According to surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau, only 12% of the total population move each year for the past years. These numbers are not so surprising. There aren’t too many people who are open to the idea of moving. Simply because it can be a daunting task.
Moving can be overwhelming, especially for the kids. If you are in a rush, relocation may bring negative impact to your child’s emotional and mental aspects. This is the very reason why, as parents, you have to make relocation and transition as smooth and stress-free as possible. Here are the 8 quick tips you can do to make a stress-free move for the whole family.
1. Be Specific With Your Checklist
Just like any other task, making a checklist is essential in relocating. However, unlike the usual, you need to be very specific with your checklist. If you are doing the packing on you own, creating a timeline checklist would be ideal to avoid mistakes or missing out important details. Take, for example, this checklist. You can follow this checklist or you can create your own similar to this so you will never get lost on what to do next.
2. Allow your Kids To Get Involved In Moving
Work-related subjects are one of the most common reasons why most families move. But as stressful as it is for you, it can be more stressful for the kids. According to some studies, frequent moving can cause anxiety and inflexibility to kids. Kids can also miss the chance to build friendships and bond among others his age.
You have to give them time to prepare emotionally and mentally. Explain to them why you have to move and what they have to expect during your first weeks in the new place. It also helps if you take them to trip to your new home few weeks before moving. Take them to their new school and let them know where are some of the places they can hang out, play, make new friends and build their self-esteem.
As parents, they need your support to have a stress-free move, overcome this stage and make a fast transition. Remember Riley from the animated film “Inside Out”? Don’t let them experience the same thing. Let them participate. It would also help them if you would allow them to pack their own things and design their new rooms. Do not rush them to adjust immediately because it can be more stressful to them than you think.
3. First In, Last Out
Most of the time, our essentials and necessities are the last one to get packed and the first one to be unpacked. Do this in all your stuff. Determine the things you seldom use and packed them first. Often times, people tend to forget packing stuff of less importance. Packing them first helps you avoid such situations. These items are also the last ones to be unpacked.
4. Don’t Spend Too Much On Boxes And Bubble Wraps
Those bubble wraps and boxes could really cost a lot when relocating. But you can cut down the expenses on these items when you know where to ask for them. The good bets for boxes would be bookstores, grocery stores and people who just moved into your neighborhood. They are also looking for ways to dispose of their boxes so might as well ask from them. Also, unused clothing like socks and shirts would be a great substitute for bubble wraps.
Quick Tip: When you are done unpacking, you can also give away those boxes to whom you know are preparing to move.
5. Make Some Money On Garage Sale
While you are packing, you’ll be surprised to know that you have a lot of stuff you no longer need and use. Having a garage sale on these items will alleviate your expenses and give you less stress in packing. You can save packing space and plus you will earn some money for other things you need to do or buy, thus, you can have a stress-free move.
6. Inform Those Who Needs To Be Informed
One thing that most people forgot when moving is to inform people that need to know. This is an important matter especially if you are moving your business with you. Your clients need to know where you are relocating and you need to keep your relationship with them. Your relatives also need to know you are going to move so they may know where to look for you.
7. Prep Your New House Before Your Move
Before you move, make sure to inform your service providers about your plan. Utilities such as phone, electricity, internet connection and others should be cut off and/or transferred to your new home. Your new home should be ready when you moved in. If you have a business and you need to continue your operation immediately, you need your landline, electricity and internet connection running as soon as you move in. Also, it is a must that you change your address and update your postal service so you can still receive mail and other government benefits.
8. Have Some Time To Say Goodbye
Moving can be emotionally draining especially if you have built tight relationships with friends, relatives and colleagues. To help you move forward, host a party before you relocate. Invite you closest friends, people in your neighborhood and officemates.
Quick Tip: Remember the garage sale? You can use the money you earned for a moving-away party.
Last Words
Let’s face it, as much as possible most people want to avoid moving. But when situations ask you to and you feel that your family will have a better life in a new place, would you let the opportunity to pass? True, it can be exhausting at first so allow yourself and your family to settle in and adjust. Give it time and when you have finally felt like it is your home, it can be fun and rewarding.
Featured photo credit: mudanzaspeyma.com via mudanzaspeyma.com
