When moving into a new home, there are a lot of decisions to be made and most of them revolve around what your family’s requirements about the new property are. Of course, parents always have their children’s best interest at heart, but more often than not, they don’t actually take their kids’ opinions into account when choosing their new place of residence.
However, it might be smart to ask them what they think and understand their expectations better before making the final decision. After all, their insight will probably be quite different than that of an adult and they may open your eyes to some things you weren’t aware of or haven’t even considered. Here are some of the reasons for including your children in the decision process when buying a new home and some ideas on how to do it.
You Empower Them
It’s simple. Above all, you want your child to be a happy and well-rounded individual down the road. Giving them a voice that’s always heard and making them feel like what they think and say truly matters to you is vital in building their self-esteem and encouraging them to think critically. This is precisely what you’ll do by giving them a say in choosing the right kind of home for your family.
It’s crucial, though, that you think this through before you ask them for their opinion. Namely, if you entice them to say what they want from their new home only to disregard their point of view will be counterproductive and will make them feel rejected and irrelevant. Therefore, you should be completely sure that you can fulfill at least some of their requests before you ask them anything. In case you can’t cater to their wishes, you can approach the issue in a different manner.
For instance, instead of asking them what they want their new home to look like and where they would like it to be, take them to the house or the apartment you’re leaning towards and ask them what type of furniture they’d like in their room, what color walls or, if possible, which room they’d like to be theirs. That way, you’ll boost their confidence and let them know their contribution to making big decisions is just as important as yours.
Their Input Can Be Helpful
When picking the right kind of property in the right kind of neighborhood, parents will have all the logistics and the finances in mind. For instance, you’ll do all of the research into schools available to your children, the crime rate in the neighborhood, and the proximity of the hospitals, stores, and playgrounds, as well as making sure you and your children live in a safe and comfortable home. However, there are some aspects of your new home that you might not have even thought about, but perhaps your children will.
The difference between a perspective of an adult and a child can be a significant one, so observing things from their angle could benefit you. For example, you might not have given any thought to renting an apartment with a swimming pool or a tennis court included in the complex, but your children could have. And if you’re moving to a country with warmer weather, such as Texas, it could be an excellent idea to take a look at just such places. For instance, Texans love living in Abilene apartments, which are family-oriented in more ways than one.
Places like that offer phenomenal amenities that children will love but are also pet-friendly and in a safe neighborhood. This is an efficient way to rent a prime apartment and tend to all of your children’s needs and desires, all at once. You can get a place that has a washer and a drier and plenty of space for parking, while your children get to enjoy the pool or play basketball on one of the courts there.
You Make the Transition Smoother for Them
Moving house can be extremely stressful for the entire family, but you can expect it to be especially overwhelming for children. Being removed from everything familiar, which often includes their school, friends, and the location that they’re used to, can be confusing and upsetting for them and it’s your obligation to make things easier on them. Letting them participate as much as possible in making choices with regard to your new home is a practical way to soften this blow.
That way they can maintain some sense of control over what’s happening to them and it can help them adjust to the new situation. Taking them with you to walk around the potential new neighborhood and showing them the upsides of living there might do the trick, but talking to them extensively about what they hope for from their new home will be even more effective.
You’ll learn more about what they’re distressed about or afraid of, which will make it possible for you to help them ease their worries to some extent. Plus, even if they can’t get everything they want, it’s likely that they get some of it, and for the rest, be sure to calmly explain the reasons why something isn’t possible and perhaps offer an alternative that is.
Whether you have a new job or your family or life circumstances have changed, moving to a new home is usually challenging, but you can relieve a lot of your own stress by relieving that of your children. This is merely one of the reasons why communication with them is important, as well as showing them that respect flows both ways and that you value their opinion as much as they value yours. Listening to them and letting them participate in the home-choosing process is a great way to express how much you treasure them and their opinion.
