10 tips for moving to a new home with kids

A place you call your own a "HOME" and to set up your home along with kids is an exciting and time-consuming experience. Yes, you can do without the kids when moving house, but making them a part of it is important, as it is a transition phase for them too.

Moving house from one place to another was not that easy even though we were not moving to another country. Since we had no help to look after them, our children were ready to offer all the help they could while we were packing.

We started with a little bit every day a month ago, and we were busy packing and arranging everything into boxes. At the same time, we were going through an emotional phase of leaving our home of six years and many more memories we have built over the years in this house.

Even though it was a rented house, all these years we called it our home and fell in love with it at first sight. A high rise in the centre of the city in close proximity to everything -- and imagine yourself on the 36th floor!

Involving the kids

If you have kids, then do involve them while packing and moving house as it gives them the sense of a responsibility. My son was quite excited while packing that every day he would ask, "Do you want me to help?" The first thing he started on were books so that he wouldn't miss out on any.

Moving house is another good time to de-clutter. This was the time when we realised how much unwanted stuff is lying about.

Here are some of the key points that have helped me while moving house. There will be many more good tips which we can add to it to make a move an enjoyable and memorable experience.

1. Identify unnecessary stuff lying in your home. Trust me half of the things which goes to storage are the ones which we never open or use.
2. Donate those clothes, toys, bed-sheets, kitchen items which you have not used. Charity organisations even arrange for home pickup.
3. Don't take everything from your earlier home to the new one. Otherwise, you won't have any space in the new home too, as you will be tempted to buy new things.
4. Arrange or pack the boxes as per your needs. You can even tag the important ones like medicines, kitchen stuff and toiletries. Otherwise, you will be a bit lost in those umpteen boxes.
5. Make a separate box for school books and uniform if your kids have to start school immediately after a move.
6. Number your boxes so that it is easier to count and track.
7. Mark the boxes as fragile and/or Stretch wrap (similar to Cling wrap) them. Convey this to movers while moving the boxes.
8. Don't keep any important papers, valuable or cash in any of the boxes for moving. Better take a luggage and carry them along with you.
9. If you are not familiar with the new neighbourhood, better take some of the necessary grocery or household stuff along while moving.
10. Always write or label the boxes front facing rather than top as when you have 50 boxes in the house, all will be stacked and you won't get hold of one single box out of it.

Following the above points made moving house easy, except for when we were too tired. But still, we were dancing with joy.

Happy moving!