5 Essential Tips for a Cross Country Move With Kids

There are a lot of complications when it comes to moving across the country to a new home. Although it’s an exciting time to start a new chapter in your life, it is also a stressful time since it involves so much work. This is complicated even further when you are trying to make the move with kids.

Kids need a lot of care even when you are trying to coordinate all these moving parts. You’ll have to try to find the time to make sure they are being taken care of at the same time. It pays off to know what to expect. In this article, we will cover a few of the ways you can pull off a cross-country move with your family.

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You may be tempted to try to save some money on car shipping and attempt to drive. It may also seem fun and an adventure for the whole family. The reality is that it is still going to cost a lot of money to make the drive. When you combine the high gas prices, tolls, wear and tear on your car, and even the hotels for overnight stays, the results are quite expensive.

There is also a safety issue when you drive long distances. You will be fatigued and could make some bad driving decisions that elevate the risk of an accident.

Shipping a car is not as expensive as you may think. There are many budget options so you are only paying slightly more than you would for a road trip across the country.

You can only do so much so it is natural to lean on others for help. Whether it is asking a friend to babysit so you can deal with the movers, or paying somebody to clean up the house you are moving out of, you will be glad to have one less thing on your to-do list.

There are a lot of options to have people take some of the load off of your shoulders. This frees up time that you can use to take care of things that need undivided attention. It doesn’t make sense to do the house cleaning yourself when somebody else can be doing it so you can focus on more important things.

There is going to be a lot of chaos happening all around the house. This can cause the kids a lot of anxiety because they will not understand why it is going on. Keeping them in a familiar place where they can play and relax is very important. This will prevent a lot of meltdowns that you will have to deal with when you need to focus elsewhere.

Have a room where they have their toys and a comfortable place to sit like a big bean bag chair. This will be their little oasis while the chaos is happening somewhere else.

As we mentioned before, the kids are going to get really anxious with all of the activity happening around the house. It is important to keep them busy so they are not left to their own imaginations.

There are a lot of ways you can keep them busy. You can get them involved in packing their own toys. You can also find a lot of great ideas online. Some parents will put together a little goodie bag with a few snacks, coloring books, and a few other things to keep them entertained.

No matter how much you plan, there is always the possibility that something will go wrong. It is important to be prepared for the worst. This means having a few backups in case something happens.

For example, you should have a few days’ worth of clothes and food in case the movers are delayed. You should also have a plan for where you are going to stay if there are any delays in getting into your new home.

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Making a cross country move is never easy. It is even more difficult when you are trying to do it with kids. By following these tips, you can make the process a lot less stressful.

Published in: Home advice | Author: Yanita