If someone had told me that moving with small children would be as stressful as it was, I might have tried to figure out how to stay in my old home… I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my new house, the schools are great and the neighbors are friendly, but getting here, was nothing short of a miracle.
My husband and I had everything all planned out. We’d spend the next month slowly packing things up and load everything into the portable storage container we’d rented from United Mayflower. Finally, we’d schedule for the container to be transported to our new home for unloading. Easy…Right?
Wrong! It seemed that everything we’d planned turned out to take ten times longer to complete and our daughters (aged 3 and 5) were not cooperating in the least. With only two weeks left until moving day, I realized I needed a plan of action, or else … So this is what I decided to do:
- Talk with the kids
- Ask for help
- Find ways for the kids to help out
- Pack the Kid’s Room When They’re Not Home
- Talk With the Kids
Our oldest daughter seemed the most affected by the move. What she had always known to be her home was changing before her eyes and she couldn’t do a thing about it. So I did a bit of research and came across a great article from KidsHealth.org that discussed how to help your children cope with a move. I talked to my daughter about the new home, and how she’d have her own room like a big girl. I also explained to her that we wouldn’t be too far away, so she could still visit with her friends. This seemed to ease her anxieties.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
I finally realized my husband and I weren’t Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, so I went ahead and asked for help from friends and family. My parents offered to babysit for a few hours each night, while a group of friends offered to help with loading the portable storage container so it’d be ready for pickup. This helped things to go a lot smoother.
- Find Ways for the Kids to Help Out
On days when my parents couldn’t babysit, I found things the girls could help me with around the house. They were excited to be helping mommy and daddy pack up all their things to take to the new home. I had the girls put my clothes into a box while I taped them up. My oldest was learning to write, so I allowed her to write mommy’s room on all the boxes (with a washable marker of course).
- Pack the Kid’s Room When They’re Not Home
We had about 90% of the house packed and the portable moving container was just about ready for pickup, but there was still one problem…We hadn’t gotten to the kid’s room! You see, every time I tried to pack something of theirs, they threw temper tantrums or would unpack the items once I left the room. So my husband came up with a brilliant idea that we should wait until we take the kids to my parent’s house to pack their things. This was a lot easier, and in fact it only took us one evening to get their room all boxed up and loaded.
With a day to spare we packed an overnight bag for the new house and took the kids to my parent’s house for moving day. The storage container showed up on time and we began unloading our items, making sure to do the girl’s rooms first. They were thrilled to see their new rooms and I… well, I made my husband promise that we’d stay in our current home for at least the next five to ten years.
