How-To

Guide to Moving With Young Children

When moving with young children, it can be an overwhelming experience. It is best to focus on stability and shedding as much stuff as possible, but it is important to do so without sacrificing your child’s comfort. When possible, let your child keep certain items they’ve grown accustomed to. You can also act out the explanation of the move with toys. It is important to stay neutral and listen to your child’s concerns.

Talk to your Kids

The biggest step to ensure a smooth transition is to talk to your kids. When it comes to moving, children don’t understand what’s going on and they may express their frustrations and fears through play. By talking to your child and letting them express their emotions, you will help them process their feelings and prepare them for the new location. Involving them in the move is a great way to create excitement and minimize anxiety.

Make School Transition Easy

Before the move, make sure your child has time to adjust to the new school. Children will be more easily transitioned if the new school is near their current school, however this may not always be the case. Visit the school before the move so you can meet the teachers and principal. If your child is frightened of the change, consider inviting them to attend a tour of the new school before moving. Another way to make the transition easier for your children is to hold a “goodbye” party with his class before moving. Planning a get-together will ensure that the children have a good time saying goodbye to their old community.

Get them involved in the packing process

When moving with young kids there may be plenty of things on your to-do list but that doesn’t mean you may have to sort and pack everything yourself, get the kids involved in the moving process. Packing can be stressful for both parents and children, so make sure to have an organized system in place. Make it fun and give them responsibilities to sort toys and books in their own box. Get them to help label boxes and have them organize their own emergency box where they have access to things they quickly need on moving day, such as comforters, toiletries, change of clothes, colouring books, toys, etc.  By allowing your children to sort their items and take part in the experience, you will avoid a stressful moving experience.

Organize a baby sitter on moving day

One of the best ways to make moving day go smoothly is to have someone else care for your children. I don’t think your local Melbourne removalists would appreciate young kids running around when furniture is being moved, it could become a hazard for children and the moving company wouldn’t want to be legally liable for any injuries should they occur.  Another reason why is to allow you and your partner to focus on the move without having to worry about entertaining your kids, this would certainly speed up the process and might save you a decent amount in moving costs. If you don’t have family or friends who can help, consider hiring a professional babysitter for the day, make sure you organize this well in advance to ensure the children are taken care of.

Moving home is never a walk in the park let alone moving your family, it can be filled with stress and emotion. Making it as comfortable for young children as it possibly can make the experience more bearable for everyone. Hopefully, these tips will make moving day go a little bit smoother and take some of the stress away.

How To Cope With The Transition To Parenthood

One of the biggest challenges new parents face is the fact that they are physically exhausted. Besides the physical challenge, adjusting to life with a new baby also includes learning to be patient and to change your eating habits. But despite all these challenges, these parents find time to find joy in being a parent. Here are some tips on how to cope with the transition to parenthood:

Work-family balance

Adding a new child to your family is an exciting and deeply rewarding experience. But, for many new parents, it can also leave them worried about maintaining their professional performance and giving full attention to their new family. Maintaining a healthy work-family balance is essential for both family and career happiness. Here are a few ways to maintain work-life balance after bringing a new child into your life. These tips will help you achieve the perfect work-family balance.

First, consider establishing a plan. Discuss your goals with your partner and family. Then, determine how much time you can set aside for personal care. It may be impossible to schedule a full-fledged massage, but you must make room for this. Ideally, you should plan at least one event per week. 

Developing patience

One way to develop patience is by modeling it yourself. It’s easy to snap at your children, but this only reinforces your impatience. You have to learn to practice patience yourself before you can expect the same behavior from them. It’s also helpful to make a list of the scenarios you find difficult to be patient with. Then, create a plan to handle these challenging situations in a more patient manner.

Children learn through imitation, experience, and modeling. Developing patience as a parent can help your child understand these things and model them for life. It’s important to be present with your child at all times, even if you’re busy with other things. Always make eye contact with your child, which lowers frustration and shows them you’re present and engaged. It also teaches your child that waiting can be hard, but in the long run, patience is the best way to handle tough situations.

Setting a good example

Parents are the first role models for their children, and they spend more time with their kids than any other group. Children follow parents without even knowing it and imitate behaviors that they see them doing. Despite the fact that we don’t have to be perfect all the time, we must remember our children’s needs, interests, and expectations, and reflect those in our choices. Setting a good example is essential for raising happy children.

As a parent, you are the most important role model for your children, and you can set a good example in the simplest ways. Paying it forward and giving a genuine compliment are some of the best ways to start. Then, gradually move on to more difficult tasks, such as modifying your lifestyle and reducing your bad habits. Your kids will benefit from your example as much as you will benefit from their own good example.

Changing your diet

Changing your diet when you become a mother or father is something many new parents struggle with. Children are no longer rebels, but they are still very much influenced by their parents, and you can use this opportunity to educate your child on the importance of nutritious foods. You can make changes to your diet as a parent and a grandparent to teach your children about the benefits of good nutrition. If you want to educate your child about the importance of healthy food, here are some ideas:

You can start by creating a meal plan and sticking to it. Try to find a healthy meal that fits your family’s schedule. You can either prepare your own meal at home or order in from your favorite restaurant. Teaching young children positive food choices from a young age will give them the knowledge to be able to make their own healthy food choices. This will give them more opportunities to live a healthier and active lifestyle as they grow.

Finding new friends

Being a parent, life can sometimes be so busy that you don’t get many opportunities to catch up with friends. Especially if your friends don’t have children yet, you may grow further apart and have less things in common. However, making the effort to catch up with friends and have an overdue conversation with another adult can often give you the energy and break the cycle of being a parent 24/7. The best part is that there is a whole different community you are introduced to when you become a parent. Parents get along with other parents and can relate to one another. Joining a mothers or fathers group with parents who have similar-aged children can give you an outlet to share experiences and listen to each other’s concerns and opinions. It could also give you back your sanity knowing you are not alone and knowing there are other people out there who are experiencing the same problems as a parent.

There is a lot to take in when you become a parent, although there are daily challenges and struggles at times, the joy it brings cannot be matched with any other experience. Being a parent can ultimately change the lifestyle you once had, however it begins another chapter filled with joy through ups and downs that would be challenging at times but also well worth it in the end.