Moving with Kids – A step by step guide

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How to Make Moving With Kids Fun and Easy

Relocating to a new home is undeniably one of the more stressful and strenuous projects that you will tackle within the next few years or longer. Moving with kids makes this process even more challenging in many ways. After all, depending on the age of your kids and their emotional connection to the home and community, you may expect tears or even anger. Younger kids may be fearful and confused about what is going on. There is also the functional aspect of moving with your children underfoot. These are some excellent tips that may smooth the way for an easier transition when relocating with kids.

Take the Kids to the New Home

After you make the big announcement to your kids that the family is moving, it is wise to take your children to the new home. They inevitably may have apprehension about moving into a space that they have never seen and cannot visualize, and taking them to this space can ease their minds. If the new home is too far away for a quick visit, you can always show them pictures online. If you are moving to a new hometown, you can also talk to them about some of the great attractions and activities that the family can enjoy together after the move.

Eliminate Unnecessary Items

Your next step in the relocation process is to clean out all unnecessary items. Think about the storage space and room layouts in the new home. For any furniture, décor and other items that will not have a dedicated space in the new home, toss them, sell them or donate them. This gives you a much more manageable amount of stuff to pack and relocate. You can even get your kids to pitch in and help you host a garage sale.

Recruit Help for Packing

Packing should be done strategically if you are moving with kids. Keep in mind that seeing their entire home being disassembled and packed away can be unnerving and stressful. Begin by packing up the garage, closets, bookshelves and seldom-used items in the kitchen. Leave essential items out so that the family can live comfortably until the last few days or week before the move. It may also be helpful to keep decorative items in place for the time being. Decorative items are usually relatively small and easy to pack, and these familiar items can help the kids to feel more relaxed about the experience.

Make It Fun

Your kids can and should help with different aspects of relocation depending on their age. Younger kids can help pack up books, DVDs, pots, pans and other items. Talk about how these items will be unpacked in the new home so that they do not think that the items are disappearing forever. Let the kids draw on the boxes to decorate the space personally while you pack.

Plan Ahead for Moving Day

Another important step is to prepare for moving day. Younger kids generally should be cared for by friends or neighbors outside of the home so that they stay safe and do not get underfoot. Older kids may be tasked with watching the pets if movers are on-site, or they can help to load the truck if you are doing a do-it-yourself move.

If you are planning a family relocation, the process of moving with kids requires strategizing and focused effort. Each of these tips can improve your experience in different ways, but you may need to adjust them based on your kids’ unique needs and concerns.