Moving to a new city is stressful. Pair that with moving with your family and you might change your mind. Not to worry, the Phoenix Relocation Guide is here to help.
Learn About Phoenix, Arizona
You may find yourself lodged in a hotel or temporary housing until your belongings arrive and that’s a nice opportunity to become familiar with Phoenix. The Phoenix Relocation Guide is the perfect place to start. You can also find additional information at the Chamber of Commerce offices (www.visitphoenix.com).
Spouse Career Considerations
If your spouse is moving with you and looking for a new career, Phoenix will not disappoint. The Valley of the Sun is home to several Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. In addition, there are several choices for higher education in the event you want to pursue a new industry.
However, if you have chosen to take a break from your career consider volunteering your time and talent. Volunteering to a charitable organization is a wonderful effort as well as a way to meet new people and learn more about the community. Volunteer activities add depth to résumés but the experience needs to be documented so that the service equates to business expertise. Before you again become fully employed use any free time to enjoy your new community. Refer to the Advice for Volunteers website for guidance in selecting a volunteer position and Monster.com for spouse assistance in the Helpful Websites sidebar.
Successfully Relocating Your Smallest Movers
The majority of relocating families have children. If you are moving with children you probably researched schools before moving. However personal school visits will transform the unknown into reality. Visits to new schools to survey the classrooms and meet teachers will go a long way to allay your and your children’s worries about the new environment.
Listen carefully to each child’s concern, as every move can bring new issues to the surface. Encourage your children to maintain contact with former friends even while trying to make new friends. Exchanging photos, having e-mail access and possibly a cell phone with a camera feature can help bridge the gap between old and new friends during the early weeks in a new location.
Dealing with challenges
Keep in mind that every stage and every age can bring new challenges. Children who sailed through the last move could be in an entirely different place emotionally and physically for this move Parents cannot assume that a child will ease into the current move. Routinely share accomplishments and challenges with each other and talk about ways to overcome difficulties. Children need to know that even though the parents are responsible for uprooting them you both have challenges to face and you need to work together as a family to solve them.
The following signs may indicate that children are struggling with the adjustment, sudden reading difficulties, changes in attention span or study habits, weight loss or gain, altered enthusiasm or energy levels strained relationships, or disturbed sleep patterns. Stay closely involved with your children during the early months in a new location so you know how they are feeling what they are thinking and who their new friends are.
Consider volunteering or get involved with the school so that you can see for yourself how your children are managing. Both adults and children need the stability and comfort of established routines. Keep the same rules for bedtimes, mealtimes, allowances and expectations. Refer to the Tips for Settling In sidebar for more great info to help both you and the kids.
Children and Safety
When children are in an unfamiliar environment they can easily forget basic safety rules. The following are always a good reminder:
- Keep close to a parent and take an adult’s hand in crowded areas.
- Carry personal identification and phone numbers to contact parents at all times.
- Know where to meet in case families become separated.
- Review street crossing safety guidelines.
- Make sure children understand how to get help safely if they get lost.
Medical and Safety Precautions
It is a fact that moving places additional stress and they are more vulnerable to accidents or illness. If an emergency occurs every second counts. Therefore, as a precaution locate hospitals, pharmacies and physicians that will meet your family’s needs before an emergency arises.
Learn the telephone numbers and access codes for emergency care and always carry medical identification with you. Also in an emergency, you may forget your new telephone number and/or address. Before an emergency arises, program them into your cell phone and place written notes near each telephone in your home as well as basic directions to your residence. Directions will be useful for your family, babysitters and visiting relatives.
Embrace the move
Whether or not you have children or you are married single or retired relocating to a new community can ultimately become a wonderful and enriching experience. The suggestions in this article have worked for many relocating families and they can also help your family become comfortable in your new home.
As an aside when people learn that I’ve moved 19 times the response is often “What place did you like best?” My answer is always the same: “Where my family was.” I wish you all the best!
About the Author | Beverly D. Roman founded BR Anchor Publishing in 1990 and has written more than 30 international and domestic relocation books. Two of her books won the Employee Relocation Council’s Achievement Award for Special Purpose Programs. Her international newsletter has supported corporations and the military in over 140 countries for more than18 years. Beverly served from 2002-2004 as founding chairperson for Families in Global Transition Inc. (FIGT) an organization that focuses on the most critical issues associated with international cultural transitions. Contact her at broman@branchor.com 904.641.1140 or visit www.branchor.com.All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including but not limited to photocopying recording or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from Kevin Evans and The Austin Relocation Guide.
