However, if it works out at all, and you have the opportunity and option to bring over a warm dish, or to invite them over for a light supper, this would be the ultimate welcome you could provide. You may have had no notice about their moving day, and most likely will have no knowledge of any particular food requirements, allergies, etc. One of the kindest and most memorable things you can do for your new neighbor on their moving day is to provide them with warm food. Sure, they may have brought sandwiches and water bottles, but there is nothing like a warm meal at a time like this. It also often produces a ravenous appetite, and it’s not always possible for the family moving in to get to a restaurant or take-out place when in the middle of a move. It’s no secret, moving is physically draining and exhausting. The cliched gifts are always welcoming, and they work! Cakes and pies (either homemade or store bought), chocolate mousse in a parfait glass with whipped cream a basket carrying two tubs of ice-cream, whipped cream and strawberries a basket filled with proverbial home-baked cookies an indoor plant, herb plant, or orchids a crystal or glass vase with flowers -all of these would be lovely to hold in your hand as you ring your new neighbors’ door for the first time.ģ. It’s almost a cliche…the neighbors ringing on the door holding an apple pie and plant to say “Welcome to our Neighborhood.” However, as trite as that visual is, the warm feeling it produces is very real. But it’s nice to know first if you can.Ģ. If you don’t have access to this information, you will find out soon enough when you knock on their door. Do they have children (and what are their ages), where are they moving from, do they have pets? Knowing this can help you decide what might best be of help to them when you first meet them. If possible, find out who your new neighbors will be before they move in. The following tips will help with some great pointers on welcoming new neighbors and thus accelerate the acclimatization process.ġ. It’s also a great opportunity to model for your children, or the children moving in, the importance of kindness and reaching out to others-especially at a time of need. One of the best ways to build friendships and connections with neighbors is naturally at the time when someone on the block is first moving in.

Therefore, the ability to step outside your front door, walk down the block and feel a sense of friendship or camaraderie with your neighbors is not only a prescription for greater happiness in life, but also for your health! Granted times have changed, but studies conducted on longevity and good health show that having friends and a sense of community contribute significantly to greater happiness in life as well as to longevity. You simply left your children with your neighbors when you had to go out at night.

My mother would often say to me that when she was a child, nobody hired a babysitter. Grandparents will often reminiscent about times of old, when people were friends with their neighbors and there was a cohesive, tight, family feeling on the block. One of the most common complaints heard today, in conversation as well as in articles, books, and even indirectly through poetry, is the lack of community and sense of connection people feel in modern society.

Welcome neighbor mailings