There are few experiences more memorable for a child than a family move into a new house—whether it’s a home within the same town or city, long-distance, cross-country, or international relocation. Kids tend to remember these experiences far more than others, and understandably so, as a relocation always represents big changes and new beginnings. Because moving presents such a huge impact for a child, the decisions that the parents make in relation to the move will more than likely be remembered by your children for years to come, if not forever.

To add to the pressure, residential relocation is notoriously difficult under the best of circumstances. Add in children and a family move, and the potential for a disaster becomes very real—unless you have the time, patience, resources, and professional help to deal with it.

At Covan Worldwide Moving, we’ve been one of the biggest names in the international moving industry since our beginnings in 1914. Our dedicated, professional moving team is proud to offer superior relocation solutions based on over a century of experience, and we’re always ready to share our expert advice on how to make relocation a positive experience for the entire family to cherish forever. To help you plan a successful move with your kids, take a look at these tips from Covan Worldwide Moving to start planning and organizing your family’s next big life transition.

Stay Cool, Calm, and Compassionate—From Start to Finish

Your kids might have concerns about moving, or feel emotionally upset about the change. From the moment you break the news to the family about the move, to the weeks that follow as you begin packing up your belongings, patience and compassion will be the key to creating a smooth process for the children to enjoy. As they say, the best leaders lead by example, and it’s important to be sympathetic to their feelings, while demonstrating cool confidence and composure as you direct your family throughout the move. Your demeanor will set the tone for the entire process and will all but guarantee that the move is a positive experience for them.

This is especially true on moving day. Moving can become quite hectic, but carefully planning the weeks that precede your relocation can make the actual moving day a whole lot easier. One way to ensure a much less stressful experience is to hire professional movers to help you orchestrate your move for you. If you really need help, find movers that offer full-service options for a hands-free, hassle-free move that allows you to concentrate all of your energy on your family.

Lighten the Load

Another key to a seriously stress-free move is lightening your load, wherever you can. The more you take, the more you’ll have to deal with. So use this opportunity to weed out your belongings and to separate the things you really need from the rest.

Families with kids tend to accumulate plenty of unused or unwanted items, from clothing that’s become too small, to books, toys, and other items that have outlasted their appeal or use. As a rule of thumb, donate, sell, or throw away anything you haven’t used in a year to lighten the load before your move.

Start Gathering Packing Materials Early

On average, a single bedroom will require at least ten or twelve small-sized boxes, eight to ten medium-sized boxes, and seven to ten large-sized boxes to pack up completely. This figure will range wildly according to a number of factors, but the idea here is that you’re going to need a lot of boxes to pack up your family’s belongings.

Start gathering packing supplies as soon as you find out you’re moving, and get picky with the boxes you do collect. Your moving boxes need to be high-quality, sturdy, and reliable, so leave the flimsy, dirty, used boxes you find in alleys or around grocery store bins to recycling. Instead, stick to moving boxes from your movers, or ask around for high quality boxes you can use from friends. Sometimes, you can buy boxes from grocery stores or other commercial businesses in your area, so make sure to ask around and start early to get a sufficient supply of boxes before you need them.

Make Packing Fun

Packing is not what most people would consider “fun”. However, you can make anything fun, as long as you have the right attitude about it. Get the kids excited with a packing party. Order a pizza, play some music, and give each of the kids a task to complete before a certain time. Keep the mood light and merry, and your kids will be sure to look back and remember these moments fondly.

Hire Professional Movers

As we mentioned earlier, hiring professional movers to help you ease your family through the process of moving can be the best way to create the perfect experience for your children. Relocating with a family can be hard, but full-service movers can mean the difference between a hectic move and an enjoyable one.

If you’d like to find out more about our team at Covan Worldwide Moving and the moving services we provide for residential, commercial, corporate relocation, and other types of moving projects, give us a call to speak with one of our representatives for details. You can also get started now with a free, in-home pricing estimate for our services by filling out our online form.