When going from one home to another, it is so tedious and exhausting having to pack all of your belongings to just unpack after. Hours are wasted in making sure nothing breaks and that you are not doing unnecessary trips back and forth when moving. Moving cross country of just a block away is so hard that if you do not have a good plan in place it can make what should only take a couple of hours become a couple of days, and to add more fire into this mix, children can at times make this already hard task even harder.
If you are thinking about moving from one place to another, this is the guide for you, to make sure stress fights do not happen and that your children are happy and can help you with this task as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Make it known right away
You want to make sure everyone in your household is on board with the move, this will help everyone come to terms with the idea that they will be living in a new place and to start being prepared for the move.
- Sit your family down, let them ask questions, and most importantly let them know the pros of moving.
- Children who are going to move for the first time, may not be too thrilled about leaving their friends and familiar places. You need to make sure that they know why the move has to happen and tell them that you giving them time so they can say their goodbyes.
- As your move date nears make sure your kids can go to all of their favorite places so they can also say goodbye there.
Check out the area and possible new home
Before choosing where you want to move, you need to see where you want to move to, this is your opportunity and chance to research. If the area you are interested in, is not a short drive away, make a weekend out of it if possible, so that you can feel out the area.
- Check the crime stats, specifically, home break-ins.
- Look at the schools to see if they are good options for your kids.
- Go to the nearest grocery stores so you can see your possibly new store.
This is also a great time to see and tour the apartment or home you are interested in, giving you a real look at what the property looks like from the inside, so you can avoid any rental scams. When you are doing your tour make sure to ask all the necessary questions needed to make not only the decision on which property to move into but what is needed before you move into such as:
- Application and screening process.
- Deposits from move-in to pet deposits if applicable.
- Rules that the property may have.
Moving Checklist
You know have told your children and family the move is around the corner, you saw the area that will be your new home, and already paid to lock in your move-in day, now comes the most stressful part. How you’re going to move, how long you will need to move, and all the packing.
- Have the important details of your move, the move-in date, the first day you will pack, the days everyone can be free to pack, and the days you need for important things such as going to the mailroom and forwarding your mail, changing your address and other important things.
- If you are going to have movers have a plan B prepared in case they do not show up or are late, this can dampen your day when you are in a time crunch.
- Have your wallet, keys, and all the necessary documents and information in case things go wrong. What if your movers are lost or need to contact the driver but you only have the office number? What if you need certain documents to pick up your keys?
Setting up a checklist will help you in setting up a schedule to make the move go smoothly as possible.
When children are tired and bored, it can cause more stress on a parent as a child’s mood will be evident and may affect their mood towards you. With you being on a time crunch of moving all of your life in the box into your new home, you know you want to keep that at a minimum as much as possible. No matter the age, children love games.
Moving can help you clear out a lot of clutter as there are things you don’t use or that doesn’t work, before you start putting things away and to avoid fights with your kids, play a decluttering game. Give them a time limit, and a box, and have them toss items of clothing in there that they cannot justify keeping within 3 seconds, first child to finish decluttering will get a reward such as riding shotgun for a week or choosing the dinner.
This will not only make their packing more fun but can be moved to other parts of your home as well. Making moving fun for them will help you in making the workload lighter and easier.
Now that you know it is important to keep the children in the loop of your move and how to go about your move the best way, you can start this new chapter in your life.
