5 Tips For Moving With Kids

Moving house at any time of life is always a stressful experience but when you add young kids into the equation it makes things significantly more difficult. However, there are definitely things you can do to reduce the stress and have as harmonious a move as possible. Here are my top 5 tips:

Take steps to ease the transition

Moving house can be stressful for kids – children thrive on routine and stability and for some, moving house can be a scary experience. It’s important to talk to kids throughout the process. Let them know why you are moving, show them photos of your new house, get them excited. Talk to them about anything they are worried about and try to settle their concerns. A good idea is to talk to them about their new bedroom – ask them to help choose the decor and furnishings, this gives them something to be excited about.

Hire a removal company

You might be tempted to organise your own move in order to save money but trust me, getting the help of a removal company is worth every penny. Quotes can vary enormously which is why you should use the services of sites like Sirelo.co.uk where you can compare prices. Quite often the removal companies can even pack boxes for you for not that much more money – this is definitely worth paying for as packing boxes with kids around is extremely stressful!

Organise childcare

Take every offer of help with childcare and use this kid-free time wisely to declutter, pack, plan. If you are able to, arrange a sleepover with a family member or some play dates at a friend’s house in the days leading up to the move to do some last minute packing, cleaning and decluttering to help the move go smoothly.

Make a plan

As soon as you know that you are moving, set up a spreadsheet with key dates on it and spread out all the pre-moving lasts. With kids, you can’t afford to leave everything until the last minute – it’s better to pace yourself. For example, you may wish to spend a couple of weeks decluttering various parts of the house – wardrobes and kitchen cupboards are places where unneeded items accumulate quickly. It’s never too early in the moving process to start getting organised.

Pack a suitcase for each child

When you are finally in your new home, it can take a long time to sort through all of the mountain of boxes to find something that you need. A great idea is for each child to have their very own suitcase for the move. In this, they can have some familiar clothes, a few toys and if they have one, their tablet (make sure there is a charger packed too). They can even help pack this to make them feel more involved in the process. This means that they have some things to play with when they get to their new house and it will help them feel more settled.