Metro Phoenix Relocation Guide 2008 - (Page 74) The Move Lessening Relocation Stress People moving to a new city view the experience as either a great adventure or an incredibly stressful hassle. Relocating can be a lot of both. Like most everything else in life, it's what you make it. Attitude is important. First, the adventure part. Making friends with a new city can be a process of discovery for the individual and the family together. There's a sense of excitement, of anticipation, even a sense of the pioneer spirit in navigating new terrain. Imagine discovering new favorite restaurants, parks, places to shop, new routes home from the office. Relocation means looking at things with a fresh eye. Much of the inconvenience and many of the problems involved with relocating can be avoided by doing your homework of gathering proper information. Whether your move will be nearly stressless or overly stressful depends a lot on you. So, try to focus on the positive. This is an opportunity to start fresh, to improve the elusive "quality of your life." But what about the stress of packing up lock, stock and barrel, of stepping out from your present comfort zone? There's no question that relocating can be intimidating to the most adventurous soul. It's only natural that breaks from our daily routines create discomfort and inconvenience. Recognize this and deal with those emotions. The relocation process is a combination of big and small – from selecting a neighborhood and purchasing a home to where to find your new favorite shops. Understand that it will take time to feel at home. But once you do, there can be a strong feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. You did it! The list that follows of pre-move preparations will help you cope. 1. You are holding in your hands one of your most useful tools – the Relocation Guide™. This Guide will answer the questions most commonly asked about your new city and the surrounding communities. So, read it thoroughly to acquaint yourself with the area. 2. A telephone directory from your new area is also useful. It can be ordered through your local telephone company. If your spouse is giving up a job, a head start can be made setting up interviews with local companies or employment agencies. Professional organizations can be contacted for membership information. Retailers can be identified. Professional services can be located. 3. Order the local newspaper. The current events will give you an idea as to what's happening in your new city. Also, the local advertising can help you get acclimated. 4. Talk to your company's human re-sources or relocation department and know what the policies and services are. Assistance varies from company to company, but you'll probably find some type of help. 5. Get out your directories – professional, alumni or fraternal. Look for people in your new area. Call and try to get answers to those questions that are really bothering you. 6. Be sure to have a detailed street map and study the roads from your new home to shopping areas and schools. There's nothing worse than feeling totally lost in a new city. When you arrive, drive around to get acquainted. 7. Allow yourself some time to get settled and meet the neighbors before you have to start work. Also, if you move during the summer months, your children will be able to meet new friends before school starts. The first day of school will be easier if they know somebody. 8. Remember, the move may also create feelings of stress in your children. Be sure to talk to them about the move and consider them while house hunting. Listen to their ideas as to how to decorate their new room. They're people, too, and may feel that they have no control over what's happening to them. Go out of your way to give them some sense of control. 9. Contact the local school board for information about the school your children will attend. Arrange a meeting with the homeroom teacher and your children. Conduct a trial run from the school's entrance to the homeroom. That way your children will feel more at home on the first day. 10. Finally, relax and start enjoying your new surroundings. One day soon, you'll look back and wonder what you were so nervous about. After all, six million Americans change homes every year. Relocation for Kids Moving to a new area can be an unnerving experience for adults, but for kids the experience can be downright traumatic. The prospect of leaving friends, school and familiar settings can cause serious problems at a time when parents already have their hands full. More than anything else, children fear the unknown: What will my new school be like? Who will my new CHILDREN'S BOOKS ON MOVING For preschoolers, suggested books are: Moving by Wendy Watson (Crowell), Moving Day by Toby Tobias (Knopf) and I'm Moving by Martha Whitmore Hickman (Abington). Good choices for children 5 to 8 include: I Don't Live Here! by Pam Conrad (E.P. Dutton), I'm Not Moving by Penelope Jones (Bradbury) and Moving Molly by Shirley High (Treehouse). For pre-teens, good choices include: Lost and Friend by Jean Little (Viking Kestrel), Circle of Giving by Ellen Howard (Atheneum), Anastasia Again by Lois Lawry (Yearling), Aldo Applesauce by Johanna Hurwitz (Wm. Morrow & Co.), Mildred Murphy, and How Does Your Garden Grow? by Phyllis Green (Addison-Wesley). 74 Relocation Guide™
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