Packing with Kids

I have had to move only once before with my oldest daughter, but I moved 15x before I turned 18 and I am the 3rd of 6. I picked up some tricks from my mom on how to move with kids. We are now moving again and we have a 3yr old and a 1 yr old. I am using all the tips and tricks from my mom and adding some of my own as well.

Moving with kids is not easy at all, moving in general is stressful but add in some confused and active kiddos and it is about to be 10x harder. Taking everything a step at a time and remembering this is stressful for the whole family is important to remember. Here are the 7 tips and tricks I have learned in my long history of moving with kids around.

Include them:

Kids want to feel like they are apart of what ever you are doing in general, so finding a way to include them is super helpful. Have them help you clean, help you put certain things in the boxes, help with taping the boxes, etc.

One Room at a time:

Having kids with your while you pack can be very distracting! Maybe you started packing a box in the kitchen, then your kiddo needed help in the bathroom and in the end you start packing a box in the bathroom. Things happen!

Try to focus on one room at a time and put all of your focus into it. Remind yourself to finish the project you started before starting another one.

Give them something special:

Giving them a special activity or toy can help them stay distracted and entertained while you pack, maybe its a new play-doh set or Littlest Pet Shop Set. Just something new and fun so they can have a little gift while their world is getting turned upside down.

Be patient:

You may be stressed out moving and having to be everything to little ones, and I get it! That is stressful, but patience is so important with kids. They will not understand why or what is happening, so make sure you store up some extra patience for them.

They may have more negative behaviors, or maybe they will become extra clingy. Kids love a routine and when we change that up even for the good it can cause some ripple effects. You are doing a great job! Just be patient with them as well as yourself.

Their things last:

Packing their things last will help them keep as much normalcy in their life as long as you can. This one can be hard because you need truly to pack the things you use on a daily basis for the end. Keep the bare minimum out while you pack the rest of the house.

What I would suggest is just keeping their room the last room you tackle. Get everything you can pack out of the house before tackling their stuff.

Now if it is their things but either they do not use often or is super bulky and needs to be moved, then yes go ahead and pack it. All of these tips are up to you to change for your family to serve you best.

Let them pick the last things packed:

When you are planning which rooms to pack and in what order ask their opinion. Kids love to feel like they do have a say and a voice in what happens. You do not have to listen to them for everything, but make their voice heard and feel like they are a valued member of the family.

Giving kids options like this help them to make decisions and help them to have a sense that they have some control over what they do. They do not have to have the impression they get to make no choices.

Reset:

Moving is hard for literally everyone involved. Making sure that you reset your emotions to help you stay calm and composed will help your children. They know when your are frustrated or frazzled and it affects them. Find ways to help you reset your feelings while moving.

An example is: when we are having a bad morning, I go with the girls to get Starbucks. We use this as a reset. We start the day over when we get home from Starbucks, that way it does not become a bad day, just a blip of our day was a little frustrating. Getting out of the house and getting something helps my brain click back into gear and not become a frazzled monster.

You do not have to go get Starbucks, maybe yours is watching 20 minutes of a show, going to the park, taking a walk, or just going outside. Find out what reset sets you and this will help you not only when packing but when you’re having a rough time in general!

Conclusion:

All of these tips are just what worked for our family, if you need to tweak them or omit some with your packing journey then do it!! Life is not one size fits all, you know what works for your kids and you. Find the joy in the simple things and remember this will not last forever. Life does move on and it will mellow out. You got this momma!!!