One of the biggest challenges of a cross-country move is the fact that you have to keep kids occupied while moving. Even though the little rascals bring a tremendous amount of joy into our lives, they require a lot of attention. However, when you are moving to Seattle from Los Angeles you have to focus much of your attention on organizing the move properly. Therefore, you have to find a way to keep your kids occupied during that move. If you don’t, the whole process will be much more stressful and much harder to organize. That said, in this article, we are going to give you some of the best ways to keep your kids occupied while moving. So, without further ado, let’s see what you can do!
By far the best way to keep kids occupied while moving is to let them participate in the preparation
Even though you can’t expect them to contribute as much as professional movers Los Angeles, they can do quite a bit. First of all, you can task them with preparing their own room for the move. And the way you want to go about that is to try and present it to them as a game. Depending on the age of your kids, you can adjust your approach. So, if your kids are younger, maybe create a scoreboard and award points for every well-done task. This method has the added benefit of alleviating much of the stress that children experience when it comes to the whole relocation process. It is also a great way to keep kids occupied while moving.
At first glance, this might seem like a big hassle to prepare and lay out the “game rules”, trust us when we say that it’s going to pay off. After all, you have to manage to keep an eye on them while preparing for the move. So, having them helping you by preparing their own stuff will greatly accelerate the process. That said, you don’t have to do anything fancy. The aforementioned game plan should be as simple as possible. Also, it’s a great way to keep track of the progress. So, don’t hesitate to try it out!
Another great way to keep them occupied is to have them spend time with their friends
Remember that we mentioned the stress children experience when moving? Most of that stress stems from the fact that they are leaving their friends behind. Because of that, it’s a good idea to have them spend time with all of their friends. In the meantime, you can peacefully prepare for the move. That said, there are multiple options that you can utilize here:
- Let them sleepover at a friend’s home
- Have them plan a farewell party with their friends
- Let them go on playdates as much as possible
All of these are equally viable. So, the choice is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that children are much more fragile than adults. While adults often regard moving as just another part of life, children may feel like their whole world is crashing in on itself. Therefore, it’s very important that they have a chance to spend as much of their time as possible with their friends. This is also a fantastic way for them to say goodbye.
In the meantime, while they are busy playing with their friends, you can peacefully prepare your belongings for the move. That said, it might be a good idea to check out Dupont WA storage, just in case there are certain items that you don’t need to have at hand. It is also a great way to deal with your kids’ old toys with which they don’t play anymore. Rather than throwing them away, you can safely store them. So, it’s a win-win situation.
Another option to keep kids occupied while moving is to send them to their grandparents
After they said goodbye to their friends, you can simply send your kids off to their grandparents. Of course, grandma and grandpa are going to love spending time with their grandchildren. Additionally, they can talk to the kids about the move and comfort them about it while you are preparing everything for the relocation. Also, there is the option of signing up for special moving services which give you the opportunity to have professionals pack up everything that needs to be moved. This is important because it allows you to go with your kids to your parents and spend a couple of days there while the moving chores are being taken care of. If you haven’t already, seriously consider this option. It’s great, both for you and your kids.
Some important things to keep in mind
Aside from the effort to keep kids occupied while moving, you have to think about making the transition as seamless as possible. That said, there are a few key things you have to always keep in mind. These include:
- Taking time to talk to your kids
- Letting them know that you are there for them
- Acknowledging their concerns and fears
- Showing them the bright side of moving
These might seem like time-consuming activities. And while that is true, the impact they can have on your kids is unmeasurable. The more time you take to talk to your kids, the higher the chance that they will gladly accept the move. Also, if they know that they can talk to you and that you are there for them, it’s much more likely that they will experience less stress. Furthermore, if you don’t dismiss their concerns and fears, they will more easily fit into the new environment. And the chances of post-moving depression become significantly lower. Lastly, if you try and show them the bright side of moving, you can expect that both you and your kids will be quite happy with the relocation.
Final words
We hope that this article was helpful and that after reading it you’ll be able to easily keep kids occupied while moving. Good luck with the move and we hope you learned something new today!