Whether you’re preparing for a move or helping your child understand a friend moving away, these ideas for moving with kids are helpful for tackling the topic!
For the last 9 years Kentucky has been our home. So many memories made, babies born, and friends we love. But being 2,000 miles away from grandparents and cousins has been hard and we’ve always hoped to be closer to our extended families.
At the end of this summer, a job opportunity/offer came as a complete surprise, but was EXACTLY what we’ve prayed for, for many years. We knew saying goodbye to our Kentucky home would be heartbreaking, but also that it was time for change.
So August and September were a whirlwind of action and emotion as we packed up and sold our Kentucky house, drove across the country to Washington (state), started a new job, and made an offer on a new-to-us house.
Although I’ve moved several times in my life, this one was one of the hardest. It was the longest we had stayed in one place, and I’d grown emotionally attached. However, I could see the big picture and knew it was the right decision for our family.
Ideas for Moving with Kids
My kids had a harder time seeing it. Some were excited about the new “adventure,” but others were devastated about leaving the only home they remember (our oldest was 3 when we moved to Kentucky). And so I’ve tried to be extra sensitive about talking, reading, and purposefully planning activities to help the transition go a little smoother.
Here are some things we did:
Pack a Special Box
You can probably imagine having 6 kids means we have A LOT of STUFF. But moving a lot of stuff across the country is also really expensive. And so to keep things under control we gave each child a special box to fill with their personal, favorite items. 
To make it totally fair (cause you know they’ll notice!) we bought 6 identical boxes so there would be no fighting over who got the biggest box, etc. And then after their boxes were filled — their other things went to the yard sale or donate piles. Honestly, I was shocked that it went as well as it did, and gave us perspective on what they REALLY love and how much we really needed to take to our new home.
Write Letters to Old Friends
Saying goodbye to friends has been the hardest part of this move. So many people we love!
One day I was talking with my 6-year-old who was feeling homesick and worried her friends would forget her.
I told her about all the times I’d moved as a kid and how I’d written penpal letters to my far-away friends to stay in touch. (Shew, it sounds so old-fashioned . . . but oh, I LOVED writing/getting those letters!). And so we decided to send her friends a card to let them know about her new home and then spent the next hour coloring/writing.
This printable is definitely situation specific. . . but if you’re looking for a way to help your kiddos feel more connected after a move. . . please print and enjoy!
GET the free printable
SAVE for later
Read Children’s Books about Moving
Picture books can go a long way in talking about the topic of moving and what to expect during/after the move. They’re always my go-to, especially when I’m not sure how to explain something. Books just have that magical power of teaching without seeming to be teaching! 😉
Learn more about some favorite children’s books about moving.
Save these ideas for later.
Dream about our New Home
Even though choosing a new home was ultimately up to my husband and me (and our budget!), I wanted to keep the conversation open with the kids so they felt like they had some buy-in. . . . even if it just mean giggling about what our “dream” house would look like. To help with this, we turned to some more of our favorite books!
If you don’t have this book yet, add it to your wishlist! The vintage-style illustrated story is SO beautiful as it goes through descriptions of different kinds of homes — but it ends with the “best” kind of home (the one we live in together!). Good way to chat about dream houses, but ultimately the most important “feature” in our new house — that we’re together.
As a fun after-story activity, the last page gives ideas for “building” a (pretend) home. SO fun for helping kids get creative and use their imagination. After reading/discussing the picture book, my younger girls immediately went in search of a box big enough to “build” a house/fort. And then later we “built” paper/paint homes using a simple printable template. Fun, fun, fun.
Make a New Routine
As soon as we got semi-settled in the new house, we worked hard to make cozy new spaces and predictable (yet flexible — ’cause, kids!) routines.
This has looked like:
- popcorn and smoothies on Sunday nights while reviewing the weekly calendar
- starting new schools
- attending to church together
- scheduling cousin time!!
- going to library storytime
- joining a preschool co-op
- enrolling in ballet and gymnastics classes
- weekly date night for mom and dad
- monthly “date” with mom OR dad for EACH kid
- re-establishing the chore chart
A few weeks in, I can honestly say it hasn’t been perfect, or even smooth. But we’re getting there. And with consistency and intention, it gets better every day.
Do you have ideas for moving with kids? I’d love to hear in the comments!!
loved all the helpful tips!
Welcome (back?) to the PNW! Not sure what part of the state you landed in, but I’m praying your family is able to find a new rythym quickly, and “new” becomes “routine” sooner than later!
Blessings!