Zillow debuts children’s book to help kids deal with moving

As more families move to homes that better suit their evolving needs, Zillow has created a children’s e-book to help parents make the transition easier for their families.

The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Move chronicles a move by a fictional young girl named Iris, her parents and her special friends, Jupitus and Annika. Made in partnership with creative agency FIG, the e-book tackles what it means to move to a new home, what to expect, and the complicated mix of emotions that comes with moving. In the end, Iris learns moving doesn’t take away the things you love, it just gives you more.

The e-book includes a discussion guide for parents, with advice from Reena B. Patel, LEP, BCBA, a parenting, education and behavior expert.

“As parents, we often move to create a better life for our children, to develop connections and to grow as a family,” says Patel. “I know personally that moving to a new home can be emotional and scary, and yet moving can help build resilience and open new opportunities. Children have a stronger sense of control over their moving anxiety when they directly participate in moving-related activities. Parents can take steps to make their family’s move a positive experience.”

The feelings of stress, anxiety and fear that children experience during a move can be magnified for parents, who typically face more challenges than other adults when buying and selling a home. Zillow research finds most parents (51%) say they cried while selling a home, compared to 36% of other adults. Their most common stressors are uncertainty over the selling price and whether their home would sell within their desired time frame.

When buying a new home, parents are more likely to go over budget and more likely to make compromises to stay within their budget. Zillow research also finds adults with children at home typically spend more time shopping for a home and attend more open houses because they often have longer wish lists and tighter finances.

Once parents do move, most say they are happier or experience positive life events as a result. Zillow’s survey found parents frequently cited watching their child thrive in a new place (44%) to be among the most rewarding aspects of moving, and 30% say they are a better parent to their children since their most recent move. In the end, 81% of parents agree that their most recent move was worth it.

The Girl Who Didn’t Want to Move is available for download from the Amazon Kindle store, Apple Books or in PDF format for free from Zillow’s customer resource center. Zillow’s book proceeds go to Covenant House, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and supportive services to young people facing homelessness. Zillow will make a matching donation to Covenant House for each book downloaded, with a maximum match of $25,000.

This is Zillow’s second book. The New York Times bestseller Zillow Talk: Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate was released in 2015.