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Moving can be stressful enough without trying to find a way to move with kids. It can be hard because there’s a lot to plan for, and they have a lot to deal with too. Outlined below are tips for you to follow to lessen the stress of moving and to help ease your kids’ fears too. Acquaint Kids With the New Home  If you can show your new home to your kids and let them explore the new place, they’ll be so much happier than if you just show them on moving day. If you give them a heads up, you’ll be surprised to see that your kids will start thinking about where their rooms will be, how mornings will be on the holidays or how they can help you in the new place. Many kids start thinking about how their lives will be in a new place. This helps them to change something that seems scary at first into something positive. It’s also a good idea to let them explore the new city and area you’ll be living in. Let them see a nearby playground, stores, places to eat and places you’ll be frequenting. This will help you map out your routes and get an idea for day to day life once you settle in. Arrangements  The first thing you need to consider is how you’re going to move your things. You need to know what you’re moving and how much space it will take up. Most moving sites have useful tools to help you estimate how much storage space you’ll need in a truck or trailer. If you have small kids that require car-seats, some states don’t allow them to ride up front despite the unavailability of a back seat. This means you’ll need to use your vehicle if you have the towing capacity. There are a variety of trailers that are either closed or open. If you are using a truck to tow your vehicle, you will need the proper car dolly. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you can’t use a two-tire car dolly. This will cause problems for your transmission. You will need to put your vehicle on a four-wheel dolly to transport. Anticipate Needs  Moving is hard on kids, but it’ll go so much easier if you can anticipate their needs ahead of time. Kids tend to get hungry and thirsty often. After eating and drinking, they often have to use the restroom. Plan out your stops ahead of time, and plan for emergency potty stops. There are things you can purchase to help with emergency potty stops. Keep small games in the vehicle, play music, and let the kids watch a movie. If you have little ones that still need naps, make sure to meet those needs. Bring bedding or whatever else you need so your little one can rest on time. Maintaining sleep schedules will help prevent many meltdowns and sleepless nights. Packing  You might be tempted to do all the packing yourself. After all, a fishbowl doesn’t belong in a box despite your three-year-old’s protests. However, your kids can still help, according to their ages, and it helps them to be a part of the process. It helps them to feel like they have some control over what’s going on, and it makes them happy to help you. Let them help in ways that they can. This might mean folding clothes into a box, sorting their toys or getting you a drink of water. Assign jobs, and you’ll see a much smoother packing process. Kids can be very particular about what they “need.” This might be their favorite teddy bear, a blanket or a movie. Make sure they have everything they need for comfort, brushing their teeth, pajamas and an extra change of clothes that can be set apart from the other boxes because you’ll want to access these items at a moment’s notice. Utilities  You’ll want to make sure the utilities are on for you and your kids when you get to the new home. You might want to consider having lanterns, flashlights, and doing something special, like tell stories, to make not having electricity less scary if you can’t have it on ahead of time. Utility companies are notorious for giving people a... Read More