Moving can be a stressful time in your life, particularly if you are moving and have children. There are thousands of blogs and “how to” articles that talk about all of the ways to involve your child in your move, but today, we will be advising you on some very important things you should NOT DO when moving with your child.
Do not wait until the last moment to tell your child you are moving
Moving can be a very emotional and traumatic act for your child, so you will want to let them know well in advance of when you start packing up all of the belongings in your home. You will want to make sure to explain exactly what it means to move, and try to keep your conversations upbeat and positive. Rather than focusing on what your child is leaving behind with your current home, you should tell them about all of the wonderful things your new home will have to offer. One of the simplest ways to get your child excited about their new home is by letting them pick out paint colors for their room, and letting them hang up pictures. You can also highlight some of the child-friendly perks of your neighborhood, whether is be a nearby jungle gym, story time at a local library, or a museum.
Try to avoid moving during another time of transition in your child’s life
There are several benchmark transitional periods during your child’s life. Whether your child is potty-training, or switching from one preschool to another, or perhaps even from one caregiver to another, you should try to wait until they are settled in to a comfortable routine before you throw a wrench into their progress by moving them to a new home. Children crave routines, and it can be very difficult for them to cope with not only a change in environment, but also a change, even if it is short term, in regard to their schedules. Do what you can to keep some consistency in your child’s life as you complete your move, as they are likely to feel like their whole world is turning upside down.
Do not leave your child out of the process
While it is impractical to expect your child to aid you in the process of moving, there are some ways in which you can help your child feel involved. Keep them away from packing the bulk of your house, but put them in charge of packing a few boxes of their own belongings. Take some time to go with them to their room and help them pack a few different items, and a good way to keep them busy is to have them draw pictures of the items that are in any given box.
Do not forget to pack an “Open First” Box
On the day of your move, each member of your family should have a suitcase packed with essentials, such as clothing for the next couple of days and toiletries. For the children in your family, you should pack an, “Open First” Box, with anything that may be essential to your child. Things you might include would be a security blanket, a favorite stuffed animal or a few toys that they like to play with, or perhaps a coloring book with crayons. You may also want to include a few snack items or water bottles to hold your children over until you get some groceries in your new home.
Do not leave stacked boxes around
Children are like tiny tornadoes that go through your house, and on moving day, that is no exception. Do not leave stacked boxes around as your child is likely to knock them over and hurt themselves. Try to keep them occupied in a space that is either unpacked or only has boxes directly on the ground, rather than stacked on one another.
Do not leave hazardous materials out
All of those household cleaners that you have in cabinets locked away up and out of the reach of children are likely to be down where little hands can get ahold of them, come moving day. You should continue to take the precautions of keeping any hazardous materials out of reach of your children. If you are packing them into boxes, then pack them right way and tape up your moving box.
Do not let children move boxes on their own
Kids are not developed enough to help you move boxes. They often do not know their limitations and can end up seriously injuring themselves when trying to lift boxes that are heavy or large. While your child can help you pack to a certain extent, it is best to redirect your child to another project when boxes are being moved out of your old home and into your new home. Moving companies in Tucson can help you by eliminating the need for anyone in the family to do any heavy lifting, freeing you up to spend some time with your kids in the midst of your move.
Do not leave your children in parked cars
No matter where you are in the world, you should never leave a child in a car, Tucson is no exception. Tucson can be extremely hot, so even if you have the air conditioning blowing full blast, the sun will be beating down on your children in a parked car. You should keep an eye on your children so that if they begin to present with symptoms of overheating, you can act immediately to avoid heat stroke.
Do not forget meals, snacks and water
In the chaos of a move, as adults it is easy to forget to eat throughout the day or drink enough water to stay adequately hydrated. It is extremely important that you make sure your child is fully nourished and hydrated, as Tucson is extremely warm, and you will need to consume more to get you through the exhaustion of moving in the heat.
Do not forget to dress your child for the weather
As has been stated before, Tucson is hot. Be sure to have your children wear loose fitting and breathable clothing. You should also put sunscreen on your child, and be sure to reapply frequently, as sweat can cause the sunscreen to runoff and the last thing you will want is a child with a horrible sunburn when trying to unpack at your new home.
Keep in mind that when you are moving there are a lot of small details that you can lose track of through no fault of your own. If you want help streamlining the process, you might consider hiring a local moving company in Tucson, as they know all of the tricks of the trade. Please give us a call and we can come out for a free consultation and advise you on what might work best for your personal situation.
