Unlike when you’re moving on your own, doing it with your family can require twice as much time and effort from you. For one, you have to entice everyone in the family to help during the move. You have to ensure that their schedule permits it and they actually have the interest to help you. This is especially true for children. Since they’re still innocent, you have to pay attention to everything they’re doing and make sure that their tasks are apt for their skillset. This still doesn’t include the tantrums and misunderstandings you might have to pacify along the way. Fortunately, there are better ways to move from one location to another with your family.
Moving can be tough when you have a big family. More people might mean more helping hands but it can also mean more headaches and stress. If you want your upcoming move to go as smooth as possible, consider making it enjoyable for the family. Doing this might be a struggle but this can change your family’s perception of a move. Tasks can also be completed faster, and your family can be happier. If you want your upcoming move to be as enjoyable as possible, consider the tips below:
- Be positive and provide reassurance: If you’ve been living in the same neighborhood for decades, moving can be heartbreaking. You might have already drawn close to everyone living there, treating your neighbors as family members and your children’s friends as your own. This transition can be hard especially for your children. You can turn things around by being positive. Instead of being sad because you’re moving, tell your family that everyone is welcoming an exciting new life. Everyone can start with a clean slate and do whatever they can. Also reassure them that although the location is different, everyone can still make friends with the neighbors. Don’t forget to laugh and joke around during moving day, too. This kind of attitude will influence your family members to do the same.
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- Keep communication open: No matter how much you plan for a move, there will always be a few bumps along the way. You might need to move in the next month but your children don’t want to or your family, not like the idea of hiring a moving company. When things don’t go according to plan, always keep communication open. Your sister can’t possibly enjoy the move when she’s uncomfortable moving boxes from your attic to the ground floor, right? Encourage your family to speak out if they have concerns or suggestions. It’ll be easy to provide solutions if you actually know what the problem is.
- Translate the move into a game: Instructing children to pack and organize their items during the move can be time-consuming. Constantly looking after them might be an option but with the list of things you have to do for the move, it’s not the best thing to do. Let games help you out with this kind of problem. Before the move, have your children race each other as to who can sort out the most number of items or clean their room the fastest. On the day of the move, the races can involve who can stack the moving boxes neatly or who can carry the most stuff. You can also have fun games during the car ride to the new location. Have your children play Twenty Questions and Bingo.
There are many games which you can use before, during and even after the move. You just have to think out of the box to keep them upbeat! You can also give prizes to the winners as an added bonus.
- Create a playlist: Packing items, labeling boxes and moving these from one area to another can become a hassle. When it’s done for days, your family might even be exhausted. To liven things up, prepare a playlist. This can include songs which have a meaning to the family (like the Christmas Carol everyone sang during the holidays or the movie theme song your sister used to sing in her class), your personal favorite or the latest songs being played on the radio. Once your family members hear these songs, they’ll be energized to complete their tasks. You might even hear them singing at the top of their lungs while piling up boxes.
- Eat like kings: Food is the best reward you can give to your family after a day of packing, organizing and cleaning. Create a plan of what to serve once your family starts making preparations for the move. If they’re starting to pack their valuables Saturday afternoon, make sure a meal is set for dinner. You can ask them what they want to eat or prepare everyone’s favorite dish as a surprise. During your travel, it’s also important that you pay attention to the food supplies your family has. Bring with you a cooler packed with cold beverages, fruits and nuts. You can even stop for a healthy meal along the way.
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- Don’t rush: Being unprepared is one of the reasons why a move can become stressful. You’ll have to rush everyone to finish their tasks as soon as possible, causing them to experience stress too. You can save your family from situations like these by starting early. If you’re planning to live in a new house during the first week of August, you can start packing as early as June. This will give you ample time to sort out all of your items, pack and label them accordingly. When everyone is relaxed and calm during the move, they have more time to have fun.
- Meet the children in your new location: When children move to another location, they fear that they’ll be all alone as they don’t have any friends. Most often than not, they would even worry that other children might bully them. Change this kind of perception by meeting the children in your new location. Take time to know them and tell your children about them. You should also teach your children how to introduce themselves so it’ll be easier for them to reach. If possible, create avenues for your children to meet everyone in the neighborhood. Schedule camps in your backyard or have children from your neighborhood visit your house for some snacks.
Change For The Better
Moving from one location to another can be tiring but there are many ways on how you can spice things up. Gradually brush the idea that you’re doing chores during the move; think of them as avenues to have fun and bond with your family. Don’t think that you’ll be leaving your friends in your old neighborhood because you’re actually adding more with the new people you’ll meet. Don’t think lifting heavy boxes is just a boring task but as a medium to have a friendly competition with your siblings. Change your mind set about moving and soon enough, everyone in the family will do the same. It won’t be long before everyone in the family will never look at a move as a burden, but another way to have fun and enjoy!
Author’s Bio:
Dianne has been writing blogs for quite some time now. She is interested in a lot of things which makes it a joy for her to write about different niche. But among all the niches, business and marketing is her favorite. She also gives her audience an idea about hiring a moving company. When she’s not busy writing, Dianne spends her time with her husband Francis and daughter Francinne. This is where she draws inspiration from to continually provide informative blogs to different audience.
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