Selling your home and buying a new one, packing up your entire life and starting over in a new location can be tough enough as it is. When you add children into this huge process then it can be a lot to take in.
Kids can be confused about what is going on and there can even be some emotional outbursts as they resist change. If they have grown up in the house you are moving out of it can be enough to send them into a panic since it is all they have ever known.
It is completely possible to have an easy transition into your new home with kids, however. All it takes is a few tricks that are sure to ease them a lot easier into the process. Here are some of the best ways to make moving with kids much easier.
Prepare Them For The Change
You will want to have plenty of conversation beforehand about the upcoming change that will take place. You can do things like talk about what their new home will look like, how they can decorate their room to their liking, and how exciting it will be to meet your new neighbors.
There are children’s books you can which talk about some of the challenges of changing homes and children are able to identify with characters in the same situations in these stories. Try a few different angles and see which one works the best for your child.
Get Them Involved
Kids feel more exciting about a move if they are helping with the process. This means giving them little tasks to accomplish for the greater whole. This can be everything from helping sort through the garage to helping pack.
For younger children, you can give them little tasks which can’t cause much damage such as “Here! Pop these bubble wraps!” You’ll find that if you make them feel like a part of the move they will resist less.
Label Everything
According to a blog post by Pausa Caffe, it happens to be crucial to label all the boxes properly in order to avoid confusion during and after the relocation process. Moreover, since you have a big family it is important to make sure that you know where everything is in the boxes. You never know when you’ll have time to unpack it again, so do yourself a favor and make sure each box has a list of what is inside.
Hire a Moving Company
If you have children you know how every task takes double to triple the amount of time to get finished than it normally would in the absence of kids. Since moving is one of the most stressful activities that a person can undergo, it is important to try to minimize as much stress as you can.
Do yourself a favor and focus on the packing part and the parenting part. Outsource a moving company to do the heavy lifting and unloading. You will find yourself much less overwhelmed and juggling ten things at once.