Help Your Kids Cope with Moving to Jacksonville

No matter the size of the house, whether it is in a nice neighborhood, or the fun events Jacksonville has to offer, moving is hard on all family members. For your kids, it's hard to leave your favorite friends, places, and activities behind. If the move is a result of divorce or some other family misfortune, sadness could heighten the burden of moving for your child. As a parent, you can minimize the impact that moving to Jacksonville will have on your child by following some tips from All My Sons Jacksonville.

No matter the reason, coping will be especially hard on kids and even harder on small children. Small kids thrive on routine, and they have a sense of security that is tied closely to familiar faces and places. Older children feel the more social impact of a move to Jacksonville; they miss old friends and worry about making new friends. For pre-teens and teens, their utmost worry is fitting in and re-establishing themselves in a new social environment that in their minds, could spit them right out! Thankfully, there are things that you can do to help your kids cope with a new move, all geared towards different age groups.

1. Have an established routine for the first few months. This is for all children, but especially preschoolers and young children in primary school. Daily routines include waking up at the same time, and having breakfast and dinner at the same time. All My Sons of Jacksonville suggests that you try and serve similar foods and do your bed time routine at the same time. Younger children thrive on structure and schedules.

2. Allow your child to decorate his or her new room. This pertains to all children. By letting your child pick the paint color and bedroom theme for their new room allows them to be involved in the process. Make it fun by allowing them to choose funky fabrics or awesome posters that will get them excited about their new room, new home, new school, and their overall moving experience to Jacksonville.

3. Encourage contact with old friends. Arrange phone calls between old friends or even visits and sleepovers. If distance is an issue for physical arrangements, encourage your child to write letters and send photos. Kids find that being in contact with old friends makes them feel more comfortable and confident for making new friends.

4. Make it easy to make new friends. After moving to Jacksonville, opening the door for your child to make new friends will help dramatically. Jacksonville movers suggest that you encourage them to invite their new friends over or allow for special outings with new acquaintances.

5. Give your child a head start at the new school. Find out everything you can about their new school.

• Official and unofficial dress codes

• Activities, sports, and clubs

• Academic strengths and weaknesses

• Problems such as drugs, gangs, or bullying

One thing you will want to be active about with your new move to Jacksonville is communication! Always ask your child how they are feeling or how their day went. Communication is key to a happy and healthy new start for you and your family in a new city.