A Guide to Moving House with Children

Moving house is a process that requires a huge level of organisation and forward-planning – how many boxes are needed, what furniture will go where, what size removal vehicles are required – the list is seemingly endless. If you add children into the equation, the organisation can go out the window as you have a living, breathing element to take care of, as well as the move itself. This article will detail the ways you can make the move easier for yourself and your children.

Before the move

While moving can be stressful and nerve-wracking for you, it can be very scary for kids – moving to an unfamiliar place possibly away from their school and their friends can be traumatic for them, so make sure that you are positive about the move to reassure them. Visiting your new area before you move can help – day trips to parks or town centres might help soothe their concerns. The move needs to be fun where possible, so jobs like decorating bedrooms can be a great way to improve their outlook – let them decide what they want their rooms to look like (within reason)!

One final task is to make the children’s goodbyes as pleasant as possible. A party for their friends can be a great way to do this – make sure to take plenty of photographs for them to keep.

During the move

Unfortunately, young children can’t offer much in the way of assistance when it comes to the move itself, so ask friends or relatives to look after them for a day or two while the removals are taken care of. If you have slightly older kids, setting them some simple tasks to accomplish can make them feel part of the process and give them a sense of achievement.

After the move

All the boxes are in your new home and your old home is empty – the next step is to start getting settled in. However, a good way to ease kids into the new home is to take the first night as an opportunity to relax – watch a film, cook or order their favourite food and forget about unpacking for that night. This will help them become settled in their new home.

Once the unpacking is done and your new house is looking more like a home, help your children put out their belongings in their rooms and start to make them their own. This will make them feel much more comfortable and at ease with their new surroundings.

Moving house with children in tow can be stressful for you and scary for the kids, but by following these tips and taking care to reassure them, you will soon find they will be happy in their new home.

Darvills & Benns Removals are experts in providing a service that ensures any move goes as smoothly as possible. For more information, get in touch with us today and we’ll be happy to help.