Moving With Kids

Moving is one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting things we do in our lifetime. Moving with kids is even harder, but something most people will do at least once in their lives. Even packing our kids up for a trip is hard work! Majority of my clients have families and often ask for advice on navigating the moving process with their kids.

My first piece of advice is to label or color code everything. You can do this by buying different colored packing tape or by writing on the boxes. If your kids are old enough, have them pick out what color tape they want for their boxes to get them excited and involved in the process. This will also make unpacking much easier. If a box has yellow tape and that is for one of your children’s belongings, bring the box straight to that room.

I also recommend leaving out a few outfits per child. These can be put into a suitcase on the last day and brought to your new home. If the move has you exhausted and you don’t feel like unpacking that day, you’ll have the suitcase with their clothes easily accessible. You can also put any toiletries they use daily in their suitcase.

Pack up their toys at night when they are sleeping. Go through and donate or sell any toys they haven’t played with in a while. This will help decrease the amount of toys you need to move and also prevent your child from trying to convince you to keep a toy they haven’t touched in months. Leave their favorite toys out until the last minute, so they still have things to play with before the move.

I mentioned this earlier, but I’m going to say it again. Label, label, label! There is nothing worse than getting to the new house with boxes everywhere and not knowing where anything is. Colored tape makes it easy to quickly glance at a box & know exactly which room it goes in.

If your kids aren't thrilled about moving, find something they enjoy doing close to the new house. Tell them about it and show them how close it is to their new home. Many children don't enjoy change, so try to make it a positive experience for them. 

Older kids want to feel involved; have them carry in boxes and take some of the workload off of yourself. Involve your children as much as possible and try to make it as enjoyable an experience as you can. After all, you are moving to your new home and you and your family will create new memories that will last a lifetime! Moving can be stressful, but try to stay positive and think about how much fun you will have in your new home.