Moving With Kids: How to Make It Easier on Them (and You)

When and how to tell them

Tell them early. Children handle change better with time to process it. For most kids, a few weeks' notice is better than a few days. For very young children, whose sense of time is short, a week or two can be enough.

Be honest and concrete. Where you're going, roughly when, and why. Vagueness reads as something to worry about. "We're moving to a house with a bigger yard, near a new school, before the snow comes" is something a child can hold onto.

Lead with what stays the same. Their family, their toys, their bed, the pets. For a child, what isn't changing is often more reassuring than what's new.

Let them be unhappy about it. You don't have to fix every feeling. "I know, it's hard to leave your friends" does more than an argument about why the new place is better.

By age: what to expect

Babies and toddlers (under 3)

They won't understand the move, but they'll feel the disruption — packed-up rooms, changed routines, stressed adults.

• Protect the routine above everything else. Naps, meals and bedtime on the usual schedule.
• Pack their room last and set it up first.
• Expect some regression — sleep disruption, clinginess. It's normal and it passes.

Preschoolers (3 to 5)

Old enough to know something's happening, young enough to misunderstand it. Some worry that their toys, or even the family pet, won't be coming.

• Show them their things going into containers and explain they're coming too.
• Read picture books about moving. They give children language for what's happening.
• Let them pack a special box of favourite things, labelled with their name, that they carry themselves.

School-age children (6 to 12)

This is often where the move is felt most, because friendships and school are now central.

• Involve them in decisions where you genuinely can: the colour of their room, where their bed goes.
• Help them say goodbye properly — a last playdate, contact details for friends, a photo of the old house.
• Visit the new school before the first day if you can.

Teenagers

The hardest group, and understandably so. A move can mean leaving a social world they've spent years building.

• Take their concerns seriously, even when you can't change the decision.
• Give them real control over their own space and how they set it up.
• Help them stay connected to old friends while they make new ones. Most will need both.

Before the move

Keep the routine as normal as possible. The weeks of packing are unsettling enough. Regular meals and bedtimes are how children know things are alright.

Don't declutter their things without them. It's tempting to use a move to clear out toys, and usually a mistake. Their belongings are their continuity. Involve older children in sorting, and for younger ones, sort after the move rather than before.

Take photos of their old room. A small keepsake of the place they're leaving can help.

Sort the school early. In Barrie and across Simcoe County, confirm your child's assigned school by address using the school board's locator — the Simcoe County District School Board for public schools, or the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board. Don't assume from a neighbour or a listing; boundaries change.

Moving day: keep them safe and out of the way

Moving day is genuinely hazardous for small children. Doors propped open, strangers carrying heavy objects, a ramp, a truck, and a house coming apart around them.

The best option is for them to be elsewhere. A grandparent, a friend, a trusted sitter. They'll have a better day, and so will you.

If they have to be there: - Set up one quiet room, packed last, with snacks, activities and a responsible adult - Put a sign on the door so movers know to leave it closed - Keep them well away from the truck and the ramp

Pack a day bag for each child: snacks, water, a change of clothes, a comfort item, a favourite toy, activities for the car, and anything they need to sleep. It travels with you, not on the truck.

The first night

Set up their room first — before the kitchen, before the living room. A familiar bed, familiar bedding and a few favourite things make an unfamiliar house feel safe.

Keep bedtime as normal as you possibly can. Same time, same story, same routine.

Expect a rough first night or two. New sounds, new shadows, different light. A night light and an open door help.

Helping them settle

Explore together. Find the nearest park, the library, the ice cream place. Let the neighbourhood become theirs.

Get them a library card. Libraries are one of the best free resources a new family has — programmes, activities, and a genuinely welcoming place to spend a rainy afternoon.

Find their thing. A sports team, a class, a club. Shared activities are how children make friends fastest.

Expect adjustment to take months, not days. Some behaviour changes are normal for a while — clinginess, tears, trouble sleeping, acting out. If they persist, or seem to be getting worse rather than better, talk to your child's doctor or school.

Watch your own stress. Children take their emotional cues from the adults around them. If you can be calm about the move, even when you don't entirely feel it, they'll find it easier.

The checklist

Weeks before - Tell them early, honestly, and concretely - Confirm the new school by address - Keep routines as normal as possible - Let them pack their own special box

Moving day - Arrange for them to be elsewhere if you can - If not, one quiet room with an adult - A day bag for each child, travelling with you

First night - Their room set up first - Normal bedtime routine - Night light and an open door

First weeks - Explore the neighbourhood together - Library cards - Find an activity or team - Give it time

The thing to hold onto

Children don't need a perfect move. They need to know they're safe, that the people they love are coming too, and that it's alright to have feelings about it.

Give them that, and most children will be calling the new place home well before you are.

More on moving through life's different stages in moving at every stage of life. For the day itself, see the moving day playbook.

Moving in Barrie or Simcoe County? Binny's Tote Rental delivers reusable totes before you pack and collects them once you're in — sturdy enough for a whole toy collection.

This article offers general guidance for families. If you're concerned about how your child is adjusting, speak with your child's doctor or school.