Books to Help Children with Moving House
Feb 04. 2022
Moving house is one of life’s biggest upheavals. This can be particularly pertinent for children. Older children can be unsettled at the prospect of leaving their friendship groups and for younger children the entire process of packing everything into boxes, a removals company arriving etc can be quite disconcerting for them. If the relocation is an international move, this of course magnifies the level of upheaval and it’s even more important to address children’s needs and concerns.
There are a number of books and audiobooks on the market, written specifically for, mainly younger, children who are moving house which are worth exploring. These can be a good way of introducing the concept of moving house to younger children. The books are written to address many of the common concerns and misgivings children have about moving. They can be a good way of bring ‘moving house’ into the conversation and help to alleviate their fears.
Here’s a small selection of the types of titles that are available:
- ‘Sammy’s next move, ‘Helen Maffini
The eponymous hero of the story is a snail who lives around the world with his parents. Each move means he has to change schools and leave friends. The book addresses the emotions that these changes provoke in children. As a snail, Sammy’s home is carried with him wherever he goes and reinforces the adage that home is where the heart is.
- ‘B at home,’ Valaria Besanceney
Emma is ten years old and is about to move house for the third time and is caught between the excitement of a new adventure and a new home and the anxiety and sadness of leaving her present home behind. B is her teddy bear to whom she turns in this time of upheaval and Emma starts to understand that ‘home’ isn’t just a physical location.
- The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day, Stan and Jan Berenstain
The book charts the Bear family’s move to a new tree house in Bear Country. The well-known character of Brother Bear has some concerns over whether he will like it and whether he’ll find new friends, but all reassuringly turns out well in the end.
- Moving House, Usborne First Experiences
As part of the Usborne series of books on ‘first experiences,’ this books is appealingly illustrated to introduce the concept of moving to very young children. The book adds a comic element to some of the moving day shenanigans and makes moving day fun.
A sticker book version is also available.
- Moving Molly, Shirley Hughes
Moving Molly addresses the ‘settling in’ process of a house move, addressing the period of time once the initial novelty of a house move is over. The book charts Molly realising that there are adventures to be had in next-door’s garden.
- Where in the World are you Going? Judith Blohm
This is more of an activity book rather than a fictional narrative, which helps young children, through the process of moving abroad through a number of engaging activities. Sometimes used by some of the large relocation companies, the activities and drawings are engage and are accompanied by practical suggestions on staying in touch with friends and relatives.
