Moving house is an exciting undertaking for the whole family. Your children will likely want to help out. To help keep them focused and safe during a move, try out these proven tips.
Make a Plan
When the moving boxes come out, make sure your child knows exactly what their job is. Let them sort their own belongings and encourage donating as much as possible to lighten the load. Assign a suitcase or backpack to your child so that they can pack a change of clothes, a towel and toiletries to make the first few days in your new home simpler. In shared areas, allow your child to keep out one game or movie, but pack up as many electronics as possible. Again, things at the back of the shelf that haven’t been used in a long time can be sold or donated. Help your child focus on moving only what they love into their new home for an exciting fresh start.
Know What They Can Do
Take care to assign your child tasks that they can handle. When it’s time to start stacking boxes or pulling things off of high shelves, step in and take over for a time. It’s too easy for your child to be hurt by falling objects or a tipping tower of cardboard. If your child takes a tumble or gets hit by something, carefully check all extremities and ask what hurts. For a bump on the head, monitor them for dizziness or confusion. In case of an emergency, you should know the signs of a serious head injury. Make it clear that children should ask an adult for help emptying out closets to reduce the chance of getting hurt.
Timers Make Things Fun
A simple way to help your children enjoy the packing process is to use a timer. You can use audiobooks or a favorite music CD as a timer to help everyone focus. Until the music stops, everybody packs. Present everyone with their own water bottle to make it feel like an at-home workout. Children love to help, but both kids and adults can get distracted and lose focus. While the music or book is playing, you and your children will get a surprising amount of packing done.
Moving as a family can be a challenge. However, with everyone fully informed of what their job is and when it needs to be done, you can create a successful moving plan that will include your whole clan.
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