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Anxiety in Children: Moving Day

Anxiety in children is very common and is linked to their temperament and various environmental factors. The effects of childhood anxiety can have a major impact throughout life. There are a number of things parents can do to prevent normal anxiety from impairing healthy development.

Use a positive approach

Every family experiences stressful life events such as school, moving, divorce, and death. Your children will go through these situations with different eyes. They will need to learn how handle the stress and uncertainty. Parents can help by and modeling a positive outlook and filtering the weight of stressful situations.

When you see a major change on the horizon, help your child become familiar with what is taking place. Visiting a new home or school ahead of time is a good first step. Taking small steps is a way for children to experience risk and have success in coping with stressful situations. Don't force your child if there is already a deep fear. The process will have to be gradual and be carried out in a supportive, safe environment.

Be attentive to concerns

Listen patiently when your children share their concerns. Let them know that you hear them and understand their fears. Recall positive experiences that you have had. Share details that show a happy and successful conclusion.

Be attentive to their reactions. Anxiety in children may be expressed through behaviors such as aggression, tantrums, defiance, or school avoidance. The tendency is to handle this behavior as independent from the new changes coming up. Dealing with the anxiety of the new event could resolve these negative issues.

The following example about relocation demonstrates techniques that can help reduce anxiety in children.

Moving Anxiety

Moving can be very stressful for everyone involved. It can be especially so for kids. They often feel that have no say in what is happening. Everything is decided for them. There are a number of ways that your kids can be involved and be part of this important transition. Consider the following anxiety reducing steps.

Let them know what is going to happen
Make sure that you give quality time to your children, addressing their concerns and fears. Give them time to express their feelings. Their questions be simple at first. How far is it? Where is my new school? Is there a swimming pool near by? As they think about it more, they may ask, "Are we taking the dog?" and "Why are we moving?".

Be willing to spend the time to deal with every question. Be honest and open in sharing your own concerns as well as the positive excitement you feel about the decision to move. Modeling a confident attitude can be contageous and help your kids through this important change. Family meetings provide an opportunity for you and your children to brainstorm and communicate together.

Let them make decisions
Give your child a plan for their room. Providing your child with as much information as you can about the new house will help them contribute to the decision process before hand, such as where to place furniture and what color to paint their walls. Encourage them to make cut-outs of everything in their room so they can rearrange things before move day.

Let them help with the packing Ask them to make decisions on what to take and what to throw away. Give them the option of selling items at a garage sale. For belongings to be moved, show the children how to pack and label each box. Children will find it easier to do these tasks if the entire family is also involved. Packing may be a drudgery for some. Plan fun activities to reward them like having a movie night.

Let them Say Goodbye Leaving does not mean that your children can't stay in contact with the people they know. Setup a special address book for neighbors, friends, and others that they know. You as parents can do the same thing. Remind them know that they can easily stay in touch from their new location.

Still, saying goodbye is going to be hard. Help your child plan how they want to say fairwell. Some may want a fun outing while others prefer having a few close friends over for a special party. You can plan multiple events for different friends or groups to you have spent time with. Saying goodbye is an important step in showing that you care about your childrens feelings and for their friends.

Planning the moving process carefully is important for reducing stress and anxiety in children.

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