When you’re moving, your goal should be to get the kids out of their old life as quickly as possible. You can use healthy coping mechanisms such as deep breaths and positive affirmations, but it’s important to put your children first and make the move tailored to their needs. Change is hard for anyone, and parents need to remember that their children will need extra attention during this time.
1. Donate Before You Pack
If you’re moving, it’s best to pull out items that you no longer want or need and donate these items. Not only will this save time, but it can also save you a lot of money as you are not paying to pack or move these items. Donate your old furniture to Goodwill. Donate anything that is not a permanent fixture in your home to get it out of the way as fast as possible.
2. Get Your Kids Involved
Kids should be actively involved with packing. They can have fun moving items around, trying to get every last bit in the smallest box. By applying them, they’re more likely to feel like you’re moving and not leaving, which will help them cope with the whole process. This can be as simple as sitting them down with a box cutter and having them cut out small portions of a newspaper. They may need help understanding the specifics, but they’ll have fun decorating their little box.
3. Label Everything
Labels are your best friend when you’re looking to pack. Not only will they help label and organize your things, but they’re also useful when it comes time to ship them. You want to be able to tell what everything is because it will make it easier for you. Set aside enough time to label everything, including the boxes, and tape them together in order of what’s going where.
4. Create a Schedule
Creating a moving schedule can help you, and your kids prepare for the process by dividing it into different stages. The first stage should be removing anything you want to avoid bringing from home. This can be items like the bed, extra furniture, and blankets. It can also include things like leftover dishes from last night’s dinner or random toys that have been taken out of drawers at some point but are not currently used by anyone.
5. Make a Packing List
You’ll want to create a packing list that details everything you need to get done during the moving process. You can break it into sections and review them with your kids to help them understand what they need to do. As soon as they finish their task, they can check it off their list and move on to the next. This is especially helpful if some lists take multiple people to accomplish.
6. Use Flat Boxes
If you’re moving, use flat boxes to pack. This will ensure that everything is easy to access when it needs to be. It’s easier for a short person to reach items on the top shelf with flat boxes than climb up and down with bulky containers. Flat boxes can also be more convenient when you need to ship things across town or overseas, as packing them in cardboard will help decrease damage during shipping.
7. Put Everything into Smaller Boxes
When you have time to spare, you can use smaller boxes for everything. This will help organize your things and make it easier for everyone to pack and label them. Not only will this allow you to be more efficient, but it’ll also make things easier for the movers by keeping everything handy when moving.
The key to staying sane while moving is keeping things simple. By focusing on one task at a time, you can make sure that everything gets done. If you are overwhelmed by the process, take some deep breaths and try meditation to get a few moments of peace. The more organized you are, the better off you’ll be in the end.