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| My little helper! Carrying boxes. |
We recently moved HOME! YAY! We were living between 2 states for about a year now with my husbands job and we recently moved home (our original one) and we couldn't be happier about it! Hope these tips and tricks can help you with your move with toddlers!
Moving Tips and Tricks...
(with toddlers tagging along too!)
1- Clean House! You don't want to start packing with a messy house, even if you are planning to pack over a few weeks or however you plan to, it will make it easier and make you feel much more organized about the entire process. This especially applies to laundry, you will not want to pack half an outfit and not be able to find the other part of it later on when you are packing another box.
2- Get supplies together. (Nothing like getting started and having to stop to make a run for more tape, especially when it involves getting kiddos ready too, that's not always a "quick" trip)
-Tape (lots of TAPE)
-Large Sharpie Marker
-Newspapers
*They may leave a film on some dishes so if you want to buy packing paper more power to you, we just went for the cheaper way out, but hey, you do what you got to do!
-Lay out blankets for packing fragile items (TV, dishes etc) EVEN the baby blankets, big comforters... in a move you can and should utilize EACH of these items.
-Zip-lock bags for liquids
-Boxes
*You can order or purchase moving boxes but honestly it is worth the money you save to just go get a load of them after your local grocery store does stocking (call ahead so they don't crush them). Up to you but it doesn't bother me that the boxes have brand names and such on the sides of them.
3- Tape up some boxes to get started with, you will get on a roll and if you are like me it'll drive you nuts having to stop to set up a new box every 5 minutes so I like to have a good many empty boxes set up and ready to back.
4- MUSIC... You always need music! hehe! Pandora is a great free app I have on my android!
5- Labeling. Make sure you label the boxes, sides and the top to make it easy to read from the stacks. Also, label specifically, don't just write "kitchen"... as you can imagine you will definitely loose track of each box and its contents so make sure you are specific on labels so you don't have to stress about it later on. If you are making more than one trip and not having one major 'moving day' remember to
label boxes with 'trip 1' or 'trip 2' so that you can remember what is in the necessities for week one.
6- Sort as you pack, I don't mean get rid of things you want/need but this is a great time to separate or
sort out things you can toss or donate.
7- Get the kiddos involved, even the small toddlers enjoy helping pack. Plus, if you have them help
and make it fun for them the process wont be quite as traumatic or scary to them.
Tasks they can do include:
-Carrying small empty boxes
-Pressing tape down on boxes for you
-Stacking can goods in boxes for you
-Putting toys in boxes
-Packing clothes
-Picking a song or music they like to listen too
-Cleaning up and prepping to pack
8- Depending on how quickly you are moving this may not apply, but, pack the unnecessary things first starting a stack or corner of things that will be set aside and ready.
9- Kitchen Tips:
-There are many things in the kitchen you do not use on a daily basis and can get packed up to go. Mixer (unless you are more talented than I am you wont be doing allot of baking in the weeks prior to the move). Extra pots/pans, cups, plates, blender, fryer, you know all the things that just are just something you can do without for a week or so.
-Use newspaper for dishes, you may have to rinse off ink when you get thru moving but hey, one
last thing you need to buy.
-Pack up pantry extras, can goods you wont be needing, baking flours and so on.
10- Pack heavy items (can goods, dishes, etc) in small boxes. Boxes get heavy quickly, especially with
these sort of items so be careful not to pack it too heavy to carry later on.
11- If you are moving all at once this doesn't apply but we had 2 trips we would be making so make sure
that you don't pack things you will need in boxes for the 2nd trip and vis-versa. Aside from labeling
the boxes with "trip 1, trip 2" make separate stacks so that you wont have to sort thru them on moving
day.
12- Do one room at a time, even if you are doing the unnecessary things that will be packed first complete
those items in each room individually.
13- Start a miscellaneous box, this sounds crazy and unorganized but you wont have a place for everything
and some items are just 'akward' shapes or whatever so having this box to put things in that you don't
know what to do with is good. Just remember to label the box specifically because misc. will be too
broad a description and you wont want that confusion when you get there.
14- Pack tightly, things moving around mean things break, spill, etc. Just make sure it is tight and not allot of
movement in the boxes.
15- Pack liquids in zip lock bags to avoid spills, still though, make sure they stay upright and write that on
box. Also, make sure when packing the truck/trailer that liquids are on the bottom, you don't want an
accidental spill to ruin furniture or other items.
16- Unload boxes into rooms they go to, this should be easy with the labels on boxes. It will make
unpacking easier.
17- Clean up the home you are moving in to. It will give you a fresh start to keeping a nice home.
18- Another great tip (which I did not use on my recent move because I didn't have the resources at the
time but highly suggest) Take pictures of what is in the box, print and tape to the box. Easier than
labels.
19- Making moving easier with toddlers:
-If you are moving in multiple trips pack a suitcase or box to open as soon as you get there. Have
items that your kids love in that box. Make it exciting for them to find a place in there new room
for there favorite toys, blankets, babies etc. Another item that is good is like my daughter has a
favorite bath towel so we made sure to have that. You know your children so remember items
that you think will help make your new place feel like "home" to them.
-Like I stated above, encourage involvement, this may extend time slightly but is very important to
getting them to enjoy the experience and not be afraid of it.
-Talk to them. Yes toddlers wont grasp the entire concept but getting them excited with "you get a
new room", "we are going to move to a brand new house" is good for them. The older they are
the more explanation they will require.
-Let them play some, getting in the unpacked boxes is the coolest game ever for little ones, it will
be a stressful time for the family as a whole so if they find fun in the little parts of it, allow it!
-Packing toys may be hard for the kids but leave out some favorites until the last moment possible
and pack them the night before while they sleep or even have them help with excitement of getting
them ready for their new home.
20- Take it slow, if possible and make a list. We had a week notice so I didn't have this option really and
had to do it all quickly. But, I still made my list to stay organized and not go crazy.
21- Leave a box of basic cleaning supplies open (but packed) until final day. You will want to go thru and
do a last minute clean (at least I like to) to make sure you are leaving it clean either for the landlords or
new homeowners.
22- If traveling with an open trailer, put clothes and other items that could get messed up in trash bags before
boxing in case of rain.
Below I'm going to share some pictures of our move, labeling etc. to show you how it worked for us. Hope some of them may help elaborate on the tips above.
2- Get supplies together. (Nothing like getting started and having to stop to make a run for more tape, especially when it involves getting kiddos ready too, that's not always a "quick" trip)
-Tape (lots of TAPE)
-Large Sharpie Marker
-Newspapers
*They may leave a film on some dishes so if you want to buy packing paper more power to you, we just went for the cheaper way out, but hey, you do what you got to do!
-Lay out blankets for packing fragile items (TV, dishes etc) EVEN the baby blankets, big comforters... in a move you can and should utilize EACH of these items.
-Zip-lock bags for liquids
-Boxes
*You can order or purchase moving boxes but honestly it is worth the money you save to just go get a load of them after your local grocery store does stocking (call ahead so they don't crush them). Up to you but it doesn't bother me that the boxes have brand names and such on the sides of them.
3- Tape up some boxes to get started with, you will get on a roll and if you are like me it'll drive you nuts having to stop to set up a new box every 5 minutes so I like to have a good many empty boxes set up and ready to back.
4- MUSIC... You always need music! hehe! Pandora is a great free app I have on my android!
5- Labeling. Make sure you label the boxes, sides and the top to make it easy to read from the stacks. Also, label specifically, don't just write "kitchen"... as you can imagine you will definitely loose track of each box and its contents so make sure you are specific on labels so you don't have to stress about it later on. If you are making more than one trip and not having one major 'moving day' remember to
label boxes with 'trip 1' or 'trip 2' so that you can remember what is in the necessities for week one.
6- Sort as you pack, I don't mean get rid of things you want/need but this is a great time to separate or
sort out things you can toss or donate.
7- Get the kiddos involved, even the small toddlers enjoy helping pack. Plus, if you have them help
and make it fun for them the process wont be quite as traumatic or scary to them.
Tasks they can do include:
-Carrying small empty boxes
-Pressing tape down on boxes for you
-Stacking can goods in boxes for you
-Putting toys in boxes
-Packing clothes
-Picking a song or music they like to listen too
-Cleaning up and prepping to pack
8- Depending on how quickly you are moving this may not apply, but, pack the unnecessary things first starting a stack or corner of things that will be set aside and ready.
9- Kitchen Tips:
-There are many things in the kitchen you do not use on a daily basis and can get packed up to go. Mixer (unless you are more talented than I am you wont be doing allot of baking in the weeks prior to the move). Extra pots/pans, cups, plates, blender, fryer, you know all the things that just are just something you can do without for a week or so.
-Use newspaper for dishes, you may have to rinse off ink when you get thru moving but hey, one
last thing you need to buy.
-Pack up pantry extras, can goods you wont be needing, baking flours and so on.
10- Pack heavy items (can goods, dishes, etc) in small boxes. Boxes get heavy quickly, especially with
these sort of items so be careful not to pack it too heavy to carry later on.
11- If you are moving all at once this doesn't apply but we had 2 trips we would be making so make sure
that you don't pack things you will need in boxes for the 2nd trip and vis-versa. Aside from labeling
the boxes with "trip 1, trip 2" make separate stacks so that you wont have to sort thru them on moving
day.
12- Do one room at a time, even if you are doing the unnecessary things that will be packed first complete
those items in each room individually.
13- Start a miscellaneous box, this sounds crazy and unorganized but you wont have a place for everything
and some items are just 'akward' shapes or whatever so having this box to put things in that you don't
know what to do with is good. Just remember to label the box specifically because misc. will be too
broad a description and you wont want that confusion when you get there.
14- Pack tightly, things moving around mean things break, spill, etc. Just make sure it is tight and not allot of
movement in the boxes.
15- Pack liquids in zip lock bags to avoid spills, still though, make sure they stay upright and write that on
box. Also, make sure when packing the truck/trailer that liquids are on the bottom, you don't want an
accidental spill to ruin furniture or other items.
16- Unload boxes into rooms they go to, this should be easy with the labels on boxes. It will make
unpacking easier.
17- Clean up the home you are moving in to. It will give you a fresh start to keeping a nice home.
18- Another great tip (which I did not use on my recent move because I didn't have the resources at the
time but highly suggest) Take pictures of what is in the box, print and tape to the box. Easier than
labels.
19- Making moving easier with toddlers:
-If you are moving in multiple trips pack a suitcase or box to open as soon as you get there. Have
items that your kids love in that box. Make it exciting for them to find a place in there new room
for there favorite toys, blankets, babies etc. Another item that is good is like my daughter has a
favorite bath towel so we made sure to have that. You know your children so remember items
that you think will help make your new place feel like "home" to them.
-Like I stated above, encourage involvement, this may extend time slightly but is very important to
getting them to enjoy the experience and not be afraid of it.
-Talk to them. Yes toddlers wont grasp the entire concept but getting them excited with "you get a
new room", "we are going to move to a brand new house" is good for them. The older they are
the more explanation they will require.
-Let them play some, getting in the unpacked boxes is the coolest game ever for little ones, it will
be a stressful time for the family as a whole so if they find fun in the little parts of it, allow it!
-Packing toys may be hard for the kids but leave out some favorites until the last moment possible
and pack them the night before while they sleep or even have them help with excitement of getting
them ready for their new home.
20- Take it slow, if possible and make a list. We had a week notice so I didn't have this option really and
had to do it all quickly. But, I still made my list to stay organized and not go crazy.
21- Leave a box of basic cleaning supplies open (but packed) until final day. You will want to go thru and
do a last minute clean (at least I like to) to make sure you are leaving it clean either for the landlords or
new homeowners.
22- If traveling with an open trailer, put clothes and other items that could get messed up in trash bags before
boxing in case of rain.
Below I'm going to share some pictures of our move, labeling etc. to show you how it worked for us. Hope some of them may help elaborate on the tips above.
  |
| Be specific on labels |
 |
| Can goods in small boxes to avoid them being too heavy for carrying |
  |
| Put liquids in zip-lock bags, cleaners can be in trash bags! |
 | |
| Clothes in bags in case of rain when traveling with open trailer. (leave them on hangers for easier unpacking) |
 | |
| Use baby blankets for padding on fragile items. |
  |
| Label with trip 1, trip 2 if you are making multiple trips. |
  |
| Let the kids play, this is a new experience it is our job as parents to make it is a fun one! |
 | |
| Newspapers, sadly our move fell on the week of this terrible tragedy. Please check out my views on this HERE |
 |
| Have a misc. box.... this one couldn't be more random. Gun kit, Wilton kit, wipes lol |
 | ||
| Unpack into rooms they go in. This picture shows the opposite but our first load of boxes was done correctly, this one my husband arrived with after the kids were sleeping so we unloaded about midnight and I couldn't put their stuff in the rooms without waking them. |
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