You may assist your children in preparing for the big move with some forethought and patience. Few individuals consider packing up their stuff and relocating to be a fun activity. When children are involved, the stress level for the entire family can quickly rise. Moving has been demonstrated to have a negative influence on children’s mental health, particularly when they must leave friends behind to attend a new school. Here are some suggestions for overcoming obstacles while moving with children so that the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
- Discuss the relocation with your children.
Early on, prepare young children by giving as much information as possible about the approaching relocation, including where and when you’ll be relocating. Mention items that will remain the same — their bed and toys will follow them to their new home — as well as some of the exciting changes that will occur, such as a larger yard or a swimming pool in the new complex. Make time to address their inquiries and allow them to express their thoughts about leaving their friends and school behind.
- Take the kids to your new neighbourhood.
Showing your children about the new area by taking them to a nearby park, their new school, and pleasant places like the local ice cream store will help them feel more at ease and form good connections with the impending transfer.
Are you travelling a long distance? Give them a video tour of your home, find some images online, and utilise Google Maps to do a virtual tour of your new neighbourhood. When you eventually move in, everything will seem familiar.
- Make a thorough moving week schedule.
Keeping your family’s home and school routines constant while preparing to relocate might be difficult. A well-thought-out packing and moving strategy might help you relax. Sit down with your kids and make a list of everything that needs to be done during moving week.
Because you’ll be more and busier as the big day approaches, prepare some meals to freeze. Make a precise moving day itinerary that includes transportation and meals.
- Start packing way earlier than you think you need to
When you were in college, it may have just taken a few hours to pack all of your possessions into boxes, but relocating with children entails juggling a lot more moving pieces. It’s realistic to anticipate that packing up a full apartment or home will take twice as long because getting everyone out the door every morning takes twice as long. Start by organizing your belongings into three categories: keep, discard, and sell or give. Purge your possessions early, rather than after the move, to save time and money. You don’t need to bring anything that is damaged or no longer in use.
Set up contribution boxes for your kids with color-coded duct tape labels so they may feel part in the process. Make it a game: the first child to fill up a donation box receives a little gift. Assign a colour to each family member and other areas in the apartment for all of your Keep boxes, making the relocation easier when it comes time to unload and unpack boxes at the new location.
- If you have babies or toddlers, work smarter not harder
Parents of small children have considerably more to deal with, so you’ll need a lot of aid. Call on grandparents or hire a sitter if you can’t get your packing done during nap time or while your child is in pre-school so you can focus on the relocation. Last, pack up your child’s room, and leave one box of toys out until the moving trucks arrive so your youngster has something to do while you finish up last-minute activities.
- Make safety a priority on moving day
Infants and toddlers should be left at Grandma’s house for the day since things will be chaotic during the actual relocation – your front door will be open while movers transport heavy goods back and forth. Keep older children occupied with books or movies to keep them out of harm’s way. Once your items have been delivered, ensure sure box cutters and scissors are out of reach of children, and that cleaning materials are stored safely.