By / San Diego Moving

Tips for moving with small children

Moving to a new home with small children can be stressful and overwhelming without preparation. Ensuring the safety of your children while moving to a new home and simultaneously managing a move can be tricky. Here are a few tips to help ease the moving process.

Tip #1: Pack Up Toys While Your Children Sleep

When you have small children, packing up their toys and personal belongings while they are awake may lead to tantrums and outbursts, especially when your children are too young to understand what a move entails. Packing your children’s toys after they’ve gone to bed or during naptime is an easy way to avoid conflict.

Tip #2: Get the kids involved

Preparing your household for a move can be a group activity. Ask your children to help with simple tasks, such as packing and organizing boxes and taping and labeling boxes. Handle the fragile items yourself and let them pack their own items. Make it fun and they’ll be more happy to help.

Tip #3: Use Colored Packing Tape

When you have multiple children, assign individual colors of duct tape to each one of them while they begin packing their belongings. Using colored packing tape is a fun way to easily distinguish where boxes belong once you arrive in your new home. Try letting your child choose the tape color for their own belongings.

Tip #4: Declutter

Regardless of your child’s age, they are likely to feel an attachment to decor, personal belongings, and furniture throughout your home. In order to minimize the risk of your child experiencing an emotional meltdown, sell, donate or throw out items you no longer want when your child is asleep or not home. If you are unsure about whether you should get rid of certain things, put them in a dark colored bag, and store in a safe place during the move. If your child doesn’t notice or ask for those items, it is safe to get rid of them.

Tip #5: Host a Moving Sale

Hosting a moving sale is highly advisable when you are planning a move to a new location with small children and an entire home of furniture and belongings. Moving sales help to eliminate clutter and junk while providing you with additional funds to assist with easing the moving process and transporting your family to a new home. One way to attract shoppers to a moving sale you have in mind is to have a banner or sign made here.

Tip #6: Provide New Toys or Incentives

Keeping your children patient, happy, and positive throughout the moving process is not always easy, especially if your children are having trouble feeling good about your move. Surprise your children with new toys or other incentives such as going out to their favorite restaurant once the move is complete. Offering positive future plans and activities helps to alleviate stress and fear your children may feel when relocating from their home or moving for the very first time.

Tip #7: Say Goodbye to Your Old Home as a Family

Provide your children with peace of mind by saying goodbye to the home you are moving out of as a family. Gather all of your children along with your spouse and any pets you have to “say goodbye” officially. Allowing your children to feel closure as they are moving on in life and into a new experience helps prevent feelings of sadness and resentment.

Final Thoughts

Having a thorough understanding of the best methods to move with small children by your side is essential to avoid feeling bombarded and overwhelmed when the moving date arrives. With the right tips and tricks, expedite the moving process while smoothly transitioning into your new space with your family as a whole.

Guest Post by: Lilibeth Lausin from Heroic Search