Big family decisions and how to prepare your children -

This is a collaborative post

Family life isn’t always easy and sometimes things don’t go as you had planned. You may end up moving house or even divorcing your other half and have to involve divorce solicitors. New siblings may join the family or maybe a special pet to finish off your family.

when making big family decisions children must, be considered so that you don’t end up causing them unnecessary distress . Sometimes it can’t be helped to create some disruption, and doing our best is all we can do, but Preparing our children for significant changes, and communicating effectively will always make things easier.

Explaining

Explaining what is exactly going on when it comes to significant changes, is the first way to ensure your children don’t end up too upset when making big family decisions. It all depends on the children’s ages of course, but even toddlers can understand certain things.

You can get help from cartoons or TV shows, which touch upon subjects such as a new sibling, moving house, or going through other significant changes. TV shows such as Topsy and Tim, have all episodes that show many different topics and can help the child understand and prepare for the significant changes. If you’re not sure, there are library books and online resources available to help with this specific task as well. Also, it’s a good idea to search some blogs from other parents who may have been through similar scenarios. As they will have documented the experience and what helps them. Of course, you know your child best and finding out the best way to communicate with them, it’s going to be your best bet.

Routine

Keep into the usual routine as much as possible, even if moving house, can give a child a sense of security. Try and keep mealtimes bath times and play times at the same time each day, as you would typically have because children thrive on routine. Throwing this out of time as well as everything else will add unnecessary stress to your child. Some children can really surprise you and will not be too upset if your routine changes slightly, but generally, most children feel better when they know what to expect.

Support

Finding support in family and friends is going to help you when it comes to significant changes within your family. Being able to rely on people to help look after your children and make sure that they are kept entertained, and reassured during significant changes it’s something to be grateful for. Many children get to spend more time with their Grandparents when moving house, for example, and of course they enjoy this since grandparents are usually the ones to create a fun and sugar fuelled environment.

At the end of the day we all want what’s best for our children, and we don’t always have control over these big family decisions , but what we do have control over is how we deal with these and how our children perceive these problems.