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MOVING TO TORONTO: Tips for an Easy Relocation with Kids


Blog by Doriana Zohil-Morton, Broker of Record/Owner | February 24th, 2020


Moving to Toronto is stressful enough without adding young kids into the equation. Whether you’re relocating for work, to be closer to extended family members, or for a fresh start, there are certain things you can do to make the move a little bit easier for yourself and your family.

Kids have a harder time adjusting to a new place than adults do. Generally, they have less experience with change and don’t always react well to it, but you can make the transition a little less daunting for them by following these simple tips.

Plan Your Move Carefully

When relocating to a new city like Toronto, it’s best to always be prepared for every possible scenario by planning ahead. Working with a local relocation service can help you plan your move from start to finish. That includes organizing your stuff so that it’s all carefully packed and transported to your new home as well as maintaining a strict schedule to ensure that all tasks are completed in time for your closing or moving date.

Always expect the unexpected when moving to Toronto with kids, especially if they’re very young. Make sure to pack lots of extra snacks, diapers, toys, electronics, and gadgets—basically anything that’ll help keep them calm during the moving process.

Make Moving into a Fun Game

To ease the process of moving and make it more engaging for your kids, try to turn it into a fun game that they’ll enjoy. For instance, you can give prizes for whoever packs their stuff the fastest or helps load light boxes into the vehicle. It might also be a good idea to reward them for good behaviour to discourage them from throwing tantrums or acting out along the way.

Play fun music for them to sing along to during the car ride. If your car has a small TV and DVD player, try playing their favourite movies or TV shows to keep them occupied during long car rides.

Drum Up Excitement for a Fresh Start

Kids are usually reluctant to move to a new house because that usually means leaving the familiarity of their beloved neighbourhood and school friends behind, unless of course, you’re staying in the same school district. Try to get them excited about the new house by explaining why you’re moving and giving them opportunities to get a fresh start. Let them pick out their own paint colours and new decor for their bedrooms. This will give them something fun and exciting to look forward to.

Drive around the New Neighbourhood

Taking your kids for a drive around the new neighbourhood is another great way to get them excited and onboard for moving. Let them become familiar with their new surroundings so that once moving day comes, it won’t feel so daunting. Take them to a few local parks, toy stores, and other fun attractions so they can get a feel for the new neighbourhood.

Give Them Time to Say Goodbye to Friends

Saying goodbye to old friends is never easy, especially for young kids who have to start fresh in a new school that’s far away from the old one. Kids have a very limited concept of change and moving to a new city or even a house just down the street can be a big adjustment for them.

Before relocating to Toronto, host a goodbye party so that your kids can hang out one last time with their friends in the house that they’ve grown to love. This will make it easier for them to make plans to keep in touch with their friends in the future and it also reassures them that they’re leaving their friends on good terms.

Acknowledge and Validate Their Feelings about the Move

No doubt your kids will have their own opinions about moving, regardless of how well you try to prepare them for it. Whether they’re unhappy with the decision or have come to terms with it already, it’s important to take the time to talk to them about the move, get their perspective, and try to involve them in it as much as possible. Make them feel included and like their opinions matter.

Having a heart to heart conversation with your kids about moving to a new house is also a great opportunity to ease some of the tension and anxiety they might be feeling about living in a new place. Show your kids that you acknowledge their feelings and will do whatever it takes to make the transition easy for them.

Use a Local Relocation Service to Help You Get Settled

Moving isn’t just hard on kids. It can be extremely hard on adults, too. There’s a lot of planning and logistics involved and you have to make sure that everything goes according to plan. There’s just so much that can go awry and sometimes the planning alone can make you feel overwhelmed and go into a whirlwind of stress and anxiety.

Then there’s the aftermath of moving and trying to settle into your new location. Many people tend to second guess their decision to move after the fact and that can be just as stressful as planning and executing the move. You might find yourself wondering if you made the right choice after all and if it was all worth it. Or you might feel a little disoriented in the first few weeks or months as you try to settle in.

Getting help from a reputable relocation service in Toronto can help relieve a lot of that stress for you by helping you open a bank account, obtain appropriate government documentations, as well as find childcare, local restaurants, shopping centers, and grocery stores to help you get your bearings.

Are you planning on moving to Toronto soon?

Our sister-company, MAC Furnished Residences Inc., can help make the process easy from start to finish and even provide you with a luxury short-term furnished apartment rental if you need it. Through MAC Relocation Solutions, we’ll help you plan your move to ensure everything goes according to plan and, if you’re in the market to buy or sell a residential property, our team of esteemed realtors can help with that too. Contact us today for more information!