Recent world events have many of us thinking about relocating.
If your future plans include a move with children, you may need a home with more space and a larger outdoor living area.
No matter what you do, keeping your children excited about the move will save a great deal of upset and angst.
1. Keep Changes to a Minimum
If you’re moving your family in a vehicle, try to use the same car they take to school each day.
For example, if you have an SUV or minivan that transports the children, collect auto shipping quotes on the other car and pile everyone in the family vehicle for the long road trip.
For those planning to move with a rental truck, consider hiring a driver to transport your belongings and keep the family together in the other vehicle.
This will make sure that one parent isn’t doing all the child transport answer questions and settle upsets before they blow up treat the move like a vacation Keeping everyone happy, hydrated, and calm on the way to your new home will lower the overall stress level and make life easier.
2. Treat the Move Like a Vacation
Drag out the suitcases and make sure that everyone has a case with
- toiletries and a towel
- pajamas and a couple of changes of clothes
- sheets and a pillow
These suitcases will be your lifeline when you start to settle in your home. Even if you spend a night or two in a hotel, these suitcases mean that you can all shower, put on pajamas and make your beds.
If you have an older child who is tech-savvy, put them in charge of the electronics backpack so everyone has a charger when they need one.
3. Enlist Friends and Relatives Who Love Your Kids
The packing process with children can be a nightmare. Change is always hard, but for a child, watching your favorite gear packed up can be extremely upsetting.
If you have friends and family that your kids love to spend time with, ask them to take your children out for an adventure while you’re packing up the child’s belongings.
See if your family friend and everyone’s favorite aunt or uncle can take children out for
- a day at the park
- a picnic
- a movie, and
- an overnight slumber party
This adventure will give you a day to pack, clean, and organize without having to constantly reassure children. Moving with little ones will also be easier if they’re excited about it.
4. Encourage Children to Get Excited About Their New Space
Show children as many photos and videos of your new space as you can find. If you can get a floorplan, create forms and shapes to help your children “play” to understand where beds, television cabinets, tables, and chairs will go.
If you have older children who are interested in packing and organizing for the move, set up a color-coding system.
Each room will need color on the floor plan, and every box that gets packed will need a color assignment.
Colored dots can be very helpful and cost-effective; just make sure that each side of each box, as well as the top, gets a dot. Pick up an extra taping gun so all of those dots get secured to the boxes.
5. Allow Children Some Control
Make sure children have some control in their own packing if anxiety levels are running high. For example, consider investing in a rolling toy chest for their favorite gear.
Let the child load this with single items while you pack up kits that contain tiny pieces, from building kits to tea sets.
Put the colored dots to use to help your child understand that this is their bin and that it will be one of the first things to go in their new room.
Change is really tough for all of us, but children have a harder time understanding how their new home will work.
Making sure that they have an understanding of their new home, the space they will be living in, and that their belongings will be available in their new home will greatly reduce worry and upset.
About The Author:
Taylor Haskings is a freelance writer born in Denver, Colorado. She graduated with a bachelor’s in English from the University of Colorado, Denver. She enjoys hiking in the Colorado Rockies and loves the fine arts, such as playing the violin. Her true strengths include networking with others and expressing herself through the written word.
