Here’s some advice for
a smooth transition, from one parent to another.
By Laura Kelly
Storage King Ipswich, QLD
Moving with kids, surely I am not the only parent who has ever found
this insanely stressful? Whether you are relocating interstate, to a
neighbouring suburb or even just up the road, moving with kids in general is
incomprehensibly stressful (especially if you have no one to baby sit for you).
In October 2013 my partner and I decided to embark on a HUGE life
changing adventure…. Moving our family from Adelaide to South East Queensland.
Before this we had only ever moved locally from suburb to suburb and that was
stressful enough. Here is some of the knowledge I have learnt from my customers
and from each time we have moved, so that we could eventually move interstate
pretty much hassle free with the kids (a miracle I know).
Pack:
Let’s start off with the daunting task of packing (cue Darth Vader
music). Packing with kids, need I say more? Actually, we could probably call it
“unpacking with children”.
Some things you can do to make it easier and to partially entertain
kids while you pack are:
Buy a few extra boxes and let the kids decorate them with crayons and
stickers (NOT glitter oh goodness NO!). Once they have decorated them they can
pack some of their favourite toys to keep aside to have access to as soon as
you arrive at your destination.
A few weeks out from the move pack away the cups, plates, bowls, spoons,
knives and forks, but let the kids pick one of each to keep out as theirs to
use until you move. Pack the rest, wipe out the cupboards and place butcher
paper down where the saved utensils will go. This will save so much time
leading up to the stressful parts of your move. It will also help your kids to
start living minimally before you pack absolutely everything away.
A huge general packing tip (that will also save you hours of insanity
looking for the kid’s favourite teddy bear, or your favourite wine glass) is
numbering your boxes and keeping an inventory list, one for yourselves and
another that is not so detailed for your removalist.
Here are
some examples-
Your copy:
|
Box number
|
Contents
|
|
1
|
Wine glasses, vases, crystal trinkets
|
|
2
|
Toaster, food processor, cutlery
|
|
3
|
Towels, linen
|
Removalist
copy:
|
Box number
|
Room to go in
|
|
1
|
Dining
Room
|
|
2
|
Kitchen
|
|
3
|
Laundry
|
Move:
Pre planning for moving is a great idea to keep the kids entertained.
We made our boys an activity bag each. In this were sticker books, pencils,
colouring pages, an eye spy list of things they could find around our new house
and because were moving interstate we also included DVD’s to watch in the car.
Settle:
In some cases of moving you may have to find a new school or day care
centre. Finding a new school and sporting team for our 9 year old was
definitely on the top of the worry list for us. We started the search for a new
school earlier than most may start. This way (from long distance) we got to do our
research. I rang each school and asked to speak to the principal so that we would
get a better feel for how the school would be run. We also looked up community
forums on the internet (we are lucky to live in an age where such truthful
information is right at our fingertips!). From this we narrowed our search down
to two schools which we visited upon arrival to our new town and from there we
let our son pick which one was best suited to his ideals. Starting kids back at
school will help get them back into routine and will help them to make friends ASAP.
As for hobbies, getting kids into the swing of being social in their
new surroundings helps immensely. Getting your children into a social routine
is an easy way to make your new surroundings feel like home.
Pets:
If you have any pets you can give your kids the job of being moving
companion/designated pet carer/s. Giving them a sense of responsibility will
help keep their mind off of having to move from familiar surroundings, not to
mention that this will also help your furry friend adjust to the new place
also.
Relax:
Once all of your items are in your new house, even before they are
unpacked, have a relax, go out and explore your surroundings and local parks.
This will help the kids settle and the fresh air will do wonders for your
worries.