Relocating is a big time in anyone’s life. It can be an exciting prospect with lots of promise for a future adventure. That said, it requires a lot of forethought and planning, especially when relocating with children. To help ease the process and hopefully make the relocation a little bit less stressful here is a checklist of things you need to do when relocating with kids. 

Photo credit Mart Productions from Pexels. 

Before you move there will be a lot of admin that you need to collate and organize. Here are some of the essentials;

• Schooling. School is one of the most important factors in a child’s life. It is where they spend the majority of their day and it can have a profound impact on their happiness and future.
  
  First of all, you will need to find a new school for your children. Where you can, involve them in the process so that they can visualize their new school. This will help them process the change and give them an idea of what to expect when the time comes to begin a new school
  
  You will also need to obtain their school records to take with you to their new school. You may also need to provide the name of the new school to your children’s school for their records.

• Medical. Another equally important service to consider is your child’s medical needs. You will need to find a new physician and dental practice that specializes in family dentistry and pediatric care.  You will also need to familiarize yourself with where the nearest emergency department and hospital is. Additional medical services such as eye care should also be considered.
  
  You should also stock up on prescriptions that your child has in case you are unable to refill these during the relocation or settling process. It may be that it takes time to register your children with a new physician and ensure all of their records are adequately transferred.

• Packing. This will form a big part of the move for everyone and if your children are willing and able it is a good idea to involve them in the process as much as possible. Allow them the opportunity to decide what they do and don’t want to take with them. Be sure you are aware of the sentimental and significant items that may need to travel with them in a small travel bag as opposed to with the remainder of the household contents.

• Goodbyes. Saying goodbye can be a difficult time for anyone but this can be especially hard for children to process. To try and lift the experience, why not arrange for a goodbye party or day out to shift the focus, and be sure to take lots of pictures that your child can take with them. If your child is feeling sad about the move and saying goodbye to friends and family it is important they understand that this is perfectly normal and that it is OK to be sad.