Emigrating to Tampa Bay with Children

For any child, moving house can be traumatic. When you are emigrating it's important to help them quickly settle into their new environment.

Of course your children will have a lot of questions about the move and it is important that you are able to deal with them too.

Bishop's Move, who assisted with the Beckham family's high profile move to LA offer some simple but effective advice to parents.

•  Young children need security when moving house: It is important that they feel clear about what is going on, so getting them involved as much as possible is essential. One way to achieve this is to suggest that they pack up some of their own toys into boxes. Seeing them put in the removals van and then unpacking themselves in their new home encourages stability and continuity.
•  Saying goodbye isn't a bad thing but help them look forward to their new life: One way to ensure that the kids are happy during the moving process is by saying goodbye to the home they are leaving and say hello to the new one. A scrapbook of their old home and friends is a great way to say goodbye to the UK. Creating a similar scrapbook to introduce them to their new home, including the new opportunities available to them will help build excitement about the move and give them something to look forward to.
•  School's out: Summer is the most popular time to move with children as school study is not disrupted and children are less stressed and tired.
•  Let the kids be the interior designers: One of the easiest ways of getting the kids comfortable in their new bedroom is to get them involved in how it will look. Let them choose the colour, features and furniture for the room. Making sure it is what they like and have helped design is a sure way to make them feel happy from the first night they spend there.
•  Say hello with a party: Inviting new friends over to get to know them better is a great way of settling into a new place. If the neighbours have children invite them round for teatime or games - a great way to help them if they are missing friends.

Grant Bishop, International Director at Bishop's Move commented: "Moving is an exciting time, but we encourage all of our customers to take the time out to ensure every member of the family is sharing in that excitement. By following these steps, parents and, more importantly, their children can start life in their new home in a happy frame of mind after a successful and stress-free move."