Moving is hard enough—add a couple of kids to the situation and you’re multiplying the challenge. But they only make things harder if you avoid including them in the plan. You are, after all, messing with their lives significantly. But have no fear. After several moves and much reflection, here are my top five tips for completing a move with kids:
- Schedule your move around them
- Explain the situation
- Involve your kids in the move
- Arrange moving day child care
- Prioritize them after the move
Let’s get proactive and help you plan for moving with kids.
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Schedule Your Move Around Them
There are, no doubt, many considerations that go into choosing your move date. You might be moving for a new job, moving to be close to aging family members, moving to leave something behind, or a dozen other reasons.
Whatever your reason, try to plan moving day with your children in mind. This is important if they are school aged. Sudden academic disruptions can set them back academically and throw them off emotionally. But that doesn’t mean you need to wait until summer. Here are some other academic breaks that you can plan for:
- Spring Break (one week sometime between March and April)
- Thanksgiving Break (end of November)
- Christmas Break (around December 20 through early January)
- Mid-Winter Break (a week in February that coincides with President’s Day)
Another advantage to timing your move around these non-summer breaks is that there is usually less demand for moving services and (sometimes) lower prices.
Explain the Situation
No one likes to be left in the dark when changes are made. Since children thrive on structure and routine, they can be quite upset and confused about a move—especially when they come home from school and notice boxed belongings.
Hold a family meeting as early as possible to explain what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how your children will be involved in the process. This will help them feel a sense of involvement.
Prepare to pitch your move. Some kids might be excited by the prospect of a new life or an adventure, but most will think about losing friends. Communicate that your kids will still be able to visit or keep in touch with their friends. Come into a chat with your kids with a list of kid-centered benefits to the move. These could include:
- Natural features: Mention parks, lakes, oceans, mountains, and other natural features that you’ll all explore together.
- Hobby opportunities: Research current hobbies or ones they’ve expressed interest in and highlight these new possibilities.
- Education: Research any fun events, winning sports teams, extracurricular activities, or noteworthy features of their new school.
- Neighborhood highlights: Describe your new neighborhood and any parks, restaurants, entertainment, museums, or other exciting features nearby.
Once the kids know what’s happening, and you’ve proven to them why a move will enhance their lives, they will be more comfortable and cooperative with the moving process.
Involve Your Kids in the Move
A move involves a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be a tedious struggle. Depending on their ages, your kids can probably help with the move—and you can all have fun doing it.
Packing Game
Give your kids enough boxes and challenge them to a packing race. The first one to finish gets a treat and everyone finishes with pizza. I always like to add a giveaway box and offer the kids some sweets or a little money for every item or toy they get rid of. That way, they declutter without complaining.
Decorating Boxes
Once you’re done packing, you can give your kids a bunch of markers and stickers and let them decorate their boxes so they don’t “get lost.”
Just make sure all the materials are age appropriate so you don’t wind up with a big mess.
Moving Scrapbook
A moving scrapbook can help your children process the transition and consciously articulate what they loved about your old home. A moving scrapbook could include pictures of friends, your old home, their old school, or your neighborhood. If they’re old enough, have them write about photos or pictures so they can remember why they added them later on.
Arrange Moving Day Child Care
So far we’ve covered tips to help the kids. This one is mostly for you. Depending on whether you went the DIY route or hired movers, you might be on a tight schedule and under some stress. Either way, it’s best to send the kids to stay with family, friends, or a trusted babysitter.
No matter how excited they are about the move, little ones can get in the way during all the moving commotion. Make sure to pack, or have them pack a day bag the night before so you can hand them off smoothly and focus on the task at hand.
Prioritize the Kids After the Move
Even if you’ve done everything right, it’s likely your kids will feel strange as they settle into the new home. Give them the tools and attention they need to arrange and decorate their room the way they want it. Take them out to explore the new neighborhood. If you have older kids, make sure they understand how to get home and where any parks, shops, or other attractions are in relation to the house.
You also need to help them stay in touch with old friends as they transition into their new social environment. Arrange playdates, or (when long-distance moving) arrange video chats or phone calls. As they meet new acquaintances, advocate for hangouts and activities to help them make new friends.
All of this can take some time, so don’t stress if there’s some friction a couple of weeks after the move.
A Final Tip
Whether these tips work for you or not, as parents, we know that love is essential to everything we do with our kids. Focus on expressing our love throughout the move, and your children will have a much easier time with it.
Setting aside time for our children is one of the best ways to show them we care. And one impactful way to do that is to use professional movers instead of doing it yourself. Sure, it’s an added cost, but it pays off in peace of mind and extra time.
I recommend Zip To Zip Moving Company to all my friends. They helped my family with our move to New Jersey, but I think they operate all over. Their professionalism and great attitudes made the process easier, and they were even friendly with the kids.