Moving with Kids? Here’s How to Make It Stress-Free and Cheap in Virginia

Whether you have a baby or a toddler, a pre-teen, teen, or tween, moving with kids can be stressful. Or, it can be a chill and smooth experience. There really isn’t a “right” or “wrong” age for kids to move, however, how easily things go depends not so much on the child or children themselves but on how you go about the whole process.

To that end, here are our five tips for moving with kids in Virginia in a stress-free, easy, and cheap way.

1. Be clear and open with your kids about the move

Kids can get easily stressed in unfamiliar and stressful situations. However, what makes most situations “stressful” for kids isn’t the work involved, the discomfort of it all, or the change, but the lack of transparency and the various unknowns.

This is why kids often freak out in situations that aren’t really stressful at all, just because they feel uncertain of what is happening, what it means for the future, and so on. Fortunately, there is a way to solve this problem by just being open and clear with your kids about what’s happening.

This means not just explaining them that you’d be moving, but also addressing all the many questions and concerns they will usually raise. By answering all the Why’s and What Next’s your kids have, you will give them the peace of mind this whole endeavor really isn’t as stressful as it seems at first glance.

2. Get your children involved in the whole endeavor

Giving your kids things to do when moving is a great way to get them to feel in control of what’s happening and not as “victims” of something that’s happening to them. This isn’t just important as a way to keep them busy, it gives them a feeling of control and calmness that greatly reduces the stress they are going to feel about the whole thing and by extension, the stress they are going to bring upon you.

3. Get professional help for most of the heavy lifting

Moving can be difficult with or without kids, especially if you are moving somewhere far away and/or if you have lots of stuff to move with you. This can be especially stressful on you and your children, and it can make it difficult for you to give your kids the attention, care, and calmness they need.

That’s why it’s usually best to just hire help for the major heavy lifting part of the process, such as moving desks, tables, beds, and other stuff. Hiring the right movers is usually the most stress free and cheap way to go about it, as a minor fee can save you multiple days of work, packaging, carrying, and transportation, all the while trying to manage your kids too.

4. Ask your kids for input, ideas, and their needs

Another way to get your children involved is to not just delegate tasks to them but to actively ask them about their opinions, ideas, and needs. Obviously, this doesn’t mean modifying your plans for the move on their every whim, as it’s very likely that one of the first “ideas” you get is “I don’t want to move!”

However, with a bit of patience and the right approach, you will always get to numerous other ideas and input your kids have that you can work with and that would make the experience much better for them. This doesn’t just make things more convenient for them, it makes your kids even more involved into the whole thing, as it makes part of it quite literally your kids’ idea.

5. Do a recon trip with your kids first

An easy way to get rid of your kids’ fear of the unknown is to just take them on the recon trip to your new place. Instead of going alone with your spouse, you can just take your kids with you so they can see where it is you’d be moving.

There is always the risk that they aren’t all too fond of the new place, of course, but you can manage that with the right communication and get them as hyped for their future home as possible. More importantly, when you get to the actual move, your kids will have much few questions and fears, as they will know exactly what’s happening and where they are going.