The idea of moving with kids out of state can seem challenging and stressful at first, but it all depends on your approach. Relocating with a teen isn’t the same as with a baby, but these situations have one thing in common – your state of mind. Don’t be afraid to relocate with your offspring, but read some tips on doing it fearlessly and organizing well.
What to consider when moving with children? You’ll have to think about changing schools, checking neighborhood safety, having a generous relocation budget, and whether you’d prefer to hire an auto transport company or drive to the new home. Besides these things, consider your kids’ reaction – if they have a tight friend circle or a well-established routine with extracurricular activities, how will they handle these fundamental changes? Whatever your reasons to move, your child will need a lot of help with understanding them.
Moving out of state with children can be turned into a full-blown adventure. If your child is just developing their imagination, it could be as easy as letting them draw on the boxes and pack their toys. What it wouldn’t be is making it a priority to move a motorcycle and pack as if you’re relocating to another state alone. It’s important to consider everyone’s feelings when the decision to move is made, which could be the most difficult of tasks in many situations.
Can you relocate with your child a few weeks after it is born? You can, but there’s a lot to go over and consider in such a situation. If you don’t get enough sleep with the baby, that leaves some room for mistakes, from possibly falling for relocation scams to not packing essentials for yours or the baby’s survival (but who could forget so many diapers, huh?)
If you have a newborn or a months-old baby, hire a babysitter or ask someone close to you to watch it. It’s not precisely a relocation hack; more like common sense. Either way, it could be easy to forget. When you ask a friend or family member for help, this will give you time to organize and positively impact your relationship with the person.
Being trusted with a child isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s at least one mom, auntie, or best friend that would love to be a part of the process. Asking for assistance isn’t admitting that you and your partner are bad parents. Moreover, it will make you even better at parenting because you’ll have time and space to pack and arrange everything and fully dedicate yourselves to the baby later on.
If you plan to move with youngsters older than toddler age or teenagers, you could be in for a rollercoaster. No shade to teens, but we all remember the time when our friends and daydreams were our entire world – going to school with the besties, saying hi to our crush and plotting to be their one true love, daydreaming about being the regional superstar, and alike.
How would you have felt if your parents suddenly told you you’re relocating across the state to Houston, where it’s always hot and no one famous, ever, emerged from? Well, firstly, Beyonce would beg to differ, but this is about your kid. You would have felt terrible about your parents’ decision, so logically your kid might, too. That’s why telling them on time and involving them in some decisions would be great steps to redemption.
When we say involve them in decision making, though, we don’t mean some lame stuff like should you ship your car with open auto transport or go the extra mile and get enclosed auto transport, but more in decisions such as the sort of neighborhood they’d like to live in, packing their things and planning which school to transfer to.
Not every family has both parents present, but if yours does, you and your partner should discuss the upcoming change with the little ones together. That way, they won’t associate just one parent with the decision and complain to the other parent when things don’t go as they wish. It’s like asking mom for an allowance because dad always says no. If you want to avoid favoritism among the youngsters, be firm in telling them the decision together.
Of course, if you are the only parent, you could give the little ones your decision alone or with someone close who always helps the family, such as a grandparent, friend, or uncle/aunt. If you desire to relocate but aren’t sure where to start, you can discuss it with the youngsters, do a where should I move quiz together, and plan the entire ordeal with them.
If you own an RV, you could take the youngsters on an adventure several weeks before relocating. It could be nice to take a trip together, see the new destination and get a chance to say goodbye to the old one. In the meantime, it’d be good to discuss how they could make friends in a new city and, even better, keep in touch with old ones.
There’s no doubt that every family member will get hit with some form of depression after relocating. We’re not saying this to be pessimistic, but to let you know in advance that whatever bad feelings come up after the move, they’re normal. Change is difficult to process, and our brains and bodies do their best at any given moment.
This depression is the reason to prepare well for relocating, which includes being sure about your kid’s school and the neighborhood where you wish to live. People who move without a kid tend to forget these things, but choosing the right community is vital. Young families know the importance of a safe area and a high-quality school.
If you discuss these things with the young ones, they’ll be more acquainted with your intentions to relocate and may be able to choose how to organize their after-school activities. Find them a chance to do their favorite things after relocating, so they don’t feel left out; maybe the new area will have something the old home didn’t. These could be some of the best solutions for how do you move states with kids.
Letting the little ones pack their belongings alone may not be the first thing on your mind when you consider how to move with kids. However, this kind of task requires your kid to become more independent and responsible. When they see how relocating to a new home is no simple task, they may appreciate your hard work a bit more. They may also not see that side of the coin and just complain the entire time, but it’s the possibility that counts.
You can read some packaging tips together and establish a system. Giving your kid ideas about labeling boxes, stacking their plush toys and Legos into containers, and letting them choose their outfits to pack won’t just make them feel great about going to a new house. It’ll make your work around packaging and relocating a whole lot easier. Of course, we’d do everything for our offspring, but what’s wrong with combining the good for them with the good for us?
We mentioned how recruiting your kid to pack is a way to move efficiently, but choosing to relocate to a new state isn’t as easy as that. They’ll likely hit a wall while getting the house ready for relocation, but (hopefully) not literally. It’s alright to give them space to be independent and accountable, but if they need assistance and ask for it, you should provide it. This is another instance of being able to make your kid feel involved in the move.
If you need ways to pack together with your little ones, you can watch the video below. The mom in it explains how she organizes to pack with her sons and daughter and provides some helpful packaging list templates.
After figuring out how does moving house affect a child and how to help yours feel better about the change, consider how you can get them to participate on relocation day. With all hands on deck, the move will be easier to handle and perform, but it’s more than apparent that your little ones aren’t there to do any heavy lifting or pack very fragile items.
Allow them to package clothes, toys, towels, linens, and anything else that isn’t breakable or packed in a specific way. Maybe your partner can take them for a ride to donate unwanted items together, or if you have pets, they could keep the furry family members occupied while all the boxes get moved out.
If you hire a USA auto transport company, let the youngsters observe how to prepare a car for shipping and teach them what it means to tip movers and generally tip anyone who provides a service. Any moment of the move could be educational in some form, and it’ll keep them busy for a bit.
Our recommendation is to save on relocation costs and hire an auto transport company. Suppose your kid isn’t taking the news of relocating that well and they try to throw temper tantrums along the way. In that case, avoid traveling by car and the driving stress. If they’re angry, you’ll get angry, and it’s easier to engage in road rage in those situations.
Additionally, it’s simply not a great idea to drive across the country because you and the car could suffer from exhaustion. Combine that with the entire family getting cranky during the trip, and you’ll hit the jackpot of stressful situations. The benefits of car shipping outweigh the disadvantages. You’ll also have more time to dedicate to your babies and encourage them to keep an open mind when it comes to relocating.
Micromanaging and controlling your children’s behavior may be a coping mechanism for you, but for them, it’s just a sign of misunderstanding on your part. If you simply let go and allow them to feel everything while simultaneously offering to help and listen, it may turn out for the better. Moving with children can be challenging, but only if they’re completely against it, or you keep getting into conflict with them about it.
Next to letting the wave of negative feelings pass, you should be treating them as your equals in this matter. While they are smaller, younger, and, ultimately, your children, it doesn’t mean you should sugarcoat the process or ignore their questions and emotions. Speak to them as you would to an adult and let them take part as much as they can.
Being on your children’s good side is a desirable outcome in this situation, and that’s one of our main tips for moving with kids. After becoming friends with them again, start finalizing the move by deciding whether to get door-to-door auto transport or consider terminal-to-terminal car shipping.
