We always knew we would have to move from our home. In fact, we had hoped that we would only be in our rental for a year or two max. A year turned into four before we finally moved to our new house. My biggest concern was how Aiden would handle the change. He is generally adaptable but he also likes routine so it was important to us to make the transition as seamless and (more importantly) fun as possible. This is how we introduced our preschooler to our new home.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog!
How to Help a Preschooler Cope with Moving:
1. Talk About Moving
There was not a lot of time between the time we started looking at houses to when we had our offer accepted. As soon as we knew we were going to put an offer in on a house we started bringing it up in conversation. I should also mention that over the last year anytime Aiden asks why we go to work that we are saving money for a new house with a backyard, basement, and hose (his requests :lol:).
2. Spend Some Time in a Familiar Place Between the Transition
We are fortunate to live very close to grandparents so we had a place to stay between houses. We ended up staying at the grandparents’ house starting on Christmas Eve for about two weeks while we cleaned up our rental and moved into the new house. The one good thing about moving during the holidays was that it was busy and Aiden had a great time with family. He knew we were moving but I think staying somewhere familiar before moving straight into a new home helped soften the shock a bit.
3. Set Up the Children’s Spaces Before Moving In
You know you are a parent when your number one priority is setting up a playroom and kid’s bedroom. Our first two projects were the basement playroom and Aiden’s bedroom. We wanted his spaces to feel like home with all of his things in them. He didn’t even see the inside of the house until we finished those spaces. We got him a new (super awesome) big boy bed for his new room to get him excited. His reaction was the best!
4. Give a Little Welcome Gift from the House
Whenever we have big change I try to make it as fun as possible. We got Aiden a little welcome gift from the house. He received the book A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle and a Fisher-Price DIY Toolbelt. The book is perfect for the situation because it is about a hermit crab who has to move to a bigger shell — just like we had to move to a bigger house and we got the toolbelt so that Aiden could “help” dad with ALL the projects we have on our to-do list (so many projects). He loved the toolbelt even more than I thought he would and he loves helping dad put things together (he is pretty good at it too!)
Overall the transition seems to have gone really well. He loves his new playroom and bedroom. He is excited for summer so he can play in the backyard with his hose 😆
Have you moved a pre-school aged child to a new space? I would love to hear your experience and tips in the comments.
If you liked these tips on how to help a preschooler cope with moving, check out Top 10 Best Gifts for a 4 Year Old Boy on Amazon and How to Create a Family Emergency Escape Plan and Why you Should Practice It.
To follow our daily adventures follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
