Moving with kids can be a significant change for your children but also a valuable learning experience. Children gain insight, organizational skills, and a sense of adventure from moving as a family event. If you have a big move coming, getting your kids involved is the best way to make sure the move is exciting instead of uncertain. Depending on their ages, your children may be able to help pack up the house and plan the move with you.

If this is your first move with children, you don’t have to figure it out yourself. Robb & Messer Moving and Storage have helped many families move, and we have a few tips for moving with kids to share that may make your experience more enjoyable, as well.

Talking to Your Kids About the Move

Moving can be an adventure if you explain the moving process to your children. They will be naturally curious about what is happening and probably have many questions. Designate a family meeting to sit down and talk about the move. Discuss why you’re moving (to the extent that your children need to know or will understand) and where you’re moving to.

If you haven’t selected a home, house-hunt together, and your children will feel more ownership of the new house when they arrive. If you have selected a house, show them pictures and even a virtual tour, if there is one, to help them visualize their new home.

Talk about what it will be like to live there, but also outline the moving process. Explain packing up the house, taking a family road trip, and the fun of setting up the new house together.

Involve Them early in The Move

When moving with kids, it helps to get your children involved in the moving process early. As soon as you start packing things into boxes, explain what you are doing and how to do it. Most children enjoy moving if it’s done as a family. Younger children may bring you items to wrap and put in each box, practicing identifying items by category as a learning experience. Older children can be entrusted to pack boxes of sturdy or soft items by themselves and join you in designing a labeling system with colored tape and markers.

While you pack, talk about the moving process and adventures you might have on the road or in the new house if your children have matters to wrap up in your current location, help them get contact information from their friends and plan a going away party.

Prioritizing Their Room and Belongings

Children benefit from packing their own rooms. It is also smart to pack and clearly label each bedroom individually so that they are unpacked all together on arrival. This way, your child can be certain that all their favorite things will arrive with boxes that they have personally packed (or helped to pack) and labeled with their favorite color and special marking.

Prioritize helping your children to pack most of their clothes ( saving a few for travel,) their toys, and their other personal belongings. Learning to pack is a valuable skill and gives your children a sense of control over such a big life change.

Prepare an Activity Bag for the Road Trip

Every family member needs a travel bag with changes of clothes, toiletries, and so on. However, children should also have a few entertainment items ready for the car trip – including a few “analog” options in case their device loses battery along the way. Also, prepare a USB stick with entertaining audio, like podcast stories, in case your children are car sick and can’t color or play video games on the road.

Let Robb & Messer Moving and Storage Make Moving with Kids Easier

Moving with children can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Working with movers who understand what it’s like to move with children can make the process much easier. At Robb & Messer Moving and Storage, we have helped hundreds of families move near and far. We know that children can be curious, excited, or nervous on moving day, and we know how to be respectful of your family time during this big change in your children’s lives.

We will gladly work with you to ensure that your experience moving with kids is as smooth and enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.

 

Image Credits: Robert Kneschke/ Shutterstock