Tips for Moving With Kids

Moving is an undertaking that pretty much every family will likely encounter sooner or later in life. The moving process requires a lot of planning and a great deal of physical effort. It can sometimes be a very stressful and scary situation for some people. A great way to ease some of that stress is by figuring out ways to save a little bit of money. One of the ways to save money while moving is to rent a moving truck and handle all of the organization, packing, transportation, and unpacking yourself. While this can be a stressful process, it is definitely doable for the frugal-minded. 

If you are moving with kids, parenting and moving at the same time can make the whole moving process just a bit more challenging. Not only is moving tough on kids from a psychological standpoint, it can also be quite boring. I remember when I was a kid my family made a long distance move. The days spent packing boxes, loading trucks, unpacking and setting up the new house seemed to drag on and on. It didn’t help that the whole house was empty and I didn’t have any of my favorite toys or activities that I would normally entertain myself with. 

As parents we need to look back at what our life was like as kids and find ways that we can improve our kid’s experience while also improving our own. Here are some tips that I recently used that helped make moving with kids easier on myself and on my children. 

Make it a game

The days spent organizing, packing and unpacking your home can be some of the most boring for your kids. While you are busy making sure that everything is ready to be safely packed into a moving truck, your kids will likely have other things on their mind. They will be looking for entertainment of some kind while you are trying to be productive and get done packing as soon as possible. 

A great way to speed up the process of packing and loading a moving truck is to get your kids involved. Now you are probably thinking to yourself, “sometimes it is a battle just to get my kids to clean their room or take out the garbage, how am I going to get them to help pack for hours?” The answer is to engage your kids. 

One of the best ways to get your kids engaged in any activity is to make it fun or make it a game. I recently read a blog post from a mother in Nashville who recommended making a game out of moving for your kids. There are a few different ways you can do this. One way may be to see how many things your kids can fit into a box. Another might be to see how many boxes your kids can build in a specific amount of time. You can really get creative with how you make a game out of moving. 

Another example that isn’t necessarily a game, but still fun, is giving your kids permanent markers and letting them label and draw on the boxes once they are packed up. Just remind them that those are not for drawing on the walls! I have found this to be a great way to keep your kids occupied while you pack up and also is a way of keeping everything organized. 

Get your kids excited about the move

Beyond just keeping your kids occupied on moving day, your kids may make it abundantly clear that they do not want to move. Most of the time kids struggle with leaving their friends, favorite places and activities behind that they have grown to know and love. It can be a difficult adjustment for kids of any age, but especially for the pre-teen, tween and teenage cohorts. 

It is important to remind your kids that what lies ahead is always better than what we leave behind and that the move is to better the lives of everyone involved. Without discounting the hardships that they will face, as making a move is always difficult, it is important to keep up the positivity of your new location. You can do this by pointing out what an opportunity it is to start over in a fresh place. There will be new restaurants to try, new parks to visit, new people to meet and new memories to make. If you are moving somewhere that has a different climate, you can talk to your kids about all of the new things they will get to do and experience due to the change in the weather. If your kids are of able age, have them research online the first restaurant they want to try in their new city or town. As hard as what is now known as “home” will be to leave, it will always be there for you to return to.

Unpack your kids items/ toys first.

As mentioned before, one of the hardest parts of moving for kids can be once they have left all they know and love behind to arrive at a stark and empty new house with nothing familiar to them. A simple but effective way to ease this transition is by simply packing your kid’s items in boxes that were easily accessible and accessible first once arriving at your new home. That way, not only are they able to have their toys right away, but it will be exciting for them to unpack all of their belongings in their new place. This eliminates the boredom of waiting for their boxes to be found, also while giving them something to do to entertain themselves with while the adults are unpacking. 

If you want to go the extra mile, you could also go as far as finding a way to make it so your kid’s bedroom furniture is the first thing to unpack. Although it might not be the most logical in terms of packing, it will help get the kids excited to pick and set up their new rooms. They can decorate their room however they please while the adults are left to unpack all of the “boring” items. Not only will this keep kids occupied and excited during their first day of the move, they may even become motivated to help unpack the rest of the house now that they are able to feel more at home in their new house. 

Hire a professional moving company

The best way to avoid the stresses of moving is to hire a local moving company to help you make the transition. When you hire movers, they will handle all of the packing, all of the heavy lifting, and all of the unpacking for you. This allows you and your family to kick back, relax and enjoy your new home. If you are moving with kids, this frees you up to entertain your child and make sure that they are not getting into trouble. If you are looking for a reliable moving company in New Orleans or pretty much anywhere in Louisiana, Northshore Moving Company will be more than happy to assist you. Give them a call or visit their website to easily request an estimate for your upcoming move. 

Movers will pretty much take care of the entire moving process which will allow you to direct your attention to your kids instead of lifting heavy pieces of furniture.