Video Helps Kids Cope With Stress of Moving

Planning a move? Each year, millions of children and their families move to a new home in the United States. It not only means high-stress for parents, but emotional upheaval for children as well.

A new 30-minute video from award-winning, Boston-based KIDVIDZ can help.

“Let’s Get a Move On!” for 4- to 10-year-olds, acknowledges a child’s fears, demystifies the moving process and offers advice through songs, narrative and real kids who tell of relocating because of a dad in the military, a job promotion or a need for more space.

The video recognizes a child’s frustration in being powerless to affect the decision to move. Anger is OK, so is fear of the unknown and excitement--”my feelings are all over the place,” says one boy.

In various scenarios, familiar rooms become empty and strange, packing is hard work, there’s an invasion of house-hunting strangers, pressured parents argue, friends say goodby.

After the move, “all the rushing and noise and craziness stops” as “your stuff finds its way to you and fills up the space,” but children are assured that lonely and sad feelings are natural. Tips for adjusting to new surroundings include ways to get out and about in the community and how to interact with new neighbors and potential friends.

That last is the hardest part, and somewhat oversimplified. KIDVIDZ’s strength here, as in “Hey, What About Me?,” its guide for children with a new baby in the house, is in acknowledging negative feelings, stressing positive ones and encouraging children to see the experience as a challenge they can take pride in meeting.

$14.95. Information: (617) 243-7611.