by Susan Quilty

Created on: November 17, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2012

The process of moving your family to a new home involves more than moving your belongings from one home to another. Each member of your family may have his or her own concerns about moving to a new place and family and friends may be equally concerned about feeling left behind. All of these concerns should be addressed well in advance of moving day.

• Telling Your Children About the Move

Once the decision to move has been made, the very next step will be breaking the news to your children. This should be done as early as possible. Moving will have a large impact on your children's lives. Ensuring that they feel included throughout the process will help ease the transition to your new home.

Include your children, but be clear about the ground rules. You may want your children's input when looking for a new home, but ultimately choosing a new home is an adult decision. It may be difficult for children to understand all of the factors that go into choosing a new home, or even the simple truth of being limited by what you can afford.

Have a family meeting and make a list of qualities for your dream home. Explain that the list is not a guarantee, but that everyone's input will be considered when looking for your new home. Decide if you will bring children to see potential homes. It may be easier for everyone if the initial scouting is done by the adults, but arrange for the children to see the new home prior to moving day.

If you are moving to a distant city, your children will want to know as much as possible about the schools they will be attending. Always ask about school zones when looking for a new home. Most schools have websites that will answer most of your questions. Be sure to let your children explore their new schools' websites prior to moving.

City websites and relocation guides are also valuable for the whole family to learn about their new home town. Be sure to show kids websites with local attractions, such as parks and movie theaters. Young children may not realize that a new town may have many of the same stores they love, such as Toys R Us, or similar places with different names.

For local moves, be careful not to minimize your children's concerns. Even if they will be staying in the same schools, your children may be worried about their new neighbors or about moving away from current neighborhood friends.

Talk about ways children can stay in touch with current friends after the move. Email and social networking sites have made it easier

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