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Moving to Another State with Kids

stay organized with a printable moving checklist Middle Class Dad man carrying 3 moving boxes with a checklist and pen

If you’re planning a long-distance move, it’s important to look into professional long distance moving companies to make sure everything goes smoothly.

However, you may also be nervous about the challenges ahead of you. Moving cross-country is never easy, and it can be more difficult if you have kids. These tips for moving to another state with kids can help you to have a better moving experience.

Take The Time To Prepare Your Kids

Moving to a brand-new state can be a huge adjustment for anyone.

It can be especially challenging for children, particularly if they’ve lived in the same place for their entire lives. That’s why you should make a point of talking to your children about your upcoming move. If you start having conversations about the move now, you’ll be able to answer questions and make it easier for them to adjust.

Kids often become frightened when they don’t know what’s going to happen next. That’s why you should aim to explain the move in an age-appropriate way.

Tell your children why you’re going to be moving and where you’re going to be moving. If you’ve already purchased a new home, you can show them pictures. You can find places in your new area, such as a local ice cream parlor, and talk about visiting these locations.

This is a big transition, and your kids may struggle even if you work hard to prepare them. With that said, having open discussions with your kids — and giving your children a chance to say goodbye to the friends and places they love back home — can make the process a lot easier.

Have A System In Place For Packing

It’s not easy to stay organized when you’re packing for a big move, and it can be even harder when there are kids involved. Your children may ask to play with a toy after it’s been packed up. You may find yourself packing, unpacking, and repacking boxes, which can take a lot of time.

To avoid this problem, have a system in place for packing.

Give your child a backpack or suitcase that they can fill with the items they want to keep. Make sure you pay a few changes of clothing, pajamas, and toiletries as well. Let your child choose which toys they want to keep with them during the packing process. Everything else can be put away.

Work With Movers

Moving to another state with kids in tow is incredibly difficult, so you shouldn’t try to do it on your own. Instead, it would help if you worked with experienced moving companies for long distance moves with kids. If you partner with movers, you’ll get plenty of support, which means you’ll spend more time focusing on your kids.

There are plenty of specialized moving companies for long distance moves, and working with movers is more affordable than you might think. Call moving companies in your area if you’d like to find out more. Once you have a few price quotes and a little more information, you can decide how you’d like to proceed.

Plan Out Your Route Carefully

You’re going to have to stop many times when you’re on the road.

Your children will likely need to use the bathroom frequently, which is why you’ll want to make plenty of pit stops. You’ll also need to stop for food and give everyone in the car a chance to stretch their legs.

Take the time to plan the right route for your move, ensuring that you won’t have to go too long without making a stop. Check to see how many rest stops there are on your route. Look at the restaurants you’ll be passing so that you can find the best places to stop. If you plan out your route ahead of time, you can make sure you won’t be stuck on a long road without a place to stop.

Find Ways To Keep Kids Entertained As You Drive

Long car rides are hard on anyone, and they can be even harder when you have kids in the car. While there’s no way to prevent whining and bickering completely, you can do plenty of things to make sure your kids stay entertained when you’re on the road.

Purchase a few new toys and activities ahead of your trip. For example, you could buy activity books, magnetic games, or fun online games such as Tic Tac Toe. Don’t let your children see these things until after you’re in the car. Your children will be eager to play with these new things. It could be enough to provide hours of distraction.

Give Your Family Time To Settle In

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you’ll want to make sure your family has some time to adjust before returning to your normal routine.

Prioritize unpacking your children’s rooms so that your new place will start to feel like home. Go out and explore the town. Visit a playground so that your children have a chance to make some new friends.

After preparing for a move and dealing with a long drive, your kids could likely use a break. If you move during the school year, you might want to give your kids a few days off so that they have time to adjust properly. Giving yourself a little bit of extra time will also make it easier for you to finish unpacking.

Jeff Campbell