Moving with Children

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr.com

Even in the best of times, moving all your possessions is stressful.  The logistics involved in deciding what to pack and when can take even the steadiest of individuals to the breaking point.  Add to that frustration the patter of tiny feet and tiny hands getting into everything and you can have a recipe for disaster.  You’ve heard the old adage, “Two is company and three is a crowd.”  If you are a family of three or more, let Uncle Scott give you a few words of wisdom when it comes to moving with children. 

The Terrible Twos

If you have tots then you know that they get into everything.  As daunting a task as child-proofing your home can be, trying to keep toddlers out of all those interesting boxes you are carefully packing can be like asking the Sun not to shine.  Even worse, since some of your possessions are fragile, unless you want to wake up to the sound of something expensive hitting the floor with a crash, you need to keep your most precious possessions under lock and key.

What I suggest you do is use your garage, garden shed or home office as a marshalling area where you can box up and lock up the lion’s share of your breakables.  This out of sight, out of mind approach not only keeps mischievous toddlers from undermining all your hard work, it also keeps them out of harm’s way.

To keep a tot’s curiosity at bay, I recommend you do as much of the packing as possible when they are asleep.  This will keep them from asking you a million questions that will do nothing to improve your packing efficiency.  This tactic is especially important when it comes time to pack away some of their toys. 

When moving day arrives, I strongly advise you to pack your toddlers off to friends, family or neighbors for the duration of the move.  The last thing you or your crew needs is to have tykes underfoot when boxes, furniture and appliances are being hauled away.  If you are planning a cross-country move, you can always collect your kids on the way out of town.  Both you and they will be happier and your crew will not have to spend half their time wondering where the kids are hiding.

Rugrats Rule

Image courtesy of MaxPixel

The beauty of having school-aged children is that they are going to be at school, unless you decide to make your move during spring or summer break.  If that’s the case, your best bet is to make them part of the solution as opposed to winding up as part of the problem.  What I mean by this is that your best bet is to get your kids involved in the move.  Give them a box and ask them to fill it with specific items, such as toys or books.  While you will in all likelihood wind up repacking the box after the fact, by involving your kids in the process, you will empower them to take part in the endeavor.  This is always preferable to having them undermine it, since moving can be as stressful on them as it is on you.

Teen Tech

If you have teenagers I know what you are thinking.   It’s hard enough to get them to clean their room, much less move everything they own.  While it’s true that teens can be a chore to handle in the best of times, unless you want your move to come to a screeching halt before it has begun, you need to either get them involved, or out of the way. Since it is always better to have the cooperation of teenagers, rather than having them dig in their heels, the best approach is to have a family meeting where the logistics of the pending move can be discussed.  Then you can broach the subject of having them take responsibility for packing their belongings.  This would also be a good time to express the fact that moving is going to be difficult for the entire family and that if everyone cooperates, the task will be accomplished that much easier.  Also let your teens know that you are counting on them to help get the job done and that you are depending on them to do their part.  (If that doesn’t work, bribery is a good Plan B.)

Image courtesy of flickr

Hopefully your teens will rise to the occasion and help you handle the arduous task of packing.  To ensure their cooperation, it helps if you involve them in the process of choosing your new home.  This works particularly well if the reason for the move is to provide your growing family with additional living space. The fact that your teenaged son or daughter will no longer have to share a room with a younger sibling is incentive enough to get them to look forward to the move.  If you are planning on relocating to a new city, use the Internet to take your teens on a virtual tour, pointing out the benefits and points of interest that await them. 

Culling the Herd

When it comes to cutting through the clutter, your best bet is to get your kids cooperation as opposed to lightening the load by edict.  Have your kids go through the house with you room by room, asking them what they think should stay and what should go.  Give them some incentive to cull the herd by explaining that you are going to hold a yard sale and that they will receive a portion of the proceeds.  You can also ask them if they wish to donate some of their belongings to charity.  By asking as opposed to telling them that you want to get rid of some or their belongings, your kids won’t resent you for parting with some of their stuff.

Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Without exception, your best bet when it comes to having the cooperation of your kids is to get them excited about your new home.  Yes, they will be moving away from the place and friends they may have known all their lives.  But they will make new friends and have many advantages once you get where you are going.  The most important thing is to avoid adding a lot of stress to an already arduous task. Make sure you bring some games with you to help while away both drive time and unloading.  When handled right, moving with children can be almost as easy as child’s play.

 If you want your move to be stress-free, call Scott Boone at Scott’s Discount Movers.  With over 4,000 moves, Scott Boone has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.