Moving cross country with a family has its benefits, as it has its drawbacks. The old days are gone when you could decide to move anywhere you want at a moment’s notice. Now, you cannot do that. You have obligations. Friends and family members to take care of. That’s why we say that, while having a family is one of the best things (if not the best thing) that can happen to you, it has some disadvantages. Relocation is one of them. Get ready for stress, sweat, sleepless nights and early mornings, cause that’s what moving with your family is all about. Or is it? We say nay, there is another way! That’s why we at cross country movers NJ, decided to compile a list of all the best tips that will help your family move cross country!
It’s time to prepare!
Well, first thing first. You need to prepare all your family members for the move. And we do not mean on a technical level, we mean on an emotional level. Especially your children. It’s time for the talk. Humans, in general, but children more specifically, are creatures of habit. So, talking to them about moving is the best way to break the stress. Try to boil the whole moving process to a T. Make sure they understand everything. Tell them the truth, or at least do not lie to them. This will help them deal with the uncertainty of the moving process.
- In general, this rule applies to any of your housemates. Talking to your partner and friends about relocation is a must. At the end of the day, it will help you better cope with the thought of moving if nothing else.
Moving cross country with family – get packing!
The survival bag
Right, so before we go in-depth on how you should pack we recommend that you start packing with the following thought in mind – what cannot I live without? A few thoughts should pop into your head. Jot them down. After that is done, you have unbeknownst to you, created your survival bag! What is a survival bag we hear you asking? Well, these are all the things you might need the first night you come to your home. The things that will keep you sane, you know? For example, the favorite toy of your kid, earplugs, laptop for work, etc.
What should I pack?
This should leave a huge list of things that are not packed, and that need to get placed into moving boxes. Great! However, while there are methods out there for packing these items, what we recommend is that you check out moving services NJ for the best deals in town. Because it’s always smarter to hire professional movers and packers, so you won’t have to deal with the stress of moving boxes.
- What if I don’t want to hire professional movers? It is a question we hear often. People do not want to spend money on something they can do themselves. And while it’s hard to explain to people that hiring professional movers is more a necessity than an obligatory thing, some people just like to do things by themselves. So if you fit into that category what we recommend you do is to try and pack things using some of the packing methods we have written about. For example, you can save space when packing clothes by wrapping your belts around the collar of some of your shirts!
Plan ahead
The army said that when planning, and packing always to have in mind a quote – two is one and one is none. What does this mean? Well, when you are formulating a plan always make sure you plan for contingencies, and always have a backup plan. So make sure you have everything planned out, and make sure you have also taken into account all the things that can go wrong, so once they do go wrong you are prepared for them! Make planned bathroom breaks, book your hotels, and always have some extra cash on you.
Be prepared for anything.
Make sure you have a first aid kit in the car, make sure you have medical records and insurance policies on hand. Carry a secondary mobile phone that has all the emergency contact numbers printed on a piece of paper and that is pinned on the phone. Plan for the worst, so you can enjoy the best the trip has to offer.
- the “fun with kids” bag. Another thing you might want to prepare is a bag with all the kid’s toys, coloring books, and games. This will make the screaming of children in your car a less likely scenario (however we cannot promise that will not happen… Okay, in all honesty, it’s probably going to happen nonetheless). If you run out of options, “21 questions” and “I spy with my little eye” is always a good game to play with your kids. Here’s a list of all the awesome questions you can ask them!
Moving cross country with family – settling in
The best advice we can give you when you start unpacking all the things in your new home and start settling in is to include your kids in the unpacking process. Start from their rooms. Then work your way up to the kitchen and from then on… Its everyone’s game on what you will do next. There is a lot of things you can do when settling in. However, we recommend that you make yourself a hot cup of coffee, and a cup of chocolate for your kids, pat yourself on the back, sit back and soak up in all the hard work you put into making your dreams become a reality.