Five Tips for Moving with Kids

Getting prepared to move is stressful. There is always so much to do from packing, booking movers, making sure that your old place is ready for its new residents. This stress is significantly increased if you have children. So in order to help parents with this, here are a few tips for moving with kids.

• Communicate your plans on moving with  your kids.

The first thing you should do is tell them well in advance that you are planning to move. This will give them enough time to process that they will be living somewhere else. How you do this will depend on the age of your child and their development. The important thing is that you don’t spring it on them at the last minute, as this will make their anxieties about the move worse. If you have developmentally typical teens or preteens, you can discuss the move with them as if they were an adult. If you have  elementary aged children then you should tell them the basics without going into too much detail. Just give the simplest reason. If your children are toddlers or have special needs you will want to prepare them for the move in the simplest way possible. You can tell them something like we are moving to a different house or apartment and you will be sleeping in a new room. They will be stressed at first, but after some time they will be able to process it and accept it.

• Sort out with your kids what they want to keep or get rid of

Before you start packing you will need to figure out which items you will be taking, and which ones will either be sold, donated, or thrown away. This of course goes for your children as well. Have them help you go through their things.
Clothing is simple enough as they will need to keep that unless they have outgrown it, or it is damaged to the point that it is unusable. However when it comes to their toys you should sit down with them and ask if they really want to take all of them or if they would be willing to donate some of them. It is a good idea to encourage donations, as it will both help those who are less fortunate, as well as saving time and space when it comes  to the move.

• If they are young do the packing while they are asleep

While you should have your kids help when it comes to packing up their things, they can really only do so much. The best time to pack up the rest of your belongings would be while they are asleep. Chances are they will have homework, extracurricular activities, and other responsibilities that they need to take care of. Packing while they are asleep will give you the opportunity to focus on packing without interruptions from the kids.

• Throw in some fun surprises Along the way

Even with plenty of advance notice, your kids will probably still have a hard time processing everything. That is why it is a good idea to surprise them with a new toy or something that you think will make them happy. You can also surprise them by taking them to their favorite restaurants. Leaving their home will be hard for them to accept at first, but these things Will lighten the process and make it faster and easier for them.

• Allow your kids and yourself an adjustment period

No matter how well you prepare your kids or even yourself for the move, it will take some time to adjust. It may be easier if you didn’t move too far, but if you did it may even take as long as a year. They will need to get used to a new school, make new friends, and generally get used to their new surroundings. Moving with kids is a very difficult experience no matter where you are moving to, but with these tips you should be able to make it a bit easier.