Make Moving More Fun For The Whole Family Using These Tips And Tricks

Moving is one of life's most stressful situations, even if the decision to move is viewed as a positive and joyful one. Parents undoubtedly worry about finances, time management, and the kids. Young children and teens tend to get stressed out because they're leaving friends and familiar places and moving to a community that's foreign and full of strangers. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make the experience of moving more enjoyable and less stressful for everyone involved. One way is to make moving fun whenever possible. Here are a few ways you can do just that:

Turn Your Garage Sales into Contests

A great way to make the job of getting rid of stuff you don't want to take to your new home is to turn any garage sales you have into fun contests that the entire family can enjoy together. Let each family member maintain control over selling their own stuff, such as clothing, toys, and even bedroom furnishings. Then assign any other household belongings you're selling to each household member until everyone has close to the same amount of things to sell. If you have young children, let them be assistants to you and your older kids so they can stay intimately involved throughout the process.

On garage sale day, everyone should have their own space in the yard to set up and manage the stuff they're selling. Everyone will have to stay focused on things like customer service and making deals to try and make the most money for the day – which means that nobody will have time to think about having to let go of stuff they still love or the intimidating move ahead. Whoever sells the most stuff on garage sale day wins the contest and should receive a small prize. Consider offering up movie tickets or gift certificates as prizes. If a parent wins the contest, they can always give their prize to the kids!

Plan a Couple Packing Parties Each Week

Another way to make sure that your family has a little more fun while moving is to save some of your packing tasks for evening hours and make a party of the work. Have everyone meet in the living room at a specific time and hand each person a list of packing tasks that need to be completed that same evening.

Let everyone enjoy the work time by putting on some upbeat music, placing a couple pizzas on the table, and playing some games like "I Spy" and "20 Questions" together. Try to keep all the packing tasks focused on one room at a time so everyone can enjoy the festivities at the same time. You can pack one specific room, such as the family room, during the party, or set the party up in a bedroom so it can get packed.

Spend a Weekend in Your New Community

It's always a good idea to make sure that everyone in the family has a chance to visit the new community they'll be living in before actually moving there, so they have an idea of what to expect and won't feel as stressed out about the idea of moving. But instead of just driving past the new house and cruising through the neighborhood, consider spending an entire weekend in the new community so everyone in the family can thoroughly explore it.

Book a hotel room or rent a vacation home for the weekend, then plan some activities for the kids at the local parks and community centers. The adults can spend time checking out the local bank, grocery stores, business centers, and other facilities that will be needed after the move. Take time to meet the new neighbors and visit the new schools your kids will be going to. After the weekend, everyone in the family should feel more confident about the move overall.

When you're ready to start actually moving your boxes, etc. reach out to Bekins Van Lines Inc. 


Share