Moving is not something new to us. In fact, in the past 8 years, we have moved 6 times to 5 different states.
Yes. That much.
My son was born in Georgia over 7 years ago. My daughter was born on one of our returns to Georgia over 4 years ago. This past October, we added our third (and last) child to the family. Also, incidentally, in Georgia. Isn’t he sweet?
{For some reason, my husband does not seem inclined to return to Georgia. Huh.}
Anyway, amidst our many moves for my husband’s job, we have picked up a few tips along the way. Here are a few ways to make a move without (totally) losing your mind.
Get them involved
While leaving the entire move planning up to your children may not be the best idea, ask their opinion on where they want to stop along the way, where they might want to eat, or what they want to do to commemorate the occasion can help them feel as if they have a part in the process. Instead of feeling as they are simply BEING moved, they can feel as though they are also doing the moving. It has been our experience that a little bit of control goes a long way when moving a child around.
Talk about it
If I’ve learned anything over these years, it’s that communication is so important. Talk about what will be different, what will remain the same, and what you can do about the things that cause stress. This move was the toughest for my oldest since he had been cultivating genuine friendships. So, he gets to keep in touch with his closest friend through skype and email (through my account). They get to connect with each other but without it interfering with making new friends.
His other concern was where he was going to play soccer. So, we did our research online long before we were even sure which neighborhood we would end up in. The fact that we had some options in the different areas made my little organizer feel much better about everything.
Make Fun Bags
Okay, this one may be a bit of a bribe, but what can you do? Since our moves typically involve travel, we like to create fun bags with activities- books, coloring pages, easy crafts to do in the car, and (if you are taking them halfway across the country in a two-day road trip) a movie or video game. Making the event fun helps reinforce that there are positive things with the move.
Research the Area
My kids wanted to know where the closest chuck e. cheese was, how many playgrounds were nearby and if there was access to ice cream. So, I did some neighborhood searches that allowed them to see where these things were (and snuck in a few bonus locations, like the local library, schools, and walking trails). Once they felt confident that it wouldn’t be completely different from where we were, they were a lot more comfortable with the situation.
We’re still in the process of getting settled and all of the boxes unpacked, but I feel like we’re definitely making progress. Now, to tackle summer vacation…
What tips have you found that help during a move?
I'm Ashley, a mom of 3 forever on the move- quite literally! We have been in 5 times over the past 7 years, and we're getting ready to move once again. I run a digital marketing firm focusing on small business and startup social media from home with my business partner and am a tech junkie in love with the south. This blog is where I try to capture the pursuit of balancing it all. Emphasis on "pursuit". 
