Moving is a tough transition for anyone, but kids can sometimes find it especially difficult to cope with the change. For many, a big move means leaving their favorite friends, places and activities behind.  But according to the experts at RealEstate.com, there are some tried-and-true methods that will help minimize the impact of a move and make it a rewarding experience for everyone.  I thought these quick tips might be of interest to you to post!   

• Follow Established Home Routines: For all children, but especially pre-schoolers and kids in primary school, follow established home routines faithfully for the first few months after you move.  This means having dinner at the same time, serving familiar foods, watching favorite TV shows, going to bed at the same time and observing the same bedtime rituals on a day-to-day basis.   

• Let Your Child Decorate: Let your child pick the paint color; the fabric for curtains and bedspread and choose posters for the walls.  Younger children typically resist change of any kind.  If this is the case with your child, it may help to replicate the décor and furniture arrangement of his or her old room as closely as possible.  

• Help Your Child Keep Up With Old Friends: Encourage your child to write and exchange photos; arrange phone calls, visits and sleepovers on a regular basis.  Kids who are struggling to make new friends find it very relaxing and comforting to be with old buddies they don’t have to impress.

• Reinforce Their Confidence: For school-age children, reinforce your child’s confidence by enabling him or her to participate in extra-curricular activities.  Whether it’s soccer or music lessons, continuing a favorite activity or starting a new one gives you your child feelings of competence and self-esteem that don’t depend on how well he or she is fitting into the social order at the new school.  

With summer vacation in full swing, many parents spend hours trying to figure out where to send their kids so that they don’t have to deal with them. My hunch is that many of these parents also view school as some sort of glorified babysitting service. For them school is not a place to send your children to develop their minds and gain the information needed to be a productive adult, rather it’s a way to get your kids out of the house for 6-7 hours.

Without the pressure of school, parents should use the summer break to forge stronger relationships with their children. For working parents, things tend to be a bit more laid back in the summer anyway, so why not take off from work a couple hours early and do something fun with the kids? Beth Lynne likes the idea of teaching the kids some home economics, as both a way for them to get some practical knowledge as as a bonding method. She says, ” Cooking with a child can be a fun and very rewarding experience. Teaching a child to cook will result in a lifelong valuable skill.”

You may want to include your child in the planning process. Let them choose an activity for the family to do. This will make them feel like an important part of the family ( which of course they are), and make them feel that their opinion is valued. 

Some quality time with the kids will also help build their self confidence as well as keep them off the street. It gives you a way to impart some of your value system to your children in a fun and friendly way. Have a good summer!

Aaron Katsman is Managing Editor of the Israel Opportunity Investor newsletter. He is lead portfolio manager for the Israel Growth Portfolio and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. For more information, go to www.israelnewsletter.com , or email aaron@profile-financial.com.