Moving with KidsMoving Tips to Keep the Whole Family Happy

Laura McHolm of NorthStar Moving

Summer is the most popular time to move to

a new home for families. But, whether it’s

summer, fall, winter or spring, before you pack

that first box think about your kids and

how the moving process may affect them.

Follow these tips from NorthStar Moving

and Storage’s expert, Laura McHolm, to

keep the move stress-free and the kids

entertained! Her company was even

featured in the American Girl Movie

which addresses the stress of moving on

children and how to stand up to bullying.

Timing and Transition1. Consider the grades your children are currently in.

I f your eldest is about to be a senior in high school it may be

best to let them live with a relative to finish up their high school

career with their friends. If your youngest is about to enter

middle school this is an ideal time to move as they will be

entering a new school either way.

Timing and Transition

2. Make the new home their own.

Allow the kids to walk through the new

house before the move. And, make them

feel that they are part of the decision,

by letting them choose their own bedroom,

the paint colors, etc.

Timing and Transition3. Stay connected to friends, neighbors, and family

back home. Arrange web cam time with the children's

friends when you move to the new home, it will help make

the transition easier when they know they can keep in touch

with their old friends. And, set up a play date for the old

friends to come over for a sleep over.

Timing and Transition4. Adjust to the new home.

Host a party in your new neighborhood and invite

children of the same age as your own kid(s) over so

that they can make friends. It’s as easy as a pool party,

pizza party, or cookout. Try and host the party the first

weeks of being in your new home.

a.

4. Adjust to the new home.

Take them for a drive by their new

school, the local ice cream place,

playground, etc. so that they see

their new neighborhood has all the

same things as the old.

b.

Timing and Transition

Timing and Transition4. Adjust to the new home. 4. Adjust to the new home.

Set up a tour of the new school and to meet their

new teacher before school starts.

c.

Timing and Transition4. Adjust to the new home. 4. Adjust to the new home.

If you move in the beginning of the summer, sign the

little ones up for camp or other local activities where they

can meet the new kids before school starts. It also keeps

them out of the house so you can continue the unpacking!

d.

Timing and Transition5. Make some popcorn and let them watch

American Girl Chrissa go through a move

with NorthStar Moving.

Watch with them so you can remind them that they can

always talk to you about anything.

1. Have them arrange their own room.

Draw out a floor plan of the rooms in the new house

and let the children make paper doll furniture and

arrange what they want in their room, while you

arrange the other rooms.

Get Them Involved!

Get Them Involved!2. Encourage your kids to pack themselves

so that they are involved in the moving process.

They can have their own boxes and suitcases that

they are responsible for. Give them color codes or

fun stickers to stick on the boxes that belong in

their room. You can oversee this.

3. Give each child a back pack to fill with

overnight items so that you don’t have to

dig through boxes. Include their tooth brush,

pjs, favorite stuffed animal, favorite bedtime

story, etc.

image by Stephen Fulljamesflickr.com/photos/emptyjames

Get Them Involved!

4. Then give them one box

to pack freely that will be

the first box that they open

in their new room.

Get Them Involved!

5. Give them a disposable

digital camera to take

pictures of the move and

send the pics to their old

friends, or post on Facebook.

image by MiikaSflickr.com/photos/miikas

image by PhotoDu.deflickr.com/photos/senoranderson

Get Them Involved!

We all know that the key to a successful family

road trip is keeping the kids happy

in the car, the same goes for the

big move.

Instead of relying

on the DVDs, here

are some helpful tips

to focus on your

surroundings to

make the move

a positive memory.

Entertainment!

1. Wrap things you were going

to give to your children anywaylike books with car games, deck of cards, sticker books, puzzle books, joke books, reading books, crayola crayons, fun masks, etc. When you make stops a long your route place the presents on the kids’ seats. When they come back gift to unwrap and play with! This makes the process more exciting and be sure to save some presents to give to them when you arrive at the new home. image by tastybit

flickr.com/photos/sour_patch

Entertainment!

2. Happy kids are hunger free kids! Have healthy snacks such as grapes, carrots, and string cheese,

a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter and jelly (one sharp knife

for spreading) as well as treats like snack size packs of crackers

and cookies easily available throughout the move.

Avoid juice boxes as they tend to explode.

Instead pack bottles of water and glass

juice bottles that you can recycle at

rest stops. Pack these items with

plastic utensils and napkins in

clear plastic bags in a cooler.

Place the one sharp knife in

a plastic bag and tape it to the

inside of the cooler for easy and safe access.

Entertainment!

image by di bo diflickr.com/photos/bonettodiego

3. Before you head out, sit down with

your children with a map.

Show them where the new house is and have them

help you plan the trip out and then have them follow

the map as you make your way to your new home.

Entertainment!

4. Another option is to hire a nanny during the move.

The service keeps the little darlings safe, happy and entertained

under the watchful eye of a modern day Mary Poppins, while

mom and dad focus on the busy moving process!

Entertainment!

5. If you are planning on

getting rid of items the

children no longer use,

do not do it during moving time.

Otherwise the children will

experience loss, this is not

the right time to weed out

their things, wait until you

are settled in at the new home.

Or do the weeding out months

before the move so they don’t

associate the two events.

image by angusfflickr.com/photos/angusf

Entertainment!

6. Lastly, wrap up some wish list items the children had

and put them in their closet at the new home, for them to

discover! You can even gift wrap the new bedspread the

two of you choose in the catalog together.

Entertainment!

In addition to your boxes, box up the following items,

they will come in handy during your move to keep

everyone safe and happy.

1. Kleenex2. Hand Sanitizer3. Baby wipes4. Extra zip lock bags5. Medications6. Personal Pillows7. Phone numbers (i.e. the kennel)8. Cell Phone Charger9. Walking shoes10. Sweater and Rain Jacket

image by davef3138flickr.com/photos/davef3138

Don’t Leave Home Without…

For more moving tips and to get this in text form visit

www.NorthStarMoving.com

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Moving with KidsMoving Tips to Keep the Whole Family Happy

by Laura McHolm of NorthStar Moving

©1994-2010 NorthStar Moving Corporation.