My husband and I are moving into our first house. And while I’ve been extremely excited, I’ve also been dreading the moving process.—Especially with having a 7-month-old and 3-year-old in tow. If our other moves weren’t dreadful enough, moving two more little people along with us make it even more difficult.
I have learned a few things along the way as I’ve prepared for our move (yes, it’s been a long drawn-out process) and I have some tips to share for you brave souls facing the same fate.
1. Pick a moving day and schedule everything.
After I busted out my calendar and nailed down a closing date, I made a schedule for how much we needed to get done before moving day. Having a schedule at a glance and knowing how many days you have left can keep you from procrastinating until the last minute.
2. Purge stuff.
Now is a great time to have a yard sale. No use in packing things you don’t need. Take the time to go through old clothes that don’t fit and make a donation box to take to a charity.
3. Pack early.
In previous moves we often waited until the last minute to pack. It’s dreadful. With kids, unforeseen diaper blowouts and temper tantrums can put a halt to everything. Start packing early so you can get a brunt of the work over with before moving day.
4. Get movers.
Whether you’d enlisting help from a lot of friends, church members, or if you can afford to hire movers, you’re going to want help. This time we opted to hire professional movers who disassemble and reassemble the kid’s beds, and swiftly move and pack everything into the truck the best way possible. They’re professionals, and way faster than we’d ever be.
5. Organize everything.
Whatever you do don’t throw random things into all of your boxes. It makes moving and unpacking a breeze when a box containing items from one room can be set in the area it needs to be. You don’t want to be unpacking for a year, or looking all over for something you need. Which brings be to…
6. Label everything.
Make sure you write on the box not only what room the contents belong to, but a few specifics about what’s inside. It’s great you know the box belongs in your sons room, but is it his toys or his clothes? Also, you may want to bring over really important documents or items in your car so you know exactly where they are.
7. Ask for help.
I’m not just talking about on moving day. Have friends help watch your kids when you pack, or have a packing party and get a few friends to help wrap and pack your kitchen dishes. It takes a village to move a family.
The one fun thing about moving with kids is all the fun with boxes. Here are some pictures of cute kids in boxes courtesy.
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Organization is key. The more you do yourself and the more organized you are, the less expensive your move will be and there are less chances of damage and loss. Sort, pack, label. Take important documents (passports, IDs, certificates) and valuables (like jewelry) with you. Keep a suitcase with change of clothes and toiletries for everyone, and include a couple of the kids favorite toys. This will make the first 24 hours in the new place easier, until you start settling in.
I’ve moved so many times I’ve lost count, but it’s more than ten times at this point. I’m now moving again in January and this will be from an island to the mainland. I think it’ll be manageable because I’m keeping the house I’m moving from, so all I really have to move is the stuff I’ll need on a daily basis (clothes, makeup, etc.). But I will have to arrive in a new state with a one year old and buy a new car and completely furnish a new house. And it’s going to be a lot of work starting from scratch so I’m making a list of all the things I’ll need and where to buy them so I can get most of it done in a day. There’s just so much you have to buy when you literally have nothing, hand soap, silverware, sheets, toilet paper. It’s weird but I’ve done it before and I can do it again. It’s all about keeping a positive mindset.
We just purchased a new home at the end of August and moved with a 3.5 year old and a 23 month old. We planned, packed well beforehand and executed as well as we could. In addition to the tips above, I would suggest including the kids in as much as possible: going to the final home inspection and picking out their room, packing toys, donating unused toys, moving/packing items on the day of, etc. My kids were both so flexible while moving: it was amazing. They were troopers the entire time.