Moving is a challenging task. Motherhood is a challenging role. Depending on the season, maintaining your sanity can be a challenging experience as well. So, you can understand why doing all three might seem like an impossible feat. Between getting moving supplies, keeping the children fed and keeping your blood pressure in check, the thought of the experience can easily make you want to hide underneath the covers for the next decade. Thankfully, there are ways that you can get through a move, keep your children happy and maintain your sanity in the process. In order to make things happen, you’re going to want to take the following steps.
1. Create a budget.
One of the main reasons why so many people stress out is because of money. If they had an unlimited amount of money, the majority of their problems would go away. Knowing this, it’s a wise idea to create a budget that allows you to pay for the moving expenses. When you’re able to hire movers and cover any unexpected expenses because you’ve budgeted for it, this will eliminate a lot of potential drama. In order to have the best experience in this area, plan in advance. If you already know that you’re planning on moving six months from now, begin to set aside money from each paycheck to start covering the expenses you’ll have to incur.
2. Stick to a timeline.
Create a timeline of all the things you’d like to do in order to make sure the move is as efficient as possible. If you’d like to declutter all the rooms by a certain date, create a list of days that you’ll gradually declutter each room by the deadline. If it seems like too much, just start by doing a little bit at a time. That’s why it’s best to start sooner rather than later. If you know you’d like to host a garage sale, set a date, create advertisements and factor the sale into your schedule.
3. Schedule diversions for the children.
Depending on the ages of your children, they might become really clingy and want your attention. While this is not a bad thing, it can get you off-track when you’re looking to take care of moving tasks. Knowing this, it’s wise to create diversions for your children. If you don’t typically give them much screen time during the week, you can allow them to watch a movie while you’re packing up. Once they go down for bed, you can squeeze in some more packing time.
As it gets closer to the move, ask a friend or family member to babysit them for a weekend while you take care of major chores. Ask a friend to take the children to the pool while you’re working on the move. As you create a schedule that involves different friends and family members, it’ll be a lot easier to get things done since the kids are occupied.
Be sure to think about how your children will adjust to this move. A new city, school and environment can be scary. Here are 4 tips to help your children adjust to their new life.
4. Prioritize yourself.
Don’t forget about the fact that you matter. Within the midst of it all, you must prioritize yourself on a daily basis. You can take time for yourself by going to the gym to work out for thirty minutes. Head to the salon for a bi-weekly pedicure. Get a massage. Take thirty minutes to enjoy a show and your favorite adult beverage. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Fill your cup on a daily basis.
5. Utilize help.
It’s okay to hire movers to help you with the process. It’s okay to hire cleaners to deep clean the house once the movers have taken care of all the furniture. You don’t have to do everything yourself. In fact, when you try to do everything yourself, you’ll run the risk of completely burning yourself out. Make the process easier on yourself by getting the help you need. This might even include reaching out to family members and friends for assistance with different jobs.
6. Prepare meals in advance.
Take one day a week to prepare all of your meals in advance. Freeze a few casseroles that you can defrost later in the week for delicious options. Purchase cereal and milk for an easy breakfast option. Purchase lots of fun snacks that can keep the kids satiated while they wait for you to take care of them.
As you implement these tips, you’ll quickly realize that everything is doable. With some intentionality, planning and perseverance, you can push through a challenging experience like a move with ease and grace. It’s also great to remember to breathe through the process. As you commit to maintaining a positive attitude, you’ll be able to breeze through the moving experience with one step at a time.