We always advise that a move should be planned out in advance, but this is especially true when the move involves children.

From school age up children children become more and more aware of what is going on around them, this makes it quite important to ensure that you keep children informed as to what is going on. It will affect them a lot, a new home, maybe a new school, if you are moving any distance it will mean new friends as well. This doesn't just mean younger children, but teenagers as well. This should be done at an early date to give everyone the chance to adjust.

If there is any resistance to the idea of moving, you can ease these by looking into the area around your new home and see what there is for children. See what the schools are like, see what social groups there are in the area. You can also point out all of the good points of the new home, many children stop resisting a move when they realise that they will be getting a bigger bedroom, or even their own bedroom. You can also use the decoration of their room as a point of compromise (if you have a teenager, you may have to accept that you need to buy black paint). It can also help if there is a solid plan in place to allow the children to stay in contact with their current friends.

The moving itself can also be used as a good time to get children involved in the move.