If you're planning a move with kids, the prospect may provoke feelings of dread and anxiety. If you're moving during the school year, that adds another layer of stress to an already difficult situation. Let's face it, even for a single-person household, moving to a new neighborhood, city, state, or nation can be a nerve-wracking, time-consuming, and expensive endeavor with lots of loose ends to tie up along the way. 

Most parents avoid subjecting young children to the stress of moving unless it's absolutely necessary for the welfare of the entire family. Children often don't want to leave their friends or the comforts of the home they know for the strangeness of a new home in an unfamiliar place. It's especially hard during the school year because they miss out on completing the year with their friends and the chances of them making new friends mid-year are unknown.

Parents will feel similar move-related emotional stress, and mental stress from the responsibility of carrying-out a successful move, in addition to assisting their children in making the transition to a new home, city, and school. Luckily, there are strategies you can employ to make moving during the school year less stressful for you and your child. 

Talk to Your Child’s Teacher

Your child's teachers are valuable partners in helping your child make the transition from one school to the next. Teachers are always grateful to be kept in the loop on events in their students' lives that may have an impact on their performance at school.

Many teachers allow parents to have class parties for birthdays during break time. You could ask your child's current teacher if it would be possible to hold a break-time going away party for your child during the last week at their old school to allow your child to say goodbye to their friends in a fun, positive way. 

Make fast friends with your child's new teacher as they will play a vital role in helping your child get used to their school transfer. Get your child's new teacher up to speed on your child's educational strengths and weaknesses as well as any special needs they may have.

A great ice-breaker for young children entering a new school mid-year is to come bearing gifts. Ask ahead if it's okay for your child to bring little goodie bags on their first day at their new school. Goodie bags filled with candy, cute party favors, pencils, notepads, and other items are a hit with elementary schoolers. You could also attach an invitation to a pint-sized housewarming party at a later date.

Talk with Your Children About What to Expect
In a situation filled with unknown challenges and unfamiliar surroundings, any information you can share with your child about what to expect in their new home and school will help your child move forward with more confidence. Listen to your child's concerns and help them work through their fears. Knowing that you will be with them step-by-step through this transition will give your child a feeling of security and provide stable ground for them to stand on as they face a new world.

Create a Well-Organized Moving Plan

A smart moving plan is your anchor in the perfect storm that occurs when you have to dismantle your whole life and the life of your child and put them all back together from scratch in a short period of time. Every good plan starts with a list and when you are moving with kids during the school year that list will be long so it's best to break it up into sections of what you plan to do at six months, three months, one month, and so on until you get to moving day. Then you need another list for all the things you need to do to get everyone settled into new rooms, new jobs, and new schools.

If you think planning is too much trouble and a waste of time, think twice because that plan is what will keep you and your child calm, on-task and on-schedule when chaos ensues and meltdowns are imminent. Involve your child in planning for the move by adding their tasks to the list as well so they feel like they are a part of the process. Things that could be included in your moving plan include:

• Declutter and Organize

• Repair and Clean Old Home for Sale or Lease

• Going Away Party

• Withdraw from Work and School

• Pack and Clearly Label Boxes

• Close Old Utility and Service Accounts

• Movers or Moving Trucks

• Moving Costs

• Moving Schedule

• Open New Utility and Service Accounts

• Clean and Prepare New Home

• Unpacking and Putting Things Away

• Register for New School

• Start New Job

• Housewarming Party

• Join New Extracurricular Activities

With moving plans, the devil is truly in the details so leave open space between line items to jot down important notes and details you need to remember. If space on the page gets too crowded, there are always Post-Its.

Take Your Time Unpacking
 It's not enjoyable to wake up each morning to piles of boxes. Having said that, there's no need to stress yourself out or rush through organizing the house. Try to keep in mind that your kids are going through a lot of new adjustments and could benefit from a little more quality time with their parents. While the kids are in school, try to unpack and arrange, but be sure to take pauses and spend time with the kids when they get home to speak about their new school and neighborhood. Your children may sense your nervousness and it may make the transition harder for them if you are worried about having your house in order right away. Instead, take your time and keep in mind that it is not necessary to accomplish everything in a single day. Your efforts to interact and spend time with your children are what they will appreciate the most.

Get Your Child Involved

When you involve your child in many steps of the moving process, it helps them feel like moving is something that they are doing instead of something that is being done to them. Including your child in smart-planning your move is the first step towards getting your child involved in the moving process. You can also research your new hometown for fun facts, history, and community cultural events to help your child know what to expect in the new place. 

Learn about extracurricular activities your child might like at their new school and in the community. Your child may enjoy participating in activities like sports, clubs, music courses, and volunteer work to make new friends. This will give your child something to look forward to and develop a feeling of connectedness to their new school and neighborhood. Additionally, it will help children become immersed in their new environment and distract them from the sadness of moving.

Encourage your child to stay in touch with old friends in addition to making new ones. Old friends help us maintain a consistent sense of who we are as people and stay connected to our roots. Although managing long-distance friendships can be difficult and many connections fade over time, it is especially worth the effort to stay connected for young children who have to move. Telephone calls, video chats, messages, and letters are great ways for young children to keep in touch. Most essential, take a deep breath and tell your youngster that everyone in the family is involved in this together and will support one another.