Preparing for a move is hard enough on your own. When you add kids to the equation, it gets remarkably more difficult. If your stress level is heightened as you begin to plot out your long distance move with your little ones in the picture, we fully understand your worries. However, we are here to reassure you that there are steps you can take to make it easier on yourself and the entire family. At American Van Lines, we have helped thousands of families move over the years. Here’s our list of the top 5 tips for moving with kids.
1. Get a Head Start on Everything
In order to give yourself the best possible chance at success, we highly recommend that you get started with your move at least a month before your estimated moving date. This includes everything from calling and hiring a moving company to buying moving supplies and getting the packing process started. We understand that life gets busy and it may seem hard to get in the swing of your moving process. However, if you do just a little bit each day, you can chip away at your to-do-list and minimize the stress on yourself as your highly anticipated move approaches. Do yourself a favor and clearly set things that you want to get completed by certain dates. Having order and a clearly defined schedule can only help.
2. Ask for Help
Don’t be shy about asking a friend or family member to take your kids to a park or a movie for a few hours so you can get some packing done. While we understand your need for wanting to be a super parent, it’s okay to admit when you need some help. If you don’t have anyone nearby who you trust with your little ones, look into hiring a professional babysitting service if you have to. Remember, the idea is for you to be as productive as possible ahead of your moving day in order to minimize stress and expedite your move. There’s nothing wrong with being human and asking for some help from those in your circle. Things such as youth centers where your kids will be supervised are also an excellent idea. It gives them an outlet to meet other children and blow off some steam while you have a glass of wine and pack at your own pace.
3. Put the Kids to Work
If your children are old enough, there’s no reason why they can’t help you out here. Think of some fun creative assignments to give them but just make sure that they work on it in another room so you have space to be productive. Whether you give them stickers and a marker to color code boxes for you or have them sort through their toys and decide what ones they want to keep, making them feel like they are an important part of the move is a wise way to eliminate distractions and give yourself a few less things to do. Even something as simple as putting pairs of socks together can save you a great deal of time.
4. De-clutter Your Space
When moving with kids, one of the best things you can do is minimize the amount of packing you need to do. By de-cluttering your space, you will have less things to worry about – therefore simplifying the entire moving process from the start. As adults, we all have tons of things we have accumulated over the years that we rarely use. Instead of tossing it all in boxes to collect dust at your new home, do the right thing and donate to family or friends or those in need. This is a chance for you to be charitable while lessening your moving stress in the process. Additionally, moving companies typically charge based on the weight of your household goods. So, by getting rid of things you no longer need, you’ll end up saving money as well.
5. Stick to Your Routine
When a major life event occurs, such as moving into a new home or relocating to a new city, it’s easy to let it take over and adjust your entire routine. However, when kids are involved, it’s essential that you try to keep things as normal as possible. This means picking them up from school at the same time you always do and allowing them to have time with their friends before leaving town on the same night they always do. Remember, no matter how difficult the idea of moving may be to you, it is likely more difficult to your kids. Try to keep a set routine as much as you can.