Moving home with children
You finally have a date for your move, but you’ve still got to live your life outside of the move. With moving day looming large on the horizon, there's so much to do and each day ticks by and brings it closer.
Yet, a question keeps popping up as you try and go about life and preparations: "I’ve young children, what should I do?"
Simple, but effective
One dead simple thing you can do is let them feel a part of the decision process. Let them pick their new bedroom - and have some say in how it gets redecorated. For the truly fearless, give them free reign to express themselves.
Beware, though, if you have teenagers, the full black room is not always easy on the eye or nerves (or repainting when they've changed their mind). But it can help them feel better about the move.
For the younger children, simply choosing a new exciting mural for the wall or a new duvet cover can make something daunting and scary suddenly feel like a terrific adventure.
Likewise with very young children, get them involved by packing their favourite toys into a box and decorating it with coloured pens. The guys on move day can make sure it takes pride of place in their new bedroom, again, all part of the big adventure.
Preparation
Preparation, as in all things, is key. There are some simple, practical things that you can do in the run up to the move to ease your children’s - and your - anxieties and make things that little bit easier and less stressful.
Involve the children
It can be scary for children leaving their comfortable surroundings that they have lived happily in for years. It may be the only home they've known, and leaving that can be scary for them. But by letting them be involved in many aspects of the move, you can ease some of their fears and anxieties about moving - and maybe even make it an exciting adventure for them - helping the whole family have a better move.
What about moving day?
Whilst not always practical, if you can, it’s best to have the children stay with friends or relatives on moving day - or if it is term time, move while they're at school for the day. Although it’s still a home, once the movers are on site, your home becomes a workplace. And, of course, with that does come some additional dangers for young ones. Whatever the weather and regardless of how busy the road is, doors will need to be wedged open and doors within the house will constantly be opening and closing, little fingers can get trapped and the inquisitive can make for the open door out into the road.
The removal men will be busy pretty much from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave you in your new home; the last thing anybody wants is for anybody to get hurt whilst your move takes place.
If you don't have somewhere for the children to stay on moving day, the next best option would be to have a person whose only job on moving day is to watch and entertain them at your home. It’s important they remain in one room and the removal men are able to get on with their work free from additional worries of little folk running around in front of them.
No matter how well prepared you are there, will be lots of questions from the men about where items are going in the new place, and other things along the way. Once you arrive at the new place, you’ll need to be on hand to help guide where you want furniture positioned in your new rooms. It’s rare that every piece goes in exactly the place you visualised; last minute tweaking tends to be the norm.
Once the removal men have left
If your children have been away while the move was being performed, before you introduce them to their new home make sure any hazards are minimised - especially if you have toddlers. If you use gates, make sure they're installed before the children arrive, if possible.
If you can, have the children come back right towards the end of your belongings being moved into your new home. You can bet that you’ll be tired, but the lion’s share of the physical work should then have been done and the children can come along and join in the excitement and unpacking.
Getting settled on moving night
A takeaway pizza and perhaps a glass of wine (for the adults, of course) is often the best end to the moving day, leaving you - and the kids - raring to get on with the unpacking the following morning.
Removal quote appointment booking service
Bradshaw Moving Services can help your move go smoothly. Contact us for a free, no obligation quote, or by calling 0116 289 9011 (Leicester), 0115 965 6555 (Nottingham), or 01283 243001 (Derby & Burton) and speak with one of our removals specialists.
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In the current times you might prefer that we don't visit your house in person to carry out a survey. This is fully understandable and we can just as easily undertake the survey by video call, using whatever method you're comfortable with, usually FaceTime or WhatsApp.
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They were amazing and worked very hard despite some surprises and challenges. Friendly, professional, helpful, polite & amazing!
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You were amazing and saved us. Beyond this, you were excellent in every respect and did more than we could have expected.
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A nightmare was turned into an efficient process. There was no time for Bradshaw to visit so they accepted the volume calculation/quotation from the original company and we were all surprised it was inaccurate.
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The professional way you did things
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10/10
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Excellent great team nothing was too much trouble they work really hard.
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Seems really good already
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10/10
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So impressed with them all
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