Moving into a new home can be quite exciting for everyone. Depending on the age of your children, it could also be a bit scary. Sometimes new surroundings take a while to get used to before a little one can sleep comfortably. However, there are some things you can do to make the transition less stressful and frightening for your child.
1. Prepare the Kids Rooms First
Prepare the Kids Rooms First- Do your best to have your child’s room unpacked and arranged first. While the enviornment may seem different, having familiar furniture, wall color, toys and sleep space the same will go along way in helping your child to feel comfortable.
2. Have Favorite Comfort Items Ready
Many children have specific blankets and/or stuffed animals that provide comfort. Make sure these are the first things you unpack the first night you sleep as a family in your new home. Your child will feel more relaxed as he or she finds solace with a familiar item. This can help to signify that the new room is home and reduce the anxiety the child may feel.
3. Make the Walls Look Like Home
Much like using the blankets and stuffed animals, wall decorations could also provide a sense that the new area is home. It’s all about providing familiar sights that can make the child feel more at ease. In fact, allow the child to help you hang up his or her own artwork as a form of marking territory. Everyone feels more comfortable in areas that have been claimed as their own.
4. Use White Noise
There are many uses for a device that can produce white noise or various sound effects during the night. Setting a tablet to produce a tropical rainfall sound through the use of an app can hide scary noises that a new house could make. Pipes banging from water pressure, wood settling or wind blowing against the roof can frighten young children. Comforting background noises will give the young one something else to focus on.
5. Put on the Night Light
Many children, as well as some adults, simply cannot sleep well unless there is a slight amount of light in the room. It doesn’t have to be protection from monsters hiding in the closet. Some people are prone to anxiety in absolute darkness. A night light, even a small one, can be more than enough to provide comfort for those that have trouble sleeping.
6. Keep the Bedtime Routine Consistent
Ensure that your bedtime routine carries over from one home to the next. When your child knows what to expect and can predict how his evening will end, it will build feelings of safety and security. If you’ve always taken bath right after dinner, don’t stop now. Keeping what you can consistent will help your child feel secure and safe in his new home.
Getting a good night’s rest is vital for everyone. The more well rested you and your family are, the more productive and less stressful the next day will be.
With over 20 years of experience in the nanny world as an award-winning nanny, agency director, and parenting author, Michelle LaRowe is considered a leading industry expert. A mom herself, she loves to educate parents and nannies on the importance of quality in-home childcare. Find out more by visiting @eNannySource on Twitter.
Read Also:
- Why Children, Tweens and Teens Need Adequate, Quality Sleep
- What Is Being Said About Melatonin As a Sleep Aid for Children and Teens
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