Helpful tips on how to help you little one

• Be positive- Your child is going to be pretty upset that their friend is moving away, but try and promote a good attitude about it. Tell your kiddie how their pal can visit during the holidays and on occasional weekends and how the time will be just them and how much fun it will be.
• Show your child how to stay in touch- Between email, mobiles, facetime and skype it has never been as easy to stay in contact with some living away. Show your child how to connect into skype and if they are a little older you could consider buying them a phone once they are responsible with it. 
• Ensure your kid has plenty of other friends- Most people have best friends but it is always good for kiddies to have a wide circle of wee pals to hang out with. If this isn’t the case in your child’s case, encourage more playdates and outings with a mix of friends. It doesn’t mean your youngster will forget their pal but it will help them in this transition process and no-one can ever have too many friends.
• Make plans to see their friend again soon- Before they leave organise a date that they can visit each other and have it set it stone listed on the calendar for your child to keep track of. Having a visit set up will ease the anguish a little bit and will have your child looking forward to the future.
• Remind your child how it is harder on their friend- It is incredibly tough on your little one but worse for their mate who is moving away. Explain to your child that their pal has to go to a new school, make new friends and settle in a new house so tell your tot to be a good friend and support their pal when they contact each other next.
• Start a weekly diary/updates via email with photos- Set up an email account and help your child send a weekly diary on what they got up to. Include photos and sit down at a time that suits every second day or so to fill it out. At the end of the week your kiddie can send it on to their delighted friend and expect one back the following week. 
• Let them be sad but don’t let them dwell on it- Of course your tot will be sad and this is heart-breaking to watch but life has to go on and you need your kid to understand that. Let them talk to you and express themselves but don’t let them dwell and spend days on the sofa crying this won’t do them any good in the long run. 
• Keep your kiddie busy- For the foreseeable future you are going to have to keep your child occupied, to avoid them feeling sorry for themselves. Make sure they have plenty of things to do, let them visit relatives, enrol them in summer camps and get them helping around the house. Spend some one on one time with your child too and treat them to a cinema outing or a dinner in their favourite restaurant.