Moving With Kids: How To Incorporate Some Fun To Relieve Tension
So, you've hired the moving professionals to come pack up your stuff and move it to your new home. However, your kids still aren't entirely happy with the idea. They aren't crazy about leaving their friends, school and home behind. They aren't looking forward to starting out in a new home and school and having to make new friends. They may see it as their new friends replacing their old ones, and they don't want that. Luckily, there are some things that you can do to help ease that anxiety and tension that they're feeling while making memories at the same time. Here are three ideas:
Create a Book of Contacts.
You've probably taken down the addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of some of your closest friends that you're leaving behind, so why not let your children do the same? They have friends that they won't see again, unless arrangements are made, but having a contact book with their information in it will let them stay in touch if they want to. This is true whether you're moving across the city, the state or the country.
Designate a Night for the Entire Family.
Sure, you may be busy de-cluttering, organizing, packing and planning, but you need to be sure to take time to have a night for the entire family. There are plenty of things that you can do. You can go out to dinner and then go to a movie. You can pack a picnic and head to the park to enjoy each other's company and play tag. You can stay in, order pizza and play board games. The most important thing is that you're spending time together, so that the kids realize that you haven't forgotten about them. Plus, getting some energy out can be a good thing for everyone involved.
Pack a Few Surprises for the Kids.
Before the boxes get packed into the moving truck, consider packing a few little surprises for the kids in their boxes. For example, in one of the boxes with clothes, pack a brand new shirt or outfit that they can wear on the first day of school. In one of their toy boxes, pack a brand new toy in there. These surprises will help make unpacking far more enjoyable for the kids. But, shhh! Keep it a surprise!
For further moves, especially out of state moving, you can also reach out to a local company for suggestions they might have. Having helped countless other families in similar situations, they'll likely have some additional tips to make the whole process easier.