Moving places with children can be extremely difficult. Children (depending on their age of course) can become quite attached to their surroundings and make the move even more problematic on you as a parent and as an individual. At the end of the day, kids have to accept the inevitable (as unlikely as this may seem) – they are moving house. Accustoming the children to the idea involves a great deal of parenting skills and psychology, needless to say patience on behalf of parents or guardians.
Perhaps a good way to ease the child into the whole ‘house-moving-thingy’ is to get them involved. Most kids take forever to get organised, yet they don’t like parents rummaging through their stuff and toys. If that’s the case with your wee ones, then by all means make them do their own sorting and packing, though make sure they are ready on time. This would also be a good opportunity to get rid of some of the endless amount of toys but don’t get your hopes up – if the only way to move is if this or the other toy came along, then so be it.
If the child is a pre-schooler you got more chance of making them part ways with broken or old toys which haven’t been touched in months if not years. Instruct them to make two piles of stuff – toys and items which they wish to keep, and another pile for the toys and items which must go.
Another good way to spark some interest toward moving house is to label a specially designated box, where the kids can put their ‘very-bestest-most-special-ever’ toys. However don’t give them the box until the last minute, otherwise you risk every single thing being put in that box. It’s like a game of cat and mouse, but this time it’s kids and parents. Let them know that the moment you arrive at your new home, they can unpack the box in their new room – this will make transition to the new surroundings more manageable.
Moving with the kids won’t work without some good old parenting trickery such as surprise items, or rewards for being good while moving. Delays in moving from A to B aren’t uncommon so keep a small bag of treats or surprise items you know the kid will enjoy just in case the trip takes longer than planned – the wee ones’ attention span and patience are running low by default, remember that.
In order to avoid delays, or common issues and all that unnecessary stress and hassle involved in moving home, by all means use a specialised man and van removal service that covers all stages and aspects of your relocation. Having qualified removal teams deal with everything means you can pay attention to the kids and keep them in check throughout the exercise. Let the movers do the heavy lifting, while you do the parenting – it just makes sense. By the way, a specialised man and van removal service is likely to save you a decent amount of additional expenses and unplanned side costs.
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About the Author:
Kim Jacobs
Kim Jacobs is a removals coordinator with over 11 years of experience as part of the Get man and van team and other firms in the home and office relocation industry in London. Before joining our company, Kim has worked in various logistical and transportation companies and institutions such as Transport for London, The Removals Ombudsman, and has coordinated moving projects with some of the biggest suppliers of various goods such as IKEA, HomeBase, Amazon, Sainsbury's and others. While working as a chief removals coordinator, Kim also enjoys sharing her expertise with others through writing in our blog.
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