Here are our tips for moving with a large family to keep things as organized and stress-free as possible.
Tips for Moving with a Large Family
Hold a discussion and hear everyone out
Once you have decided to move (or are thinking about moving), gather everyone together for a meeting and let them know why you want to move and what the benefits would be. Then, encourage everyone to share their honest opinions and thoughts on the idea. Create a non-judgmental space to hear everyone out so each family member feels safe to express their true feelings.
Be prepared to listen to any fears and concerns anyone has. If the move is optional, have a long discussion on the pros and cons and take everyone’s feelings into consideration. If the move has to happen, then hear out everyone’s concerns and do your best to ease them. Everyone deserves to have a voice in a matter that will affect each person in a big way.
Make everyone feel included
Moving is a big event in one’s life. Certain family members, especially the children, may be left with a feeling of powerlessness when the move is happening. It’s important that you make them feel as included as possible. The disruption of routine and their home life will already be a jarring experience, so getting them involved is a great way to make them feel more active and excited about it.
Ways to get everyone involved is by letting them pick out paint colors and décor for their rooms, letting them pack up their personal items, and staying focused on the positive aspects of moving to the new place such as the new activities they will get to enjoy.
Decide on the best time to make the move
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the right time to move, such as when school starts, when any new jobs start, any events and holidays coming up, when lease agreements end or when you can sell your home, etc. Take all of these factors into consideration. Put everything into a calendar and look for the best window of opportunity that will work for everyone involved.
Be clear on the plans and timeline
Having a clear plan and timeline is crucial to keeping a move from turning into a stressful experience. Take everyone’s schedule into account and set up a timeline that everyone can access. Make sure everyone knows what to expect day to day throughout the move so they can be prepared.
Of course, it’s also important to be flexible. Life can throw you curve balls, so build in a cushion in case anything unexpected comes up and be prepared to tweak your plans if necessary.
Keep it organized
Besides creating a timeline, it’s important to keep all other aspects of the move organized, as well. This means getting all of your supplies ahead of time (more than you think you’ll need), inventorying your items, clearly labeling boxes, and alerting all important people and establishments of your address change. If everyone remains organized, things will go a lot smoother and you’re less likely to run into issues along the way.
Click here for tips on how to keep a move organized.
Make it fun
It’s especially important to kids to make the move as fun as possible, but it’s important for the adults, as well. Moving can be a stressful time if you don’t focus on the positives and relax a little. Though there are a lot of “chores” involved in the process, there are ways to make it fun and exciting so that you actually enjoy it along the way. And by making it fun, everyone is a lot less likely to butt heads. We put together an entire post on how to make a move more fun – click here to read it.