Moving With Children

Moving with children...what are the best ways?

For the last two months, I have been packing and unpacking - maybe longer. We officially started living in our new home the first of the month. I, however, had been packing a month and a half prior to the move. What was my moving mentality: a little at a time. That is exactly what it looks like to move with children: a little at a time. What ever you calculate as to how long it normally would take you to pack all of your belongings - take that and multiply it by five. It will literally take you three times as long. Not only does that mean hours, but it also means weeks; if you normally could have packed in one week, take that week and multiply it by five. Either way, if you take the hours or the weeks, you need to give yourself lots of extra time. You will not be getting it all done in a day or a few days, back-to- back. (Yes, would it be possible if you had your kids staying with friends or family for a week - sure.) Another way to consider how to figure out your time management: Count every person in your family (Do you have a family of 2, 3,4, or more), think of all the things that each person has, how many boxes it will take, and go from there. How long does it take you to pack a box? How much furniture can you break down ahead of the time? What space or spaces can you begin to use to stack boxes? For space maximization, stack similar boxes together so that when it comes to moving day, you can easily access them with a dolly. Think of how you need to have things stacked (heavy verses light) when it comes time to putting them into the moving van/truck. In other words, do not put all of your stuff in a big pile and think that you are well organized; IT WILL TAKE EXTRA WORK JUST TO REORGANIZE YOUR PILE ONCE IT IS TIME TO TRANSPORT IT TO THE TRUCK.

Another thought: BE GRACIOUS TO YOURSELF AND THE CHILDREN. More than boxes being packed and furniture being broken down and address being changed and friends being notified - more than all of that are the EMOTIONS OF MOVING. Be ready to cry more and hug more and talk more about what is going on. The children are feeling it all too. Stay connected as a family. Support each other and listen when needed. Remember: LOVE is above all and in all and helps us through it all. LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS. Love endures; God endures.

An idea: As you pack up and prepare for the move, take a walk through memory lane. Visit favorite places that you spent lots of time. For us that meant the nearby park and pool. We also took a walk to the grocery store that we often walked to and got a treat.

One more thought: Hold fast to God. He is your Shepherd. He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. Cling to Him and He will see you through it all.