an extent.
You could also encourage them to present you with this information. That way they will feel like an important part of the process, which will definitely make moving with kids to NJ easier.
Ask for help with packing
Want them to do something a little bit more concrete before and during the relocation by Bluebell Moving and Storage? Then why not invite them to help you with packing!
Packing is a pretty important part of the moving experience. Actually, as soon as somebody mentions moving, chances are you are immediately thinking of packed boxes. Why not have those little helpers around? They are not that good at packing, especially when they are very young, but they can participate in the simpler stuff. And if your kid is more of a creative spirit, then why not give them a task to “pretty up the boxes”. It will not do much in the sense of practical, useful achievement, but hey – why would somebody now want boxes with flowers and butterflies on them?!
Start early
The thing with moving with kids is that you have start early. Planning is even more important than ever and will lead to great benefits. Not only will you be ready for any surprises, but will have the opportunity to compare things like moving quotes NJ and capabilities of the movers you have on hand for longer before you choose the one you want.
So why not do exactly that? Start planning right away. What are you going to do? Who does what? What company will move you? Which route… all of those things have to be written down. Better now that latter!
New school and the new house
While you think of the storage NJ you are going to store the items that did not quite make it through the downsizing, you should also consider some other new spaces you will be using and how will your child react to them. A new school is a scary place, and you should help him/her/them to the best of your ability. Listen to their wishes. Do they want their parent at the school on the first day? Would they rather go alone and meet the class?
Furthermore, make sure that they are familiar with the new house. They should feel comfortable in their new home.
Their room – their toys – their agency
You don’t need professional packing services NJ to pack a kid’s room. All you need is patience, know-how and – their help? Yes, why not, it is their toys and their room, a perfect part of the relocation to give them agency in.
Let them pick what they like the most, help you pack them, etc. They will no doubt be very excited to open them again at the new home.
Find fun things to do in the new city
Don’t forget that there are loads of fun activities one can undertake in New Jersey. Be sure to try some as soon as you move, so your kid can get used to these new surroundings. It is also a wonderful bonding time. Child museums and Zoos are especially recommended, as well as the day on the beach.
Be outside the house on d-day
Use the moving day to get out of the house. Moving services NJ can do a lot of work on their own with proper instruction, no reason to stress around in the house.
Take your kid to some outside bonding time. They will remember it fondly.
To sum it all up
What it all comes down to is really knowing your own kid. All of them are different. They prefer and dislike different things. And while age groups have similarities, your child is unique and has unique demands. We hope this gave you the general idea of how to be moving with kids to New Jersey. We invite you to think of your own ways and perspectives. Furthermore, we hope that your move will be a great success and your kids happy and content before, during and after it!
