By Glenn A. Hascall 
There are so many details involved in a move. If you are purchasing a home there are offers and counteroffers to look through and that doesn't even take into account the mortgage lender information that is required. There are utilities to take care of as well as other connects and disconnects. Final bills are presented, treasures are packed and a Sharpie is commissioned to help keep the boxes in order.
If you've ever moved, you know it's hard on you, but have you ever thought about what it's doing to your child?
It may not be the best course of action to keep the news of a pending move from your child. There are various stages of grief and a move can bring out that grief in your child and they will need some time to acclimate to the idea that a move is coming.
Some children welcome the news, while others will lament the inaccessibility of established friends once a move is complete. One might look forward to the adventure, while another is grieving the loss of all that is familiar.
By talking to your children soon after a decision is made, or even before in some cases, you can minimize the trauma some children experience with a move. Sometimes the decision is quick and the move becomes a blur, but if given enough time, your children will begin to find themselves adjusting to and accepting the idea that a move will take place.
Children can assist in helping to pack things in boxes as well as deciding what to keep, what to get rid of and what to give away or sell at a moving sale.
As a parent you have to understand the move will affect your child and they will need the opportunity to express emotion about the move. It may not always be what you expect, but some sort of emotion will be there.
Spend time talking about the place you are moving to. Help them understand what the house will be like and what you know about the people or school in the new town. Give them something to look forward to or dream about.
It really isn't better to withhold information from your child about a move. It may even feel that you are making things harder by telling them early, but if you do it simply helps speed the process of acceptance along a fast track for both you and your child.
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