Moving the family to a new home can be both exciting and stressful. Tipping the scale in the direction of exciting is a parent’s ultimate goal. While fear and uncertainty are often unavoidable, there are things you can do to help ease the stress of moving.
Take a Trip
One of the best ways to get everyone excited about moving to a new place is to spend a day or weekend in the new area. Prior to making the trip, do some research to find fun things the family can do together. Explore the town as a tourist while reminding everyone that the area you are visiting will soon be their new home.
Preparation Eases Stress
There are a lot of things to do to prepare for a move. The better prepared you are, the less stress you’re likely to feel. Don’t feel you have to think of everything yourself. You can get invaluable assistance from a moving checklist, and your relocating experience may go more smoothly than you ever imagined.
Get Some Help
The stress of house-hunting or apartment-searching may seem minimal compared to the stress of packing, loading, unloading and unpacking if you attempt to do it without any assistance. Using a moving service can relieve a lot of your stress. Places like Bekins Transfer & Storage can provide packing supplies and take care of the loading and unloading of boxes and furniture.
Sometimes, during the packing process, there are items that don’t fit perfectly into the “take it” or “don’t take it” categories. Rather than feeling forced to decide how to deal with those items at a time when you may already be feeling overwhelmed, you can temporarily store those items and decide their fate later. That’s one worry you can easily eliminate.
Pack Specialty Boxes
One way to ease the stress on moving day is to have a specialty box prepared for each family member and pets. The kids can help prepare boxes for pets that include special treats, their bowls, a leash and a favorite toy. Parents can prepare boxes for kids that include some familiar or sentimental items and a few new things to enjoy the first night in the new house.
Preparing for the move should be a family activity. Preparation time gives kids an opportunity to express their concerns and parents a chance to point out the positive aspects of the move.