Kids can and should help when moving. After all they are part of the family and moving is a massive undertaking. So why not get them involved. We found several easy ways to get our kids involved and invested in the process of moving to our new house.
It’s no big secret that our family is moving. I have been writing about the process for weeks and getting prepared to move for months now. Finally the countdown is on. On Valentine’s Day weekend our family will move out of our first home and into one that will give us a bit more space to grow. We are very excited about moving to a new neighbourhood and decorating a new house.
My kids have cycled through a number of stages and emotions during the getting ready to move process. But we have dealt with all of them so far as they come up. I’m not going to lie, the moving process is exhausting and expensive and I wouldn’t want to do this too often. But we are almost there. With kids.
This is our first time moving with kids. We stayed put out of necessity for 14 years. Now moving with kids is a lot different than moving without kids. For instance, we had one tenth of the stuff we do now when we first moved into this house. Kids come with a lot of toys and gadgets and clothes. But you know all that. In the last few weeks we have come up with a few ways to engage the kids in the moving process. I wanted to share those with you today.
Table of Contents
Five Ways Kids Can Help When You Are Moving
1. Decluttering:
Decluttering is the best place to start. Remind them they have outgrown some toys, books, clothes and then get sorting. I supervised this activity and we passed a lot of clothing and toys on to other kids we know. My kids are mini hoarders. They hate parting with anything. Everything has sentimental value. But knowing that some of their precious outfits and toys went to a friend, made that a bit easier to tolerate. Also I reminded them it’s less lifting in the long run.
2. Packing Boxes:
Self explanatory. They can pack their clothes and toys on the weekends slowly if you have a long closing date. It helps to get ready. Also made this a supervised activity to be sure they didn’t just throw all the clothes in a lump. (That said if they are struggling with this task, that can be a strategy. Use an empty box and have them turn it into a basketball game tossing toys into it from across the room.) Everything is fun when it is a game.
3. Labelling Boxes:
What child doesn’t love a Sharpie marker? My girls have been scrawling their names in cursive all over boxes. I have also handed out some stickers so they can make the boxes their own. I MAY, or May not, have enjoyed this part myself getting in on the sticker action.
4. Address Change Notices
If they can print legibly they can help fill out the address notices. It helps them get used to memorizing the new address.
5. Heavy Lifting
We have had all hands on deck for some of this heavy lifting because, as you can see, we decluttered and filled a storage locker with boxes before we staged the house for sale. Both of my kids do pretty well with lifting and one of them really benefits from the activity. (Any child with sensory processing disorder knows how useful that heavy muscle work can be in getting their bodies organized and their brains focused. ) This heavy lifting works year round. Obviously don’t give them anything filled with encyclopedias or fine China.
Looking for other ideas of ways kids can pitch in at home on a regular basis? Why not check out this printable chore chart for kids.
Have you moved with children? Did you get them involved in helping?