Tips for Moving with Kids:
Moving, in general, is a whirlwind, but add in kids and it can sometimes turn out to be a tornado. After moving four times in the past 10 years with half of these moves being with kids, I’ve complied a list of things that have made it easier on us and the kids.
Tip #1: Get out of the house
If you’ve got family you can stay with or can plan a weekend getaway for you and the kids (pets, too!) during the open house -do it! Schedule any cleaning for when you’re gone, right before the open house. Trying to keep a clean house while living in it to show it to potential buyers is so stressful on you, and your kids (especially little) won’t understand why they can’t do certain things or play with certain toys.
Tip #2: Purge. Purge. Purge
Take this opportunity to really go through everything before you pack. This makes it easier to pack everything up and unpack. Throw items away, donate, or sell.
Tip #3: Packing
This may sound like a very unconventional way of packing – however, it works well for us, so maybe it can for you, too. We like to pack up everything ourselves and then hire a company to move the big pieces of furniture. That way we know where everything is, and are confident our items are packed safely and securely. We tend to move as many of the big items to one central location of the home to make loading up the moving truck go quicker. When packing up your items, make sure to label each bag or box as fragile (if need be) and what room they go in. Having your items placed in the rooms they belong in makes it much easier to unpack.
Tip #4: Moving Boxes
I hate buying boxes to move. If you do, too, check out your local buy-and-sell groups on Facebook, the Next-Door app, neighborhood and friends’ Facebook pages, and Marketplace. You can also call your local grocer, such as Schnucks or Dierbergs, and ask If they have any banana boxes or apple boxes you can pick up. If they do, most of the time they will gladly set them aside for you to pick up. Banana boxes are sturdy, have handles and usually come with thick brown paper packing which is nice to keep items from falling out of the square hole in the top. Apple boxes are sturdy, have a bottom and a top, no handles, but come with thick paper pieces and a pad which are great to use to separate plates or other breakable items.
Tip #5: Talk. Talk. Talk.
Talk about the move often with your kids and get them involved. The more you talk, the easier they will adjust. Tell them all about their new rooms, backyard, playroom, etc. Maybe let them pick their room and let them help decorate – the more you are excited and upbeat about it, the more they will feed off of your energy.
Just remember to BREATHE- You will get through it!
Hope these tips help!
