Moving is a hard-enough process as it is, it’s even more challenging if you have to deal with young children too. With the amount of planning that goes into your moving day, it can feel nearly impossible to keep your kids in line at the same time. Although every family is different and faces many challenging obstacles in the moving process, here are 10 tips you can take advantage of during your moving day.
1. Prepare Your Kids for Moving Day
If you don’t explain to your kids what’s going to happen on moving day, you might make them anxious and scared. A few days before moving day, make sure you take the time to discuss what’s going to happen with the help of visual aids and age-appropriate books.
2. Don’t Rush Anything
The last thing you want to do on moving day is rushing anything. Especially if you have a child on board, it’s important that you take your time and carefully pack everything correctly. Doing so will ensure no damages to your belongings occur, that nothing is forgotten and will still give you plenty of time to engage your child.
3. Let Your Kids Help
If your child is old enough, you should let them help pack some of their own belongings. Even if your kid is young, you can let them pack their toys and wrap things in bubble wrap. However, you should save the heftier work for yourself and the professional movers. It’s also never a bad idea to double check their work.
4. Pack a Toy Bag
In case your child becomes too distracting and needs attention, you should bring a medium-size backpack with your child’s toys and activities, such as coloring books, blankets, and dolls. This will help calm them in the moving process, especially if you have to go on an airplane or drive to your new home.
5. Label Your Kid’s Things Clearly
Instead of needing to take time digging your kid’s belongings from large storage boxes, you should clearly label all of their things, so you know where it is at all times. This way, if they want a specific toy, you can open the box labeled toys and let them have some playtime. Also, this can help to ensure that you pack your child’s necessary items in an easily accessible spot.
6. Properly Time Your Move
Although circumstances can change at the last moment, it’s important that you properly time your move, so you’re doing it in a calm time in your child’s life to prevent them from feeling anxious about moving. It’s crucial that you consider their school schedule when planning out your move so as not to add too many changes when they transition schools.
7. Make it Fun for the Family
Moving can cause an imbalance in your child’s life, especially with a change of routine. So, it’s important that you try making the move as fun for the family as you can. If your kid helps you move, treat them to dinner out, ice cream, a new toy or an allowance boost. This will help your children become acclimated to the moving process.
8. Make Sure You Have Extra Clothes on Hand
Kids can get pretty messy; this is why you should have extra clothes on hand when you move. In case your kid gets a little too messy from having an accident or with food on the road, keep a few outfits in ziplock bags and wet wipes in case you need to make a pit stop.
9. Keep the Same Routines
Of course with a new home, things may have to change, but it’s important for your child that you try to keep routines as close to the same thing as you can. If you need to change up your kid’s routine for the move, it’s important to compensate and include some fun changes to your child’s life, such as weekend cartoons, short day trips, or fun outdoor activities.
10. Make the New Home Feel Homey
When taking your time to unpack your belongings, hang cherished family items, such as family photos and other familiar items. This will help make the new home feel less strange and more home for you and your family. Be certain to set up your children’s room as soon as possible. This will really help them to settle in quicker and preoccupy them while you unpack and organize everything else.
Moving is never an easy process, especially if you have children with you. Hopefully, with our tips above, you can make the moving process a little easier on your family, especially with the younger members of it.
About the Author
Hayden Stewart is a contributing writer and media specialist for the Allied Van Lines Moving Blog. He regularly produces content for a variety of lifestyle and home blogs, based around the transitional obstacles that come with moving, settling into a new home, and more.