Moving During Summer Break

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Max Pixel

School’s out for the summer.  That usually entails keeping the kids entertained, going to the beach, or perhaps packing up the car to take the family on a road trip to an exotic destination. For a number of families, summer is also the perfect time to move.  I should know, since summer always coincides with the height of the moving business. 

When you think about it, it makes perfect sense for families to move during the summer.  With the end of the school year also comes a cessation in having to take the kids to after school activities.  It also means you parents don’t have to worry about helping Johnny and Suzie with their homework for the next couple of months.  In short, it frees a family up to get on with the chore of packing for a move.

Nobody Likes a Party Pooper

That being said, telling the kids that instead of packing to go on vacation, their summer break is going to involve packing for a move, is not likely to make you Mr. or Ms. Popular.  Far from it.  Face it, nobody likes a party pooper.  As far as the rest of the family is concerned, you have just ruined their summer vacation.  To move your summer move along, I have created a short checklist designed to keep it from turning into one of those disaster movies that are also popular during the summer.  

      1.      Plan your move – Before you start ruffling your flock’s feathers, it’s vital to plan the scope of the project.  This means picking a date, lining up a mover, and acquiring the supplies you’re going to need to pack everything up.  (If you haven’t told the fam yet about the impending move, you need to squirrel the supplies away for the time being.)

Image courtesy of Pixabay

      2.      Plan some daytrips – Once you let the cat out of the bag, you need to not only huddle with your family to talk about packing, you also need to pack some fun into the equation.  The problem with packing instead of going on vacation is you are likely to get some pushback from the kids.  Packing boxes will never be able to compete with going to Disney World, will it?  Of course not.  If you want to forestall a mutiny, you need to intersperse the drudgery of packing by planning a few daytrips that are sure to turn those frowns upside down.  Local trips to amusement parks, the movie theater and the mall are a few ways to make up for being forced to work during the summer.  While this concept might take a little planning, it’s far better than having your kids think of packing as a form of child abuse.

      3.      Keep your crew happy  – Another useful tool when it comes to motivating your crew is food.  The last thing you want to have to deal with while you are packing is cooking.  The best way to satisfy both these needs is to take your family out to their favorite restaurants, or have pizza delivered to your door.  Another way to use food as a reward that will motivate your family to pack is to provide snack or dessert breaks.  It is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  But that doesn’t mean the rest of your family (especially tots and teenagers) can’t be motivated by the promise of their favorite food.

 

      4.       Moving can be an adventure. – When it comes to keeping your family focused on getting ready for a move, you need to accentuate the positive.  This can mean telling the kids about what awaits them in their new home.  Remind them what they have to look forward to, including more space, a bigger backyard, perhaps a pool or the promise of a new pet.  If you’re moving out of town, make sure you highlight the local attractions that await your family in the town you’re moving to.  Anything that helps light a fire under them is going to be far better than having them dig in their heels when you need to get everything ready to move. 

      5.      A holiday on the road is not necessarily a holiday lost. - If the move is going to take more than one day, you should also tell the kids about the hotel amenities and sightseeing opportunities the whole family will get to enjoy on the way to your new home.  You can even ask innkeepers about local attractions that would be of interest to the whole family.  This could make your road trip a holiday you will remember fondly for years to come.

Image courtesy of wikimedia

      6.      Everyone talks about the weather - Particularly if you are moving far afield this summer, you need to keep a weather eye on weather.com.  While you might think you know how to handle the elements, even Floridians can be blindsided by the ferocity of the weather.  While you know how to handle a thundershower, if you are heading northwest, summer is the height of twister season in Tornado Alley.  Flooding of major waterways can delay your travel plans for hours or days depending upon the severity of the deluge.  If you are moving cross country, it’s always a good idea to pack a tent, food and water sufficient to get you through a day or two should Mother Nature rain on your parade.

      7.      Dress for success – You’d be surprised at the temperature variations in many locales.  I almost froze to death one summer when I took a trip to Vermont.  While shorts and tee shirts are fine south of the Mason-Dixon line, if you are heading north, you need to pack jeans and a jacket in the trunk or you could find your teeth chattering after the sun goes down. 

      8.      Make sure your pets are prepared for the heat – While dogs and cats can usually handle being cooped up in your car with the window cracked open for a short time while you make a quick meal stop, birds and fish are another matter altogether.  Better to find a good home for Tweety and Nemo before heading out of town than to find them belly up at a rest stop along the way. Also, make sure you bring your pets water bowl since they need to stay hydrated.

      9.      Pack plenty of games for the kids – The last thing any parent wants to hear every 20-minutes as they drive hundreds of miles is, “Are we there yet?”  This entails making sure the kids have plenty of things to do on the way to keep them distracted.  Fortunately, technology has made entertaining the kiddies a lot simpler than in decades past.  Between smartphones, in-car movies and mobile game platforms, keeping the kids occupied in the 21^st Century is far easier than it was when I was a kid.

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers 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.