Moving with kids? 5 sanity-saving tips

If you’re moving home, you’re probably already stressed just thinking about the endless list of tasks you need to complete. But if you have kids, this can complicate things even further. Not only are there extra people’s things and needs to consider, moving can be unsettling for children.

Luckily, there are some simple ways you can make the process smoother.

Make the move day as smooth as possible

With so much to do and heavy furniture being moved around, it’s probably best to organise someone to look after your children on the day of the move, at least for the bulk of the day.

Before they arrive at the new home, it’s a good idea to have at least some of your child’s room set up, so they feel like they have their own space, and can be reassured by their favourite things.

Make sure you have the broadband sorted before you move in. No matter how organised you are, streaming an episode of their favourite show or allowing them to play a favourite game is a great way to get some peace and quiet to unpack the essentials. Moving home is the perfect time to make the switch to better broadband, and Virgin Media broadband has 99.9 per cent broadband reliability and ultra-fast speeds.

Involve them where you can

This very much depends on the age of your child, but by involving them wherever possible in the moving process, they’re much less likely to react against feeling totally powerless, or a sense of shock at suddenly moving with no warning. For many children, their current home will be the only one they can remember, so leaving it can be a scary prospect.

Bring them to view potential homes, talk about why and where you might move to and the exciting things you can do once you get there. Visit the area you want to move to and create some new favourite spots.

Allowing children to pick their own bedroom or what colour it’s going to be painted can also go a long way to helping them feel like the move isn’t something that has just been forced upon them.

Say goodbye

Even if you’re not moving far, saying goodbye – to the house, to neighbours, to local places you visit – can help children process the move. It doesn’t have to be a forever goodbye, but an acknowledgement that although you may not see these people and places as often anymore, they’ll still be able to visit, can be comforting.

Stick to their routine

There will inevitably be some disruption on the day of the move, but do your best to keep their routine intact as much as possible, whether that’s all eating breakfast together or having a specific chair you read them a story on before bed.

Having some consistency amongst the change will help avoid children becoming overwhelmed by the process, and help the new space quickly feel like home.

Keep essentials to hand

You know best what your own child’s essentials are, but whatever they may be, make sure they are not at the bottom of an unlabelled box or there’ll be tears on all sides.

Favourite toys and games, feeding equipment for babies from bottle sterilisers to high chairs, an absolute favourite snack, or a blanket they can’t sleep without – whatever it is, pack it somewhere easy to access and clearly labelled, or let older children have their own little bag of things they want to keep with them.

To find out more about Virgin Media broadband, visit virginmedia.ie.