How to Plan a Stress-Free Move with Kids: Tips for Organized Parents

Relocating your life and belongings is one of the most overwhelming things you can do. So, when you add kids to the mix, it becomes an S-tier cocktail of pressure-inducing stressors.

Fear not!

With a little planning and a lot of grace and patience, moving with children can be a smooth adventure for the whole family, and we will show you exactly how you can move with your kids with minimal hiccups.

Let’s dive into the practical tips on involving kids in moving plans, maintaining routines during the move, and keeping the kids engaged and helpful while packing. As a bonus, we have included ways to automate some otherwise stressful moving elements.

The first thing you should do when moving is:

1. Create Your Budget

Making a moving budget is the first step in having a stress-free moving experience. You can make the process more enjoyable by including your children. Working as a team also covers all bases and ensures you account for all aspects of your move.

Here are two actionable budgeting tips you can use when moving with kids:

• Include the kids: Gather as a family to discuss the moving budget. Explain the costs involved and involve your children in decision-making. It’s a great opportunity to teach them about financial planning.
• Make it visual: If your kids are young, you can create visual or animated checklists to include them. To make your life easier, you can use a moving calculator to calculate the cost of moving.

2. Sort and Declutter

You can use your visual checklist to make moving more seamless for yourself and the kids by grouping items into moving boxes or plastic containers labeled trash, donate, and keep.

• Kid-friendly sorting: Turn decluttering into a game. Challenge your kids to find items they no longer need or want. Let them decide what toys or clothes to keep and what to donate or sell.

3. Work Together To Pack

Packing becomes less stressful when you are working together. Create roles and tasks for your kids, with incentives and rewards for the best and quickest.

• Pack together: Make packing a family affair. Let your kids help pack their belongings. Provide colorful markers for labeling boxes, and let them decorate their “moving treasure chests.”

4. Consider Hiring a Moving Company

The quality and type of moving company you hire will depend on your needs. Keeping this in mind, make a list of qualities they should have and look for a company that meets your requirements. 

Get quotes to compare services and prices. Go out of your way to confirm the mover’s insurance coverage and understand their policy, especially if you’re doing a long-distance move.

• Kid-approved research: Involve your children in researching moving companies. Show them online reviews and let them help you choose the one that feels right for your family.

5. Turn Changing Your Address into an Adventure

Turn updating your address into a fun mailbox adventure activity. Visit the post office together and explain how mail forwarding works. Let your kids write their new address on postcards to friends and family.

6. Set Up Utilities

It is generally better to start setting up utilities in your new home 3 to 4 weeks before moving.

• Utility detectives: Teach your kids about utilities. Explain how water, electricity, and internet work in your new home. Let them help you call utility companies to set up services.

7. Final Home Walkthrough

Moving can be heart-wrenching for kids, and all these activities are about making the move more fun and tolerable for their impatient young minds. Creating a treasure hunt in the new house will liven up the mood and create a homey feeling in your new home.

• Treasure hunt: Turn the final walkthrough into a treasure hunt. Give your kids a checklist of things to find (like checking closets, turning off lights, and closing windows), and reward them with a small treat when they complete it.

Conclusion

Some other key things you should do include using a moving cost calculator together and showing your kids how planning helps reduce stress. Let them see how their involvement makes a difference. 

Remind your children that moving is a team effort. Emphasize how everyone’s contributions, whether packing, labeling, or exploring the new neighborhood, matter.

By following these kid-friendly tips, you’ll ensure a smooth and organized transition to your new home.