Moving is very stressful on its own. You have to lift things. You have to pack things. You have to move things around. Not to forget the scrubbing and dusting. It is tedious. You will sweat. You will be covered in dust. You will be tired before the day is even halfway through. It is a guarantee that your moving day will be worse if you have children. First, children like attention. You will be unable to give them attention because you will be busy packing and moving things outside. Another thing is that children like to get in the way which they will. How then do you make it easier and even interesting for your children?
Feed them
Children are more amenable while on full tummies. So before you start activities for the day, you should feed the kids first. You should also pack some snacks for them to nibble on through the day. After you have packed everything up, you should schedule snack times. It is easy to lose yourself and track of time in the chaos of moving day. This will keep the children from getting too hungry and fussing all over the place. You could also place the packed snacks in places where the kids can reach them easily so they can just help themselves. Places where they will not get knocked over while you pack. While you are at it, feed yourself too. You know, so you are not also fussy and inefficient.
Keep them busy
Children do not like being idle. If a child is idle, they will unpack boxes that you have already packed but are waiting to seal. They will spill drinks on your box of clean sheets. They will climb up on piled up boxes and jump around. Point is, they will wreak havoc. So you should find activities to keep them busy while you pack and move everything. Find some games for them. Find them activities to get them out of your boxes. As long as they are busy, they will stay out of your way. You will be able to pack without constantly shouting at them to stop that and get off from there.
Playtime while you pack
A good way to keep the kids busy while you pack is by having them play outside with their friends. See, while they are running around outside shouting and screaming, you can get quite a bit of packing done. You can also make use of that time to clean the corners that you could never reach because maybe there was a big cabinet there.
Involve them
It would also be useful to involve them. They will find it fun to be doing such a grown-up thing with you. Not only will you have some help, but you will also get to spend some quality time with the kids. They will also have very little time to mess things up and ruin your cartons.
Pack while they sleep
You could also pack the previous night while the kids sleep. It will be quiet. It will be peaceful. There will be no one around to scramble for your cartons to use as toys. You can mull over little trinkets from the past as well as things you should get rid of. You will have a few things left to pack by morning but those should not take anything more than two hours. You will not have to do as much distracting as you would. This also allows you to get an early start on the move and will keep you from being too tired on moving day.
Take them away
You could also eliminate them completely. That sounds bad. You could have the kids visit cousins or grandparents. You could have them leave for the day at least. They will miss the worst part of moving which is all the tedious sweating and lifting. They will also be out of the way and will not have a couch drop on their heads. They may play with cartons but they will not be the cartons meant for packing. You will not have to constantly take breaks from packing to feed them either. While you are at it, have them leave with your pets.
Move earlier
It is better to move earlier in the day. If you get an early start, it means you will get to the other house early. You will be able to serve lunch to the kids at the other house. While you unpack the children could play with children in the new building and get acquainted. Children get along with each other quickly. They will also have time to explore their new surroundings.
Talk to them about the move
Once you make the decision to move to a new place. You should remember that this will affect them too. They will have to leave their friends behind. They will have to leave a home they have known for a while for a completely new place. While children do bounce back faster than adults, if the move is sprung on them they may take a while to recover. So take the time to talk to them. Bring up the move occasionally in general conversations on the days leading up to it. Talk about all the great things they will encounter in a new place. Try to make them anticipate the move. Create excitement. On moving day, they are bound to be more cooperative if they ave been looking forward to it. They may also be a little impatient. However, be sure about the move before you do this. You do not want disappointed children on your hands.
House hunt together
It is also a good idea to make them feel involved in the house-hunting process. Of course, it may be a little tedious for them. However, chances are that they will get into the spirit of it if you constantly involve them and ask them questions. Ask them about the rooms and colors. They are more likely to be excited about the move if they like aspects of the new house. If they get to participate in choosing where you live next.
Let them say goodbye
Children are also human beings. They have forged bonds with other children and people around the building. You could throw a little party for them to say goodbye to their friends. You could also have them hand out candies. The point is to give them closure. It will keep them from feeling like they were yanked out of their comfort zones and thrust into a new environment without conditioning of any kind. It also prepares them mentally for a new home and maybe friends.
Help them stay in touch
After you have moved, keep in touch with some of the closest friends your child has. This is especially important if they also move schools. It helps them feel anchored even in a new community. Help them keep in touch with old friends for as long as possible. Children tend to forget quickly so do not feel like you have to keep up a charade for too long. Within a month or two, they will only mention the old friends in passing or never at all. Keeping in touch with old friends will help if they are having trouble fitting in a new school and neighborhood.
Adjustment period before school
If you have children, it is always advisable to move over the holidays. Give the kids enough time to close that chapter of their lives but also give them some time to find their groove in the new place. They should have some time to get used to a new house before they have to go to school. This is very important if the child has also moved schools. Space out the changes enough so they can adjust.
Set up their sleeping quarters first
After you get to the new house, set up the kids’ rooms first. Their sleeping quarters should be sorted before everything else. Next set up the kitchen then the TV. Here is why. You can drop a matress on the floor and just pass out. The children would not be comfortable with that option. If you spend all your time unpacking all parts of the house, the end of the day will come and you will have to scramble trying to situate everything in the kitchen for dinner. The TV will be entertained while you get everything done.
Comfort on the first night
The first night in anew house will be daunting for the children. Hence, the need for their sleeping quarters to be completely set up before anything else. You could all watch their favorite movie or play some of their favorite games. Read them their favorite stories. In short, offer them comfort especially on the first night. It will help them feel at home in a new house as well as help them sleep.
Children are wonderful. However, moving while they are around requires finesse. As you plan your move, you need to think about how you will handle everything with them around. Happy moving!
