“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
Are you considering moving to a new residence? It might be in the same suburb or on the other hand, to a new state. The destination is not important. The move itself can be stressful and traumatic for everyone, especially children.
Therefore, here are eight tips to help your family cope with the whole moving process, from start to finish:
Choose an efficient removals company to partner with you
It is vital to choose Sydney’s best moving company to help you plan and execute a successful move. In turn, this will reduce your stress levels and filter down to your family; thereby, improving everyone’s quality of life during this nerve-wracking time.
Plan your move in detail
It is a well-known fact that chaos increases anxiety. Therefore, it is vital to execute a successful move is to plan it in detail, breaking down the move into individual actions with a deadline date for the completion of each point on the list.
Succinctly stated, as the quotation mentioned above by Confucius notes, breaking the moving mountain down into small actions. In practice, it is useful to use a spreadsheet or Gantt chart to your progress by setting up each action point and adding corresponding deadline date.
Set a final moving date as soon as possible
It is vital to finalise the actual date that your household possessions will be picked up by the removals company. As mentioned above, uncertainty can add to the already high-stress levels, especially for children. Therefore, the sooner you set the final date and communicate it to your family, the easier the moving process will be.
Keep your family informed of the progress
It is vital to keep your family members, including children up to date with progress made. Also, celebrate milestones achieved together. This will encourage family members to keep on working to make the move a success. And, it will also have the added benefit of reducing stress levels amongst family members.
Allow children to express their feelings
Much is made of the fact that moving is stressful, especially for children. Therefore, keep the lines of communication open so that your children understand that they can express their fears and anxieties about the move.
Reward children as time passes by
Make a paper chain (or representation) of the days leading up to the move and either remove each day from the chain or mark the days off on the calendar. Add in surprise rewards to make the moving experience positive and fun.
Sort out household and personal goods before packing them
As human beings, we tend to collect and hoard items if we might need them one day. Usually “one day” never arrives. Therefore, sort out all of your personal and household items like kitchen appliances into three piles: donate, throw away, and pack. Encourage children to take responsibility for sorting out their own possessions.
Furthermore, it is vital to remember that the most boxes and furniture that is moved, the higher the cost of the move. Therefore, to reduce costs, only pack and move essential items.
Procure proper packing materials
In order to pack dishes and glasses for moving (as well as sundry delicate items), it is vital to ensure that they are packed with enough packing materials to prevent breakages while your furniture is on route. Unfortunately, children do not cope with damage to their favourite items, and this will lead to stress and tears once you have arrived at your destination and are unpacking.
