Parenting Pointers: Moving with Children

Removals can be stressful enough on their own, but when you add children into the mix, the situation becomes even more volatile. Obviously, the process of packing, removals and transportation is quite long, boring and stressful and children aren’t well suited to go through it. However, there are lots of things you can do to make sure that the move is as easy as possible on the little ones and that there are no complications for you. This article will give you a few pointers, but keep in mind that the best way to handle this situation is just to be relaxed and attentive to your kids needs and take everything with a bit of humour and a lot of creativity.

1. The number one thing to make sure of is that your kids know what is going to happen. When the removers come, there are going to be a lot of strangers milling about the house and this is why the children should know that a. this is perfectly normal and b. they shouldn’t be running around and disrupting things, especially considering that heavy furniture will be moved about and they could potentially get hurt.
2. Just telling the youngsters to stay out of the way is probably not going to be all that effective, especially if they are very little. This is why you should keep them occupied as best you can. Some good ideas for this include giving them a crafts project to do (as long as they stay in an empty room, this is their chance to go as wild as they want with the glitter and confetti, since the house is going to be a mess anyway) or even including them in the packing and removals process. Why not give them some boxes of pillows or the smaller boxes with their toys for example? Children can really benefit from feeling included and being helpful. Plus, they can actually speed up the job, while also staying occupied and out of trouble for the duration of the move. Just remember to match the tasks that you give them to their age and skill level to avoid any potential disasters.
3. Remember to make a filling and nutritious breakfast on the day of the move and prepare lots of snacks for later on. This is a requirement every day of course, but never moreso than at a stressful time like this. Children who feel even a little bit hungry tend to get restless and the move is bound to leave them in need of extra energy. Similarly, you should steer clear of sugary cereals, snacks and drinks. Nothing can disrupt the removals better than a couple of children running around hopped up on sugar. Try to prepare healthy, but tasty snacks for your kids to nibble on whenever they get hungry.
4. Last but not least, while you will probably be very busy around this time and will not be able to stay around your kids constantly, try to check up on them every half an hour or so and give them a bit of attention. Similarly, you should ask the removers or your friends if you have friends helping you, to just keep an eye out and let you know if they notice something the kids are doing. This way you can know what’s going on even when you’re not around. 
   
   

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Nicole really enjoys sharing interesting home cleaning and organizing tips. You can check http://www.handymoves.co.uk/ for some of her latest publications.