For most children, moving to a completely new environment can be stressful. They have to adjust to a new bedroom, a new house, a new school, and a new neighborhood all while saying goodbye to their old life. As a parent, you can help your children transition to their new environment by helping them make friends, starting with the neighborhood kids.
Here are some tips that you can use:
1. Make friends with the parents
After you make your new West Melbourne real estate property your home, socializing with the neighbors is the best way to assimilate into the community. As you’re doing so, you can identify which neighbors have children that are around the same age as your child (a.k.a. potential new friends) so you can set up play dates to introduce them to each other. Moreover, your fellow parents can point you in the direction of recreational places in the area for your kids, such as playgrounds, parks, and arcades.
2. Go to the park
Help your child meet new kids in the neighborhood by bringing them to the local park or playground. In doing so, your child gets to engage in physical activity, enjoy the outdoors, and get their mind off of the stresses of moving to a new place. On your part, you can even meet fellow parents and make some friends of your own.
3. Attend neighborhood events
Going to events and activities in the community is advisable for the whole family. Not only do you get to meet new people, but you’re also getting to know the area and its inhabitants better. More importantly, your child can meet new kids around the same age range as them.
4. Look for after-school activities
If your child is interested in taking up another hobby or trying out a sport, sign them up for an after-school activity like piano lessons or a sports team. Aside from developing their skills and cultivating their talents, having after-school activities gives kids the opportunity to meet people outside of school.
5. Host a housewarming party
Throw a housewarming party in your new house and invite all the neighbors, including their kids. To help your child get to know the other neighborhood kids better, make the party child-friendly so that the young ones can have their own space to bond.
6. Have playdates
Playdates give children the chance to make a new friend and play with them while parents socialize with other parents (and take a break from their own kids). So if you meet a parent or a pair of parents that you like, arrange a playdate for your kids to meet.
7. Take some walks
Taking frequent walks around the neighborhood is not only good exercise, but it will also help you and your child familiarize yourself with the area. In the process, you can say ‘hi’ to your neighbors and introduce your child to their kids.
While it is important for your child to make new friends in the neighborhood, don’t forget to help your child maintain contact with their old ones. Moreover, don’t pressure them to make new friends as soon as possible. In their own time, kids will adjust to their new environment and start growing roots.
