Today’s moving tips for parents are brought to you via a guest post by Ricardo Gonzalez of uShip.com.

Ricardo writes content for the household moving (http://www.uship.com/moving) portal at uship.com.

Moving is stressful. There is a lot to do, and never enough time to do it: packing your belongings,coordinating with movers, cleaning. There’s too much to do, and usually not enough time or money to do it with. Packing up your entire life and changing locations is stressful for everyone involved, and children are no exception. One of your many responsibilities during this time is to help your children understand what is happening, and deal with their unique concerns and needs.

Different concerns from different ages
The concerns of your children can vary wildly with age. Toddlers may be worried about leaving a special toy behind, and some may even be concerned that you will leave them behind when you leave. Young adults and teenagers will be less concerned with the moving process, but might feel angry and depressed; they’ve spent considerable time with building a social network and carving out a niche, and may resent the move. It is important to understand their concerns and not dismiss them. It is true that your teenager will make new friends, but to them no friends will ever be as important as their friends today.

Tell them early, and ask them for help
Even if your decision to move is not set in stone, let your kids know about the possibility. The sooner they know, the easier they will be able to adapt and get accustomed to the idea. Come up with ways that they can help with the moving process so that they are part of it, and not just affected by it. Older children can join you in house hunting, give you their opinions, and understand your own preferences. Younger children can get involved making crafts for your new home. These can help them to feel pride in their new house and take ownership of it.

Get them excited about their new home
If you are moving to a different city, try to find fun activities in your how hometown. Show them some special places and events and let them each choose one that they would like to do when you arrive. Once you have picked your home, ask them how they would like to arrange the furniture and decorate their rooms. Building positive anticipation can go a long way towards making them more comfortable with the move.

Saying goodbye
Before you leave, give your children one last chance to visit their favorite parks, restaurants, and friends. Don’t forget to bring a camera and take lots of pictures to help them understand that they will always have memories. Take them through your house and talk about various memories that you’ve had, and the excitement of creating new memories in your next house.

Create an ‘Essentials’ box
Give each of your children a box for their essentials which will contain a change of clothes and some toiletries. Tell them that the rest of the box is up to them to fill with their favorite stuff.  This can contain their favorite stuffed animals, books, movies, games, et cetera. When you arrive at your new house, have them unpack this box first. This will help them to make their new space feel more like home.

After the move
Once you are all settled in, make sure your kids get back into a routine as soon as possible. They need to know that you changed houses, but the rules and routines are still the same. Set up play dates for your younger children with neighbors’ or coworker’s kids. Encourage your teenagers to become active in before and after school activities so that they can quickly meet people with their same interests.

A move is a stressful experience, but it is also a wonderful opportunity for a new life. Helping your kids have as smooth of a move as possible may be a bit time consuming, but they are the most important thing in your life, so make sure you set aside the time for them. A little extra effort on your part can make a huge difference in how they feel about the move.