Moving house with a 5 year old - any tips/hints/pointers as he's not impressed.

[Mrsdp123]

I've been trying to see if there is a scrapbook I can buy online or anything to make it more fun. My son has become obsessed with how much he misses our old car(!), how much he loves our front door (he has a point, the new one isn't great), one of his friends (who he doesnt even see that much) and he keeps writing me notes about having tummy ache. I know these are all symptoms of moving house and understandably he'd rather stay here with his friends and be where everything is familiar but what have people done to ease the moving process? I'm going to have his friends round for lunch and take some photos but am planning on shipping him off to his Grandparents with his younger brother just before we move so I can start finish the packing, so he won't have a task on moving day.

ds was 6 when we moved, and it was only when he was talking about a toy that was in the new house when we looked round, as if he was going to get to play with it, that I realised he thought we would be walking into the house as it was when he saw it - ie, gaining all their toys, but losing ours. Apparently this isn't uncommon, that small children haven't realised they take all their things with them, and their new room can be made to be much as their old room was.... might be worth a chat ?

When you move do his room first, make his bed, set up all of his stuff as much like his old room as you can. I know when the whole house is upside down unpacking toys is the last thing you want to do but it will really help reassure him that although the house has changed his little life will still go on much like it always has.

All of the above and also reassure him that it's okay to be sad and to miss the old house, perhaps empathise and say something that you'll miss about this house too.

There's also a book called Moving House - one of Usborne's First Experiences - that focuses on the disruption eg, the actual process of packing etc, that might help.

My dds didn't really like their new house until we decorated their rooms in colours of their choice. Weird really as our new house is much bigger with a garden 4 times the size of the old house. I guess kids don't like change. Agree with what posters said though, about setting out his new room as much like his old as possible, and unpacking toys.

Good luck :)

my niece thought a crane would come to move the house

How about getting a pet in the new house (if you haven't already got one and have the time to look after). We are moving back to the uk, and my 4yr old is getting a guinea pig - hopefully it will shift his focus and he can learn about looking after animals. Had thought about fish, but takes a lot to set up a tank.

Funny what kids obsess about!

This weekends obsession has been about how he'd like to be a girl when he moves to the new house....who knows what is going on in his brain! We'll plan on having his room done but we have to reassemble the bunk bed so he could be sleeping on the floor! His room will also need painting. We've involved him in some packing this weekend - nothing like a bit of child labour passed off as reassurance!

Hello Helpiammoving.com has a free moving scrapbook that you can print off for free plus job badges etc. www.helpiammoving.com/moving_house/moving_scrapbook.php

www.helpiammoving.com/moving_house/moving_house_badges.php

Hope this helps and hope all goes well with your move.

let him walk round and say goodbye to the old house and garden on the last day. Don't hurry him. It won't feel like home once the furniture and people have gone.

He might like to leave a plant or something for the new people.

Have his bunk bed put in last so it is first out of the van and get it put together asap. We had a box with bedding in so we literally put down the bed, fitted sheet onto the mattress and duvet out of the box and onto the bed. Ready for whenever they needed it.

I moved with 2 boys then aged almost 4 and almost 7 and we lived in a hotel for 3 weeks between houses due to completion dates not matching.

They learned that all our stuff was coming with us from the old house to the new one and that the baby wallpaper in their rooms would be changed. We moved in on the Wednesday and I redecorated ds2's room first, he shared with his brother for a couple of days. We didn't even put any furniture into his room so that it was empty for decorating.

Get him to choose a new bedroom colour scheme to make it exciting. I redecorated my two boys rooms in the exact same colour and wall stickers as the move was stressful, because my Mum had literally just died after battling cancer. They wanted familiarity.

I think you just have to focus on the positives and talk about "when we get to the new house we can...." etc, for us it was the size of the garden compared to the postage stamp one we had, that they would have a massive playroom, and we would now travel to school by car due to the distance we moved; like it was an adventure. Good luck!

Thank you for all the helpful hints and pointers.

We treat it as a big adventure every time. Every 18 months or so. The first move was when DS was about 5 and we took photos of the new house, found out where the parks were, showed him the new school on the interweb and made it clear that Nanny etc etc would all be down to visit.

The clinching kiddie factors in our moves are usually parks, amenities and the chance for new bedroom decor. We largely play 'house surprise' so we can't promise the earth bedroom or garden wise but we try and make it home for them as fast as possible once we're in. A good tip is 'bed bundles' for arrival, so favorite teddy, duvet covers and sheets are all together so once the beds are up they're made and their rooms are familiar straight away.

The nippers are all used to it-to the point that my daughter asks people how often they move..like it's totally the norm.