Moving with school-age kids in Greater Vancouver, BC or elsewhere in Canada establishes a set of obstacles that you will have to overcome.

Before the move

School, Timing And Tough Decisions

School changes everything, doesn’t it? When your child reaches the age of five or six, school takes center stage in their life and a large portion of your kid’s attention and energy will shift away from the close-knitted family environment. Your child will become more and more independent with each passing year, their self-confidence and social interactions will continue to grow while the fears and self-doubts will start to melt one by one.

When planning to move house with your school-age child, it’s fundamental to pick up the right timing for the relocation. Of course, sometimes the decision to move is out of parents’ hands and they cannot choose or control the timing of the local relocation in Greater Vancouver or cross-country move in Canada. And yet, if you do have a control over the exact moment of relocation, make sure you weigh in the school factor of your kid.

Some Greater Vancouver moving experts swear that the summer period is the best time to move house because that way the school year of your child won’t be disrupted. Other specialists say that a midyear move is the better option since the school-age child can meet other students immediately and that will help them acclimatize much more quickly to the unknown environment.

Discuss the move with your child

Depending on the exact age of your child, they will have a much better understanding of the world in general than a toddler. So, take advantage of your kid’s expanded horizons and discuss the upcoming transition in order to get them ready for the move. Naturally, your child may feel confused and will ask you tons of questions. Provide truthful answers and try to give as much specific information about the imminent change as possible.

Use words and phrases that you are certain your school-age kid will understand and focus on the positive aspect of the relocation – a nicer school, better friends, more exciting adventures. If you have a preschooler and you sense that your explanations sound too complicated for them to comprehend, then you can intentionally keep your language simpler or even make up an entertaining story with toy cars and trucks and doll houses to better visualize the upcoming family relocation adventure.

Get your school-age child to help with the moving preparations, especially during the packing process. Of course, packing their room will be entirely their obligation. The important thing here is to keep them involved in the move, to make them feel useful and an important part of the family adventure. Don’t forget to encourage them for a job well done.

Also, pack together a box with all the essential things your kid might need during the relocation trip or the first day at your new home. However, this time you won’t be packing diapers, wet wipes and baby food. There’s no way to forget the toys, but now the toys will be much more high-tech ones, such as a music player, a smartphone, a portable game console or even a tablet. Also, make sure you also take prescription medicine and a change of clothes.

Do your best to spark their interest and curiosity about the new home, neighborhood or city. If it is a local move, it’s a good idea to take your school-age child for a short trip there. It’s like a sneak peek of the brand new life that is awaiting you all. List all the fun things you will do together, the new school friends your child will soon make, visit the future school they will be attending (if you have selected a school yet). Try to make your child see that the upcoming changes will be for the better.

For a long distance move, you can search photos or videos of the new city or even use state-of-the-art applications like Google Street View to show the house or apartment building your youngster will soon be calling home.

Gather all necessary documents that you will need to choose a new pediatrician or enroll your child in the new school in one folder – school records, birth certificate, medical records, etc. Keep the documents with you at all times.

Moving day

The time has come to start the family car and drive to the destination city. The moving journey can last from several hours to a few days depending on the distance, but here’s what you need to know when moving house with a school-age child.

If you’re not in a great hurry to reach your destination, then why don’t you plan your road trip in a way that will let you visit historic landmarks and places of great interest in another city or another state? After all, your move will give the unique opportunity to pass through amazing places you may never see again in your life. Surely, visiting local attractions along the road will bring excitement and thrills, and will scare away any dark thoughts from your and your child’s minds.

Boredom could be an issue if the trip lasts for hours and hours. And while frequent stops along the way can be a temporary solution to this problem, a more permanent one is to think of various ways to have fun while on the road. And the king of all entertainment is… games. Who doesn’t like playing games? Kids love them, but most adults can’t get enough of them either. And while standard board games are out of the question, road trip games will be the way to go. Rock, paper, scissors, Team storytelling, License plate game, Fortunately-unfortunately and so on will shorten the relocation journey considerably.

After the move

The adjustment period of school-age children usually lasts longer than that of toddlers, and hits with a greater force. During that time of constant changes, it’s very important that you devote more time to your youngster, give them extra attention and assure them that you are there for them.

Let your child be actively involved in arranging and decorating their own room. This major task will occupy your child’s mind and let them feel an important part of the house arrangements after the move.

If you haven’t already done so before the family relocation, your most important post-move mission is to find a good school for your schoolboy or schoolgirl. The Internet is a great start to start the hunt but friends, coworkers or neighbors will be able to give you useful recommendations as well. Once you have shortlisted a number of educational institutions, take your child and do the school tours together.

When the school year begins, encourage your child to participate in useful extracurricular activities, such as sports, arts, music and so one, which will give them the chance to direct their energy towards constructive things, find new friends faster and keep their minds away from sad thoughts about what was left behind. Be mindful that such activities will often require active involvement on the parents’ part as well, most frequently in terms of time and money.

Pay a visit to the new family pediatrician for a full medical checkup of your child.
When moving with a preschooler or school-age kid, the transitional period may take much longer that you expected. Some school-age children adapt much faster to their new surroundings, while others need much more time or even professional help to rediscover their inner rhythm. In general, it is expected that children should feel comfortable in a new school in about 6-7 weeks. It’s of utmost importance that you sit down and talk with your child on a regular basis and encourage them to be open about any concern they may have without fear of reproach or punishment.

Original source: https://www.mymovingreviews.com

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Greater Vancouver Moving Tips: Moving With Kids – Practical Guide With Tips