Moving to a new home is hard for everyone, but it can be incredibly stressful for children who sense significant change on the horizon. Getting your kids involved in the process can help make the transition easier. Not only will they feel less helpless, but you’ll also get an extra set of helping hands. Win-win!
1. Have Them Sort Their Belongings
It’s always a good idea to declutter your home before a move; there’s no reason to spend time and money transporting things you don’t need. So get your kids involved here and ask them to sort all of their belongings into two piles:
- Things they want to take with them
- Things they don’t like anymore
You’ll probably need to supervise for the final decisions, but letting your child take the reins will combat feelings of helplessness. Best of all, once they’ve sorted all their things, there’ll be one less room to empty out.
2. Have Them Prepare Their Essentials Kit
The closer Moving Day gets, remember that everyone will need a few essential items right before and after the move; during this time, everything else you’ve packed will be inaccessible.
Your children also need their own essentials kits with the things they’ll want during the move. So you can ask them to gather their toothbrush and toothpaste, some extra clothes and PJs, and their favorite game, book, toy, or whatever else they love most.
What goes into the kit ultimately depends on how old your kids are. You may need to supervise the final decisions, but remind them they’re in charge of their gear and that they should always keep it with them.
3. Have Them Label and Decorate the Boxes
The first two tasks may keep your children busy and free up your hands, but they could be more entertaining. After all, you’re essentially asking them to clean up their rooms and help you pack during the moving process.
However, this next task might be one your kids actually look forward to doing; once the cardboard boxes are packed up, they can help label and decorate them. Encourage them to be creative and make those boring boxes enjoyable. As long as you can clearly read what’s in the box and what room it goes in, your children should have free rein to decorate to their hearts’ content.
One good recommendation is to ask your children to draw some of the packed items on the box, add “coded messages” for the movers, or doodle whatever they feel like. You can even create a contest to see which package is the fanciest. But, at the end of the day, as long as the labeling process is fun, your kids will love it.
Moving is challenging and stressful, but by keeping your kids involved and giving them some control, you can distract them from an otherwise scary undertaking. Plus, you’ll be glad to have the help with so much to get done. This will also cut down on how much you have to pack and unpack which will help keep the moving process easier on yourself.
