Moving to a new house is an exciting time for adults, with lots to plan and look forward to, new scenery and new experiences. For children, however, this might not always be the case. Change can be hard to assimilate, and they may be worried about leaving friends behind, changing schools, or the new house and environment. Of course, your children might love the whole moving experience, hiring a man with a van for the house move, packing and unpacking, and setting up their new rooms - it can all be an adventure. Either way, we have broken these tips down into sections, so hopefully, there will be something here to make things easier for you and your family.

Change is a natural occurrence and mostly unavoidable in all areas of life. While we adults can be excited about the prospect of a new home, children may not share that enthusiasm. They will be leaving many familiar and secure things behind to step into the unknown, and it's important to bear this in mind when explaining the move to them.

Ensure they understand when you are moving and that they will have new rooms and a new house. There's no right or wrong time to do this; bear in mind that the longer they have to digest the fact of the move, the easier it will be for them when the day comes. Getting them involved in the physical side is also important; there's plenty of packing to be done, and they can even decorate the boxes once they are packed. Getting them involved in this way makes them feel like participants rather than just having it forced upon them.

Before the house hunting starts, sit down and create a list of things they would like to see (bigger garden, attic bedroom, playroom, etc.) - naturally, you may not be able to accommodate all their wishes, but this will allow them to have an input into the house selection process.

Moving to a new house means a likely move to a new school, which means new friends and new teachers. Talk to them about this and if possible take them to see the new school before the move, this will help them build a picture of what it might be like to go there.

Once you have your new dwelling set, it's a good idea to sit down with the little ones and let them plan out their new room(s). If there's new furniture to be bought they might enjoy a trip down to the store to choose it, likewise with colour schemes

A house move is akin to a giant spring clean in some respects, a great time to say, 'Do I really need this/do I use this anymore?' and with the children's clothes/toys, this will be especially true. Doing it while they are present may well result in tears and reinforce the negative aspects of the move.

Where possible, a few visits to the new home will not only help familiarise them with it but also, when you point out all the great new features it has, make them look forward to these aspects of moving home.

If you are moving away from the current area it might be an idea to give the children a chance to say goodbye by throwing a small party or taking them and their friends out for an evening. For younger children taking photos or making a scrapbook is an easier way of letting them feel they are taking something of their old life with them.

If they have a favourite film, and you have a tablet or smartphone then download it for them, or play a DVD on a laptop. If they have a favourite toy that's 'moving friendly' make sure they have access to it - the familiar things will help ease the jolt of all the unfamiliar. Consider buying a new toy, especially for the new room - this will give them something to look forward to!

Once the kids are comfortable and have familiar things around them, they should start to relax more in their new surroundings.

Having an extra pair of hands/eyes to keep track of the little ones while there are heavy boxes and furniture being moved will prove invaluable.

Pick a nice day soon after the move and take them out to explore their new surroundings. To show them the positive side of moving here, parks, restaurants, play centres, shopping - anything you think they will enjoy.

These can manifest themselves in a number of ways, sometimes verbally and sometimes behaviour-wise (shyness, aggressiveness, bedwetting, not eating etc.). If signs of stress start to manifest be sure to talk with your child and listen to their issues, what might seem small to you as an adult can seem huge to their limited life experience.

Depending on their age this may be just a question of giving them the space to be on their phone/console messaging or maybe even having old friends come over to stay with them. This will let them graduate with the changes in their surroundings, and not feel that absolutely everything has altered.

Depending on your child's age and demeanour, this may or may not be necessary. Holding a housewarming party or BBQ can provide an environment where the kids will just get on and play together without forcing things. If new friends come over, it might be an idea to have something available for them to do, be it simply playing in the garden or a trip to the cinema.