Health Tip: Adjusting to a Move

(HealthDay News) -- Changing homes can be a stressful ordeal, particularly for young children and even toddlers.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions to help young children cope with the stress of a move:

• While explaining details of the move, keep it clear and simple.
• Tell them a story about the move, and use their toys to act it out.
• Let them help pack up their toys, and make sure they understand that the toys will be at the new home, too.
• If you can, take your child to visit the new home several times, and try taking toys over each time you go.
• Try to keep your child's bedroom furniture the same.
• Just before and after the move, don't try to make any other changes in your child's life, like toilet training or moving to a bed from a crib.
• Have your child stay with a babysitter while the furniture and belongings are moved to the new home.

-- Diana Kohnle

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