Some helpful tips on making the transatlantic move with your kids
Going to the store with kids is hard. Taking them to the beach is crazy. Moving across the ocean to Hawaii with them is one of the hardest things a human can do.
For kids, uncertainty makes them act up in a move. Their normal environment is gone, and they don't comprehend the future the way adults do. They can't understand total change because they haven't seen it before.
Prepare your children for the move and include them in making plans for the move. Get their input on the best way to say 'good-bye' to their old home. Don't just move out without having some kind of formal goodbye with the kids. They need closure.
Bring some things from home that remind them of their life. Pictures, toys, furniture, anything special to them that will help them feel familiar with their new environment. Try taking some dirt from the yard of your old house and planting it in the new yard. Take something from the old house, like a doorknob. (Make sure you install a new one for the new owner.)
Have them choose how their new bedroom will be arranged. Let them pick out some new furniture or paint.
Get your child an address book and help them collect phone numbers and addresses of their friends so they can stay in contact with them after the move.
Go to school with your children the first few days to help them adjust to their new classrooms and teachers.
Get your kids in AYSO or baseball or something other than school so they can meet lots of kids and get involved in the neighborhood.
Listen to your child's concerns on the move and discuss them. Don't discount them, just agree.
Maintain your child's daily routine as much as possible. Don't say things like, "well we don't do that anymore."
Moving stress can be more acute with older children, be sure to watch your children for loss of appetite, insomnia, and unexpected mood changes and consult a doctor or counselor if they persist.
Give you children packing duty, set aside a box or two that they can pack their favorite toys in.
Bring along travel games or other entertainment for the trip to your new neighborhood.
For the moving day, pack an ice chest with plenty of sandwiches, snacks and beverages.
Teach your children your new phone number and address.
Go on walks with your children in your new neighborhood. This gives them a chance to become familiar with their new neighborhood and they may even meet a new friend or two. Take them to the park and let them play for as long as they want. Take them to the beach (it's easier than moving.)
Give them a map and help them understand the streets. Let them get familiar with stores and playgrounds and schools.
Get VOIP. Voice over internet protocal is a phone service that allows you to talk to people for an unlimited amount of time, anywhere in the US for a flat fee. Your kids can call their friends and talk as much as they want.
Give them something new when you arrive. Maybe a bike, a surfboard, or a game. Something they can associate with their new home.
Tony Kawaguchi, M.Div., R.A. REMAX 808 Realty The best Real Estate office in Hawaii! 808-395-5776 alohatony@gmail.com
