Moving house? Brace yourself, because it ranks as one of life’s most stressful and emotional events – bar none! It involves uprooting your comfortable life, dealing with a flurry of logistical details, and managing the emotional upheaval that often accompanies big changes. And that’s when kids aren’t in the equation!

If you add children to the recipe, the complexity and stress can multiply – in an almost exponential way. For you parents, it means managing your own stress whilst simultaneously supporting your children through an equally tumultuous time but without the help of your adult brain and years of hard-won experience. And for the kids, while their initial excitement of a new home and adventure might be palpable, the reality of leaving behind familiar surroundings, friends and routines can actually be extraordinarily distressing.

In this blog, we’re going to dive into how to ease this transition for both parents and children – with every insight drawn from those in the moving and related industries.

Expert insights: Making moving easier for everyone

Moving house with children involves more than just packing boxes – it’s about managing the emotions and expectations across the entire family and beyond. Seasoned professionals from the moving-related industry have pooled their knowledge to offer easy and actionable advice, ensuring that your move is as smooth as possible for both you and your little ones. Right here, we’ll explore and expand on these tips across the three critical stages: preparation before the move, the moving day itself, and settling into your new home and beyond.

Practical tips for a family-friendly move

1. Preparation before the move

Involve your kids in the process: Don’t shut your kids out, but instead allow and encourage them to participate in those moving preparations.

They really can help pack up their toys, and even choose items to decorate their new room – which can make the transition feel more exciting and less intimidating.

Visit your new home together: If it’s possible, visit your new home with your children way before moving day – and as many times as possible. This includes open inspections, contract signing days, and post-settlement visits. It will help them clearly visualise where they will be living, and reduce that awful anxiety about the unknown that they may have.

Clear clutter with self-storage: To make moving less overwhelming for you and for the little ones, consider using a self-storage unit to securely and affordable store all those non-essential items. You can begin to do this at any point in the process, de-cluttering your current home and majorly simplifying the moving process.

2. The big day

Keep a familiar routine: Try to maintain as normal a routine as possible on the actual moving day. Don’t forget those meal and snack times that they’re used to – and keep a bag of your child’s favourite and reassuring toys right on hand to provide comfort and distraction.

Safety & supervision: Make sure you have a plan for who’s watching the kids while the heavy lifting is taking place. Maybe a trusted but otherwise not-involved friend or family member can help with this – so you can focus on the move without worrying about their safety and wellbeing and adding to your own skyrocketing stress-levels!

3. Post-move

Set up the kids’ rooms first: Before you think about yourself, make your priority the setting up of your children’s rooms. All that familiar bedding, toys and decorations can instantly make the new space feel like home a lot more quickly.

Explore together: Once you’ve settled in, explore your new neighbourhood together – as a family. Find and enjoy those local parks, libraries and other amenities, which will help your kids and the whole family feel much more connected to the new area as soon as possible.

Extra tips:

• Let your kids get a start on their own packing
• Create a transition scrapbook, combining memories of the old home with images of the next destination
• Let your kids’ new school know about the move, including their specific needs or fears
• Don’t dismiss your kids’ worries, and don’t be afraid to talk with them about your own!
• Get involved in decorating your kids’ new rooms, ensuring to let them take some control over how they want to present their new space.

Conquering the move: How Jim’s Self Storage can help

Moving with kids may seem like one of the mount daunting experiences of your entire life – and you wouldn’t be wrong! But with a bit of foresight, preparation and expert-driven strategies, you really can make it as smooth as is humanly possible.

If the prospect of a temporary storage solution during your move sounds like it may be a big help, consider Jim’s Self Storage in Williamstown. With our variety of storage options, secure facilities and super-supportive customer service, Jim’s can make your move easier. Give Jim’s Self Storage a deeper look today to find out how we can help with your family’s big move.