How to keep kids occupied while moving

Children are kind of amazing. They will often surprise you with how smart and creative they are. Not to mention that their constant positivity and desire to help are pretty impressive. But you can’t really count on kids being very helpful during relocation. In fact, more often than not, moving with children is much harder than moving without them. Instead of leaving things to chance and hoping your kids are on their best behavior during the move, you should prepare to keep kids occupied while moving. If they’re too busy with something else, they won’t get in the way of the best movers NJ doing their job! So what can you do to distract them?

Why is it a good idea to keep kids occupied while moving?

You may think that there is no need to keep your children occupied during the move because they are polite and well mannered so they won’t be a problem to have around on moving day. But even the best-behaved children are usually better off playing while local movers NJ do their job. In many cases, this is a question of safety. When you have people carrying heavy boxes and bulky furniture around, even a second of distraction is enough to cause serious damage. If one of your kids runs out in front of movers carrying your sofa, there’s a good chance someone will get injured. If not, then your property might be damaged. Either way, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The other big thing to keep in mind is your children’s mental well-being. Children are often not good with big changes like relocation. Instead of stressing them out further by keeping them in the middle of all the chaos of moving day, it’s better to let them do something they enjoy and keep them out of the way to spare them the anxiety.

Are there certain ages you should be more concerned about?

Children of all ages could benefit from being distracted during relocation. However, the importance of this and the different strategies will change with different age groups. If you have teenagers, for example, you may be able to rely on them for some help rather than simply keeping them away. If you have an infant or a toddler, on the other hand, you will likely need to have someone keep a near-constant eye on them. This leaves the age group of approximately 3-12: children who are not quite old enough to help more than hindrance but not quite young enough to need much supervision. If your child is in this age group, you definitely want to consider keeping them occupied during a move.

What can you do to keep kids occupied while moving?

There are different ways to keep kids occupied while moving. Not all strategies will work for all children. If you have more than one child, you’ll have to consider the personalities and interests of all your children when planning for a way to keep them distracted during relocation. The most important thing to do is to adapt to your child’s individual needs and wants.

Have somebody else take care of the children during the busiest times

One of the easiest ways to keep kids occupied while moving is to let someone else do it for you. While you are busy packing and dealing with movers, you can’t keep an eye on your children as well. So why not have a family member or trusted friend do it for you? Your children will be distracted and observed while you are free to do what you need to do. If you don’t have anyone you can trust with, hire professional help! Babysitters can be life-savers during relocation. And the best part is that this solution works for children of pretty much all ages.

Create a moving day kit for your kids

You mustn’t forget that moving doesn’t just end with movers leaving your home. You’ll still need to get to your new address yourself. This part can be pretty boring for kids, especially if you’re moving long-distance. Regardless of whether you are driving or flying to your new home, you’ll want to keep your kids occupied during the trip. Obviously, something portable is the way to go. Books and comics, music, board games or video games on portable devices like phones and tablets are all good options.

Cater to your children’s interests

All children are different. If you want to keep your kids occupied while moving, you’ll need to know what they’re into. This will greatly help you prepare different things for them to do during the relocation. If they like to read, for example, make sure you have a couple of interesting books lying around. If they have a favorite toy, don’t put it in the NJ storage unit along with everything else. Or maybe they prefer to escape into the virtual world; in that case, make sure your batteries are charged!

Alternative solution: include kids in the move

You should never make your children feel excluded. Instead, you should warn them about the relocation in advance, talk to them about what is going to happen, let them voice their opinions. For many children, this is as much as they want to do. But even though distraction is a great technique for most children, some of them prefer to be involved in the entire moving process. If your kids would like to participate, there are plenty of things children can do during relocation. You can have them pack their own rooms, label boxes, help with the cleanup or any of a million other child-friendly tasks you’ll encounter while moving. It goes without saying, however, that this strategy is only appropriate for older kids.

Take good care of your kids during the relocation

Even if you keep kids occupied while moving, the relocation will surely affect them. This is important to bear in mind because moving can be stressful for children and cause anxiety or even depression. After all, they most likely won’t fully understand what is happening or why. Yet, you’ll be taking them away from a home they know, maybe even their school and friends. So make sure that you’re checking in on your kids’ physical and mental health regularly. Their well-being is the most important thing!