🏠Moving Day Adventure
This is the only bedroom they've ever known. Their height marks are on the doorframe. You're excited about the new place — they're grieving the old one.
What's actually happening
Moving house is rated as one of the top 10 stressors for children (Coddington, 1972). For young children, home isn't just a building — it's a sensory environment tied to safety, routine, and identity. Anderson et al. (2014) found that children who moved before age 6 showed temporary increases in internalising behaviours (withdrawal, sadness) and sleep disruption. The key mediating factor was parental communication: children whose parents talked openly about the move — including the hard parts — adjusted faster than those whose parents focused only on positives.
What parents usually try
Only talking about the positives
"You'll have a bigger room!" is true but dismisses the loss. Children need permission to feel sad about leaving (Anderson et al., 2014).
Making the move suddenly (packing while they're at school)
Removes the child's sense of agency. Children who participated in packing and saying goodbye showed better adjustment (Scanlon & Devine, 2001).
Buying new things to make it exciting
New things don't replace familiar ones. The comfort object from the old room matters more than the new duvet.
What actually helps
Bibliotherapy provides a container for grief. The story character doesn't just move — they say goodbye to specific things in the old house (their corner, their view, their favourite step). This ritualised farewell mirrors what grief therapists recommend for children processing loss (Webb, 2010). Then the character arrives at the new place and discovers something unexpected — not better, just different and worth exploring. The story models that you can be sad about leaving and curious about arriving at the same time.
How this story works
Bibliotherapy acknowledges loss before introducing hope. The story doesn't skip the sadness of leaving — it walks through it, so your child can too.
What your child hears
Your child's character packs a special box of things to bring. They say goodbye to the old house — then discover that the new one has its own secrets worth finding.
When to use this story
When you first tell your child about the move
During the packing process
The last night in the old house
The first week in the new house
When homesickness for the old place surfaces weeks later
After the story
The story is the beginning. Here's how to keep it going:
“What will you miss?”
“What are you excited about?”
“What special things are coming to your new room?”
Try this
Pack a special "first night" box together
The research behind this approach(show)
Therapeutic stories for life transitions like potty training, school anxiety, and new siblings.
- Shechtman, Z. (2009). Treating Child and Adolescent Aggression Through Bibliotherapy. Springer.
- Pardeck, J. T. (1994). Using literature to help adolescents cope with problems. Adolescence.
- Heath, M. A., et al. (2005). Bibliotherapy: A resource to facilitate emotional healing. School Psychology International.