Moving as a single adult or as a couple can seem challenging, but after having children, you will learn that the previous moves were easy. Moving with children requires additional planning, especially when the children are babies or toddlers. Here are some of the things to do when moving with children.
1. Plan Far In Advance
You can’t wait until the last day to prepare for moving when you have children because it leads to an assortment of issues. While you can work all day and night without eating or sleeping to move at the last minute, this won’t work when you have children. Experts suggest that the best way to move is to have a plan by using a calendar and notebook to organize the steps for the moving process.
2. Talk to Your Children
As a parent, communicating with your children is vital, so you should discuss the moving process to a new place with them. In some cases, you will only move to a larger or a smaller home in the same city, but for a long-distance move, explaining the process is complicated. Children may not understand the reasons for moving, so you can talk to them about the reasons for moving.
3. Visit the New Home with Your Children
We recommend bringing your children to the new home for a visit so that it is easier to understand the moving process. Some things to do when moving with children to a new neighborhood is driving past the school that your children will attend or visiting a local park to see how fun it is. If this isn’t possible, then take photographs of the house and neighborhood to show to your children so that they won’t feel anxious.
4. Contact Several Moving Companies
Contact several moving companies to learn the cost of the services associated with packing and moving your possessions. If you are a busy parent with younger children, then you may prefer to have the movers wrap and pack your items so that you can save time. However, if you can’t afford the extra services, then you will be responsible for packing your belongings.
5. Sorting Through Your Possessions
When moving with children, you must also prepare your current home for a new renter or owner. This involves getting rid of clutter, along with packing what is left. When you have babies or toddlers, you must make sure that certain essentials are available, including clothing, food, and toys, so you must remain organized while packing. Use labels on the boxes so that you can find the items that you need right away.
6. Help Your Children to Say Goodbye to Friends
One of the most important things when moving with children is to make sure that they have a chance to say goodbye to familiar places and friends. Your children can exchange contact information with schoolmates to talk to them later.
7. Keep a Child’s Familiar Possessions
While you may need to throw away numerous items, avoid tossing favorite blankets or toys into the trash. These possessions can help your child to feel more comfortable during the moving process and after moving into a new home. If you can keep the favorite items nearby, then your child can hold those things while you are driving to a new house.
8. Have Your Important Documents Available
When you are sorting through your possessions, look for relevant documents that you may need right away. These can include birth certificates and insurance cards so that you can enroll a child in a different school or take a child to a medical facility.
9. Arrange Moving Day Child Care for Your Children
It is often less stressful for you and your children if you arrange childcare on moving day. You can take your child to a relative’s home for the day, or you can enroll a child in a daycare center. This will make it easier for the movers to load and unload a truck without worrying about a child incurring an injury.
10. Have a First Day Moving Box
To make the first day of moving into a different home more comfortable, you should prepare a box with the items that are required right away. These items would include dishes, glassware, and utensils, along with towels, toilet paper, and soap. If you have toddlers or babies, then make sure that you have baby formula and food along with the other items required for younger children.
Reach out to the experts at Sheridan Solomon & Associates for more information about moving your family to the Macon GA and Warner Robins GA areas.
