If you have a big time, cross country move in the plans and have children under the age of 5 with you for the journey, you are up for a challenge. With the right planning and involvement, you can flip this challenge into an adventure for the whole family. (Yes it is possible without hitting the bar!)
Cross Country Top Moving Tips With The Little Guys
Moving is a stressful experience with all the changes it brings, especially when doing it with kids. With some careful planning and kid smart strategies, you can make it a smooth and pain free experience for everyone involved.
Here are some of our tried and true tips to help you make your cross country move stress-free with your kids:
1. Talk with Your Kids
Really I\involve your kids in the moving process from start to finish. When you make them a part they don’t feel that the move is “happening to them” but rather that they are in the decision making seat.
Explain why you’re moving and what they can expect and look forward to.
Help them to ask questions and express their feelings about the move.
2. Plan Ahead For Fun
Start planning your move well in advance.
Create a timeline of tasks such as finding new fun activities with the kids you would like to accomplish before moving day.
This can include packing, hiring movers, and handling paperwork. Another list should be all the things you need to sign up for like doctors, field trips, schools, after school activities and more.
3. Organize
Take time to declutter your belongings before packing with the kids.
Get rid of items you no longer need or use. This will make packing and unpacking easier and also reduce the amount of stuff you have to move.
Make the decluttering process into a game. You can try helping them feel more mature by giving away their “baby” toys and clothes and can help them narrow down their “big kid items.”
4. Pack Like a Pro
Pack an essential items bag separately and keep it in a place it wont get lost. Depending on your kid’s age either pack their essentials with yours or keep their bag separate.
Label all boxes clearly. Your kids can help feel a part by decorating the pre-packed boxes so that you can easily identify which room they go in. A fun game is to have them draw the room that box should be placed in for the movers. Don’t just trust their drawings, ensure to label as well.
Keep a separate box or suitcase with items your kids will need right away, such as favorite toys, clothes, and toiletries.
5. The Packing Game
Let your kids help with packing their belongings, but make it fun! This will make them feel more involved in the move and give them a sense of control over their things and future.
Play the packing game with them. Have them pack up a certain area or drawer that they are fully responsible for.
They can also help bubble wrap fragile items or even prepare strips of tape depending on their age and abilities.
6. Plan Out Their Rooms
This can be a lot of fun and get a positive connotation to the move off the ground. Maybe your kids always wanted truck wallpaper or a train track in their room. Let their imagination go wild and get them excited!
7. Learn Your New Area
Explore your new neighborhood or city together as a family. You should know exactly where the ice cream shop is ahead of moving day!
Find out about schools, parks, and other kid friendly spots in the area. This can help ease any anxiety your kids may have about the move.
The more times you visit as a family ahead of the move with help them familiarize themself with the new neighborhood.
Let your kids choose a new favorite spot in the new neighborhood that you promise to take them to when they finish unpacking a certain number of boxes. It can be a local playground, restaurant, or even a lake.
8. Keep Up Those Routines
Try to stick to your kids’ routines as much as possible leading up to the move. Stick to normal meal times, bedtime routines, and fun activities to provide a sense of stability during this transition.
When you get to the new home, try and make their favorite meals and do their favorite activities to have a good connotation from the beginning.
9. Have them create artwork for the new home
Ask for their help for new fridge designs when you need your kids to remain occupied so you can pack. Have them draw out the old and new homes and whatever else keeps them busy.
10. Say Goodbye
Take ample time to say goodbye to friends, family, and familiar places before you move unless you are planning to visit often. Organize a goodbye-moving party or fun day to help your kids say goodbye to their old home and friends.
You can create stations of goodbye letters so your kids will have something physical to hold onto from their old home.
Another fun idea is arranging a goodbye scavenger hunt where you kids hide their objects they decided they are ready to declutter from and give them away to their old friends as a parting gift.
11. Stay Smiling 🙂
Keep a positive attitude about the move in front of the kids, even if you’re feeling stressed on a personal level. Your kids pick up on your emotions, so try to stay calm and optimistic about the new opportunities ahead for their sake.
Use positive reinforcement techniques when walking about the move.
12. Plan for the Moving Day
On moving day, arrange for a babysitter if possible to minimize distractions and stress and ensure safety. Keep snacks, drinks, and entertainment handy to keep your kids occupied during the move itself.
Plan ahead if you will be driving your private car and doing a roadtrip, or flying and going directly to the new home.
Make these days and journeys as fun as possible.
13. Take Breaks
Moving is simply exhausting, so be sure to take breaks when possible. Schedule time for rest and relaxation into your schedule. Moving with kids is no joke.
14. Unpack Together
Once you’ve arrived at your new home, unpack together as a family. This can help your kids feel more settled and comfortable in their new environment.
Play the unpacking game. Make it a race who can unpack their room in the best way possible first if you have multiple kids.
Ask for their help unpacking other rooms and let them choose which drawers should be the new designated spots for things.
15. Stay Patient
Most importantly is to keep stress levels in check so that things can stay positive and happy.
Acknowledge that change can be a challenge, but that together you will acclimate into the new home and enjoy the new opportunities and environments together as a family.
Conclusion Thoughts
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to pack up a bedroom?
From 3 hours to 2 days is an average. This answer is very personal and depends on multiple factors such as size, clutter, clothing preferences, and other items.
It’s more of a question for yourself if you plan to declutter and go Marie Condo or if you plan to throw everything in a box and call it a day. Plan accordingly so you will finish all your packing in a stress free manner.
Is there a service that can pack for me?
Yes, Pricing Van Lines movers offer a full packing and unpacking VIP service option with many of our vendors. If you don’t have the time and patience to pack up your whole house and live among the boxes or bins, this could be a great option for you.
This service means a team of pro organizers and packers show up to your home and in a number of hours have everything ready to go in organized boxes. They also prepare the packing materials needed, saving you the headache.
Why Should You Create A Moving Inventory List?
Having your own moving inventory list is likely to be helpful for insurance claims and just to keep things clear when packing and unpacking. This list will be your guide to knowing everything that needs to fit in your new home. This will also help you understand how many cartons you need.
How do I start creating my own moving inventory list?
Start with the big items and work your way through to the small household items. Keep a tally and write everything down along with photo evidence. Count the number of beds, bed frames, tvs, and so on so that you can hold your mover accountable and know what you have to work with.
How can I waste less plastic when moving to keep it sustainable?
Moving really does tend to require lots of tape, cartons, and bubble wrap, but this doesn’t have to be an environmental nightmare. Where you can, replace bubble wrap with towels and sheets.
Replace tape with ties (but not too much), and see how you can repurpose all these items later on. If you wrap things in your mom’s blankets, that’s one less blanket you will have to buy for your new apartment!
