There are many reasons for a family to move homes. Sometimes they want to upgrade their living space or be closer to a parent’s place of work. Sometimes they want to get into a certain school district or be closer to family and friends. And sometimes, especially considering today’s housing market, they have a burdensome mortgage on their current home and aren’t ready for a new home loan or refinance.

Whatever the reason, however, there’s no doubt that a move can be a stressful and challenging time. It requires hours of packing, logistical planning, and negotiating. There are forms to fill out and moving companies to research. But even amongst all this commotions, it’s important that every parent take time to prepare their children for the move ahead.

For a child, moving isn’t a hassle or an opportunity. Instead it is usually a scary and uncertain time during which all the comfort of home are pulled away from them. While most children will quickly get over their fears and create familiarities in their new home environment, some will emerge from the move traumatized and more withdrawn. For this reason it is important that you adequately prepare your children for the move beforehand.

Here are a few suggestions:

-Be upfront. Some parents, afraid of unduly worrying their children, avoid informing them of a planned move until a for-sale sign is in the front yard and preparations are well under way. This can leave a child with less time to process the situations. It is, therefore, better to sit down with your kids once you are certain a move will happen and let them know exactly what’s going on.

-Show them the new house. Instead of letting your children dwell on their loss of your current house, take them with you when visiting the new house to meet with your agent or with the current owner. Let your kids explore the yard, pick out their bedrooms, and generally start getting comfortable with the surroundings. This will give them a softer image of the place and hopefully generate some excitement for the move.

-Promise familiarity. When told that their family is moving, many children immediately seek out reassurances that their lives will not change. They want to know about their bedroom, their school, and their friends. As much as you can honestly promise, tell them that these things will remain unchanged. Promise them that their rooms can look the same in the new house as they do in the old.

These are a few of the tips to keep in mind when preparing your children for a move. Although your kids may not be packing or actively participating in the move itself, they are strongly impacted by it nonetheless. Make sure, then, that their concerns are fully addressed before any actual moving takes place.