(This is a post by Sara Stringer)
Last year my husband and I came into some money and decided to buy a bigger house. We were lucky in that we got a good deal on a four-bedroom in a great school district with a deck that went on for miles, and enough yard for our two kids and two dogs to grow and thrive.
We were doubly lucky because the new house needed work – the kitchens and baths were outdated, that glorious deck was missing several seasons of maintenance, and someone had the bright idea to put a giant, heart-shaped, cinderblock planter in the front yard – and we had enough of a financial cushion to stay in the old house while we remodeled the new one.
Once the remodel was complete, we started moving little things over and preparing the high-traffic areas, like the kitchen and living room. We even bought some new bedroom furniture and had it installed in the new place, so we could just fall into bed on our first night.
Even though we did a lot of things in advance, we still needed a lot of help moving on the big day. Not only did we need people to load the trucks and help us get everything into the new house, we also needed to make the move as comfortable as possible for the kids and the dogs.
Get Them to a Separate Place
Ideally, you should get your kids and pets out of the house while all the moving is going on. All the activity surrounding moving can be very stressful for pets and small children. Also, pets can easily get lost in the fray — in fact, one in ten pets go missing during moves.
When we moved, we had the kids stay with their grandparents, and we moved the dogs to a pet hotel. Once we had finished loading and moving everything to the new place, we brought the kids over and picked up the dogs the next day.
If sending your kids and/or pets to a separate location isn’t in the cards, you can try one or more of the following:
· Scope out a quiet and secure place in your new home and put the pets there with things that smell like home, like couch cushions and blankets. Be sure to include food, water, a litter box and pee pads. Make sure the door closes. You should walk the dogs before you move them over. If they are crate trained, they can stay in their crates.
· Give your kids a quiet area at both places, with entertainment and snacks, and as far away as possible from all the activity.
· Of course, if the kids are old enough, you can also have them help out.
Have a Campout at the New Place
Some kids and pets may feel uncomfortable, and even frightened, of the new place with its unfamiliar sounds and smells. We moved from a two bedroom to a four bedroom, which means our kids suddenly had their own rooms. While they were happy for the privacy, they were also freaked out about sleeping alone.
Rather than have everyone spend the night in separate rooms, we had a campout in the master bedroom, the dogs included, so that everyone could get comfortable in the new place.
After the first couple of nights “camping,” and days exploring the new place, the kids were ready to sleep in their own beds.
Forget About Cooking
Our newly-remodeled kitchen was ready to go when we moved in, we even had all of our pots and utensils in place… unfortunately we neglected to stock the fridge. Heck, even if we had stocked it, we would have been too exhausted to even think about preparing meals, let alone do it.
Moving is an excellent time to familiarize yourself with the restaurants in your new neighborhood, and give yourself permission to eat “fun” food.
Once you have given yourself a few days to get settled, you can then get back to your normal meal routine.
*** Note: this is a sponsored post and was written by another party not affiliated with Making Memories With Your Kids. ***
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