Relocating can be a stressful time for a family, so make a point to plan a fun move for your brood. With the right attitude and energizing tools, you and the members of your family can actually enjoy the adventure of moving to a new home.
Read on for moving advice on how to keep the energy level up, even when spirits might be down.
Of course, never forget safety, keeping any moving tasks age-appropriate. With this in mind, you can involve your kids in the moving tasks that they can handle. The challenge is to make the experience fun!
With kids (or kids at heart) involved, there are endless ways to make a game out of the tasks of moving. Have family members compete with each other to see who can get rid of the most stuff, pack the quickest, or clean the fastest.
On moving day, the challenges can evolve into who can carry the most stuff (safely) to the truck, stack the boxes most neatly, or police leftover odds and ends most thoroughly. And the games can continue on the road: try Twenty Questions, A Is for Armadillo, and other family favorites.
When pets are moving, you might assign a special responsibility to each child: one looks after the dog; the other, your hamster, for example. Placing importance and prestige on the tasks of moving elevates the arduous pieces of the job into something more enjoyable.
Think of all the popular songs that are about moving: themes of traveling, packing bags, saying goodbye, and saying hello occur throughout all types of music. You might look through your personal music collection and see what you can find to match your upcoming adventure. You might create a playlist for each phase: packing, traveling, and so on.
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Good food is an instant spirit-lifter, so take the time to plan meals around your move. Think ahead about the food you’ll share on packing day and on the way to your new apartment. If possible, create a memorable picnic (or several of them) filled with delicacies that the family loves, whether that’s a last batch of fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies from your old apartment’s kitchen, favorites from a local deli, or treats from another special restaurant.
Make sure that you shop for healthy food before you go. Fill a large cooler with bottled water, fruit, nuts, sandwiches — whatever you think will raise family morale en route.
One of the most stressful aspects of a move is running out of time — you have to finish cleaning, pick up the truck, greet the movers, catch the plane, and so on.
To safeguard your family’s sanity, make the smartest decision anyone can before a move: start early! This means your planning must kick into gear as soon as you know you’re moving, and you must allow a little more time than you think you’ll need for each and every task. Being able to whistle as you work and take deep breaths will be the best going-away gift you can give everyone in your household.
Moving isn’t easy, especially when you have others counting on you to make it go smoothly. Time, creativity and a good attitude will help you make the relocation from the familiar to the new as painless – even enjoyable — as possible.
Photo credit: Shutterstock / iordani