Don’t turn moving house with children into a drama. If you have to live out a scenario, turn the story into a great adventure for you and your children.

Moving house is quite a challenge, even when you’re alone, or are just a couple. The challenge is even greater if there’s a child involved, no matter what age. But if the move is necessary, it’s also necessary to face it in the best possible way, so that, in the end, you’ll have the good feeling of being in a new house, with a good start of a new life for you and your children. No matter how challenging the practical part of moving, the dislocation and transportation of your belongings, may seem to you, the positive side is still the most important: the move itself only lasts a day or two, but the fact of living in a new place is marked and is well absorbed by a child who is more open to change.

Play fair and be positive

Dialogue is always the best way to help children understand. Therefore, don’t underestimate their feelings and opinions, always be forthright and involve them in the process. An important step is taking them to see their new home before moving in. There, show them all the advantages of the house and the place, talking about the opportunities they’ll have for playing and making new friends. Besides that, whenever you talk about moving in their hearing, avoid a negative tone. If there’s a strong attachment to the present residence or neighborhood, remind them that they can always visit, and that their ties to the place won’t be broken.

Seek help for the move

A valuable tip to make your life easier is to count on help. If you feel the move is too heavy a burden for you to shoulder alone, seek professional help and leave the packing of your belongings, the dismounting and mounting of your furniture, and their transportation in the hands of specialized professionals.

Before you move

Separate what you’re taking yourself from what will be taken by the movers. Pack a bag for yourself and another one for the children, with clothes, diapers, towels, etc. Let the children take part in choosing the toys they want on hand. For the adults, separate jewelry, cameras, computers, documents and other valuable belongings. Depending on how far away you’re moving, prepare a food kit.

Best time for moving

It isn’t always easy to choose when to move, but, ideally, it should be done during the children’s school vacation. If possible, avoid adding the move to other big changes in a child’s life, such as toilet training, stopping breast feeding, or changing from cradle to bed.

Moving day

If possible, leave the children with a family member or close friends. The ideal is to leave the children in a comfortable place, at least on the first day, so you are free to clean and arrange your new home.

Moving done and house set up

Listen to your child: with the house all set up, show it to the child room by room, listening to his (her) opinions, and asking for suggestions. It’s also nice to let the child decide on the decoration of his (her) bedroom, encouraging him (her) to take an active part in the new home, creating a feeling of belonging.

Starting life in a new neighborhood

Explore the neighborhood and its surroundings. Show the children a map and point out all the positive aspects. Later, go on tours of the neighborhood and of attractive places nearby, such as shopping malls, beaches, parks and squares.

Don’t disown the past

If possible, don’t cut the ties your children have to friends in the old neighborhood. Invite their friends to visit the new house, and take your children to spend an afternoon in the old neighborhood, to show them that the friendships continue, though farther apart.

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Learning another language is the main factor if you’re planning to adapt to a new life in a foreign country. Since language is the main tool for communication, it’s the best companion for those who are moving to a new home and must adapt to their future neighbors. But how can you be successful in this difficult task? Check out our tips for optimizing your learning.

Practice is everything. You must have heard that the best way to learn is by repetition. In the case of languages, this saying is especially true. Therefore, let’s follow these tips from the best language teachers: practice, practice, and practice. Pay attention: this doesn’t mean repeating words by rote, it means that learning comes from the understanding of every expression, that is, what it means in the target culture.

The above statement is based on neuroscience, which advises those who wish to be fluent in another language to assimilate the new culture, which can be done even before landing in another country. Start with music, and discover the magic world of understanding what the singer is saying in his verses when before you were only interested in the melody. Since songs remain in one’s mind, follow the original verses in writing, comparing them to their translation, and understand the composer’s inspiration.

Still according to science, you can also assimilate culture through videogames, a computer, or apps, configuring them in the desired language. Also watch films many times over without subtitles, which have expressions adapted to our own language. Remove the subtitles as soon as the scenes and dialogues of the film are “fresh in your mind”. Also read texts published in local sites.

Lastly, though it might seem pedantic, be the person who thinks of replies with expressions from the foreign language during a conversation with friends or workmates. You needn’t verbalize them, but just think how a native speaker would use them. Neuroscience points out that the use of the new language in a comfortable situation, that is, in your own country or through communication with friends, makes the words flow more naturally in the process of learning. Another tip is to think of replies to the actors’ speeches in series or films, “talking” to the TV set. In this case, say the words aloud, to practice speaking.

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Moving house is a challenge. Moving to another city is an even greater challenge. No matter that novelty always brings possibilities for a better life, it’s scary, isn’t it? Not even the opportunity for learning a new culture, adopting new habits, besides the chance for a healthier, calmer life, lessen the fear of the still unknown. Moreover, the main thing: beginning life again, leaving behind all that was bad in the old city, neighborhood and house. Sometimes, not even these advantages seem to tranquilize completely those who are going to build a new home in an unfamiliar ambience.

For instance, one of the major worries for someone who is moving to a new town is leaving behind the physical company of friends, which is natural. After all, people can’t be replaced like houses. Missing someone can only be remedied by being with the person again. And that’s the case. Even if the companionship isn’t as frequent as before, the friendship will live on and can be refreshed by occasional visits to each other.

Furthermore, it’s always good to remember that, before building up a friendship, you also went through the experience of meeting and having a relationship with someone until you finally considered him/her a friend. With this in mind, the main thing is to be open to new friendships, and not to despair. There are specific places that facilitate meeting new people, based on the repetition of the meetings: at work, at school, and in the neighborhood around you.

For those who are communicative, any place is good for meeting people, whether on public transport that is often used, or at a bakery or a newspaper stand. However, if you are more timid, a good bet is meeting people who share your interests and passions. For this, it’s a good idea to enroll in a language course, a dancing or singing class, a gym, or whatever your hobby might be.

It’s much easier to have talking points in common with someone who shares your tastes and will be at your side, even if as a stranger at first. Another good bet is frequenting ambiences that are more favorable and receptive to an exchange of words, such as a café near your home, a little bar at happy hour, or outdoor venues, such as parks and squares near your house. Anyway, do not despair! Soon you’ll have someone to share your day with, never forgetting the old friends you left behind.

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