Packing Day And Kids: Keep Calm And Avoid Crazy
If you’ve ever packed up and moved across town or across the country, you know the mania associated with moving day. If you need scientific proof, the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory provides that proof: a change in living venue is ranked at number 28 on the scale. The inventory ranking does not include the added chaos of kids in the move, but parents don’t need a scientific reminder to understand how hard moving day is for children.
The goal of your move day is keeping the day’s activities on schedule and the kids both safe and busy. Both are major accomplishments celebrated on your first night in your new home.
Five kid-size ideas as you pack up and move:
Get the kids excited before the big day
Ask them to draw pictures of their old rooms and neighborhood, to take memories with them, while they draw pictures designing their new bedrooms. Encourage them to share the drawings with friends while they exchange contact information so friendships continue no matter how far away you move.
Assign pre-moving day tasks
It’s time to sort through their possessions and decide what stays, what goes in the trash and what’s good for donations. Even very young children learn the lesson of sharing when they bundle their “baby” toys for a shelter or donation site, so other children play with toys they no longer need. Kids can label their packed boxes with their names and contents; this secures the idea that things they love stay with them even though the roof over their heads changes.
Work within their capabilities
Keep the kids busy, but stick to a schedule of nutritious family meals, adequate sleep and their regular school and play routines. The move matters to you, but your kids remember this time of their lives as more fun than meaningful when it comes to where they live.
Create new structure for positive results
Stress and sadness are part of the moving experience; encourage your kids’ participation with small rewards and praise for their support and help during this time. Parents often want the move for better schools, more space, nicer lifestyle or proximity to work. Share the advantages of the new home and neighborhood with the kids. Visit the new town prior to moving day, explore kids’ activities and consider joining a kid’s team or club before you move. This builds anticipation and provides structure for a new life in a new place.
Spend more time with your kids; depend on a professional mover
Brown Box Movers gives families preparing for a move time for the important details, while we handle the packing, storage and moving of your home’s contents. From delicate porcelain plates to their heirloom storage cabinet, our trained professional team cares for your possessions the way we care for our own. We sort, pack, load, unload and place your household items professionally, we do it seven days a week and our pricing is competitive. Call us and we’ll show you why we know a move is more than just packing furniture.