Hello everyone:

Here are some tips for moving to a new location if you have small children:

When I was in the process of becoming a suddenly single mom, my small son had an interesting comment as we prepared to move out of the apartment I had shared with my soon-to-be-ex-husband and into our new condo.

His father had left for greener pastures when our son was two; he was now three years old and I told him it was time to move on. He remarked, “But Mommy, if you move, who’s going to live with me?” It crushed my heart to think he was afraid that I was leaving him, as well.

Although I had planned on putting him with a sitter while we moved, I immediately changed my mind and had him become a part of the moving process. It would have been easier to let someone else keep an eye on him that day, but I realized that he needed to be involved.

His behavior could not have been better on the day of our relocation, as I let him “direct” the loading of his toys into the moving van and then had him tell our helpful friends where to put his boxes of toys in the new condo. He had “bought” into the idea of having a new bedroom and did not have any new-home anxieties as we changed our place of residence.

What moving tips can you share with everyone? I would love to hear your ideas for “moving house” as they say in England, when you have little ones to bring with you.

Best,

Dr. Sheri