They say that moving is worse than a fire. Yes, if you have shouldered all the worries and fight with them alone, so be it. But if you call on the help of your household and carefully plan the process, then you will do without hysterics, and without a broken voice, and without the obsessive smell of valerian.
From time to time, we are overcome by the desire to change everything: to radically solve the housing issue or even start life in a new place. If the decision is already ripe, then the rest is a matter of everyday life, as the great Carlson said. Here are some tips on how to optimize your family relocation process. With children and dogs!
So, moving is your balanced and informed decision. You have already found a suitable housing option, perhaps you have looked after a school or kindergarten for your children. Now is the time to tell them about it. Due to developmental psychology, children are conservative. Change for them is a symbol of the precariousness and instability of the world. While stability is synonymous with security. Therefore, it is better to talk about moving in a spirit of dialogue.
“When we found a three-room apartment and had already paid a deposit for it, we decided to tell our children, 6 and 8 years old, that we wanted to move,” says Mila. – It was on Saturday at dinner. “Son, you are becoming an adult! Already you make the bed yourself, you put away the toys! “-” Yes, mom, I’m an adult. ” – “It would be great if you had your own room!” – “Yes, I could play the railway there.”
“Helen, you could hang your posters in your room and put that pink rack from Ikea.” “Oh, yes, Mom! I would have had my room! And Vanya would not interfere with my homework. ” Well, then we said that we had found a suitable apartment and tomorrow we can go and see it all together. “
It is important that the child understands what the benefits of the upcoming changes are for him personally. It can be not only your own room, but also the proximity to the school or the sports section, the neighborhood with your grandmother, finally! Get ready for the kids to ask thousands of questions about the move. “And how will it be?”, “And what kindergarten will I go to then?” Please patiently clarify everything. After all, they talk about what worries them. You need to explain what the move means, how it will take place, when and where you are moving.
In the final shots of the movie Bad Moms, Mila Kunis, together with her mother, tell how they moved to America when Mila was 7 years old: “She told me that we would change an apartment, and we moved to Los Angeles!” And although they remember it with laughter, the actress still remembers the shock she was in. And we don’t need a shock.
If the move is not force majeure and you do not need to pack up in 24 hours, then you can easily plan everything in advance. It takes an average of 2-3 days to pack things from a 2-3-room apartment. This is provided that you are only doing this! If you are working, set aside time to get ready on weekends throughout the month. Even if you don’t have a lot of things, you will need 20-30 cardboard boxes and 4-5 rolls of duct tape. Think about where you will get them. Buy? Arrange to pick up at the mall? Even empty boxes take up a lot of space. You shouldn’t fold them at home in six months. But it is also not worth postponing the extraction of packaging containers for later.
It makes sense to start packing with off-season. That is, in the summer it will be fur coats and down jackets, hats, then things for the fall: windbreakers, sweaters and suits. Shoes can be folded into large boxes according to the same principle “winter”, “autumn”, “summer”. The boxes can be signed and labeled with colored tape: “daddy – blue”, “mommy – red”, “kids – orange”. We immediately enter all the contents into notes on the smartphone. “Box # 1: down jacket, red ski pants, white scarf, etc.” On the box we write only the number on all sides, so that we do not have to do acrobatics while searching. And outsiders don’t need to know in which box the “family silver” is. One moment – it is worth closing the box, and you will no longer remember what you put there! Notepads are always lost, and making tables on a computer in field conditions is inconvenient. The smartphone is always at hand. And at any moment to the question of the household: “Mom, where are my blue mittens?” – you will find the answer in a couple of seconds!
The Japanese, minimalists, in fact, have a “one suitcase rule”. That is, all the necessary things (of course, except for furniture!) Must fit into one suitcase. We bet that the average inhabitant of our country will have more things! But the principle of the notorious “suitcase” can be adopted. Pack your clothes, cosmetics, and personal care products as if you were going on vacation for a week or two. And then in a new place you will not have to urgently disassemble all the boxes, “because there is nothing to put on.” Even if you are invited to an anniversary the day after you move, you will be ready. The main thing is to think in advance what events await you, make a bow, check the weather forecast, put warm clothes in case of a cold snap. And everyone is ready for anything.
As for the furniture, entrust the dismantling of it to professionals. Check where the fasteners, small parts and assembly instructions will be. “After the move, it turned out that the barbell from the children’s closet had disappeared somewhere! Such a shame! Because of this little thing, I could not make out and hang up my daughter’s dresses! – recalls Marina. “Only a month later, we finally got to the construction hypermarket, bought a new crossbar and also paid for fitting to the desired size.”
If you understand that there is no need to transport “everything acquired by back-breaking labor”, in about a month put up for sale via the Internet what you no longer need. For 20-30% of the initial cost, you will quickly sell, for example, small children’s items or household appliances. Don’t be greedy! This will save you time and money on packaging and shipping.
It makes sense to store and transport “double sets” only if you plan to live in two cities for some time or are leaving. “Our son entered the university. Therefore, some of the things had to be sent to him in another city. In a new place he will need bedding, pillows, blankets, dishes, a hairdryer … But he will also come home for the holidays. That is, the same pillow-blankets are needed here too! “
If you borrowed items from relatives or neighbors, return them before you move. The same applies to books borrowed from the library. “Six months after the move, I came across a children’s book from the regional library. We returned it as soon as possible. But it was unpleasant to listen to the “sermon” of a strict co-worker. In addition, as it turned out, she called our old address with a reminder to return the book. Terribly ashamed in front of the new tenants! ” – Lena recalls.
Kitchen utensils, appliances and bedroom furniture are best packed at the last moment. And disassemble, on the contrary, first. Of course, washing can wait a week, but your household will demand food and sleep as usual! Collect bedding and towels so that they can be easily found in the new location. The same with dishes and food. And yes, as in the children’s lotto, make logical pairs: “kettle-brew”, “Turkish-coffee”, “plate-fork”, “tablet-charger” and so on! Trains logic and saves a lot of time and nerves!
By the way, do not purchase large quantities of food 2-3 days before moving. Think over the menu, use strategic supplies from the freezer and groceries. And then you don’t have to worry about meat thawed in the heat and curdled milk on the day of the move. And half-empty cereal boxes will not crumble and take up space.
So, moving day! Of course, it is ideal if children and animals can be sent to relatives for at least a couple of days! And if not? Then we act according to plan “B”.
Children. What should we think about first? Safety – do not leave unattended! Kids should not go to the elevator or balcony, play with hammers and screws. A first aid kit and a “mother” bag should always be at hand. Cuts and bruises when moving, alas, a common thing.
Leisure! If teenagers can be involved in the process, how can they distract the kids? The tablet? Coloring pages? Disks?
Timely nutrition and drinking regime! Think also about “snacks”: fruits, crackers, sandwiches and drinks.
Now about pets. Fees, bustle for them is also stress. Don’t shout or swear. If the animals have a cage or carrier, great! If not, think about how you will transport them. Collect bowls, food, toys in one place. Don’t leave animals alone in a new place. In unfamiliar environments, dogs can whine loudly, and cats can damage the upholstery or wallpaper. Give them time to get comfortable.
So, the things were transported, the assistants dispersed. You can take a breath! Have a “romantic box dinner”. It doesn’t matter if you order pizza or serve spaghetti with cheese. The main thing is to talk to each other. Share your impressions, plans, dream of a new life, which has already begun – in a new place! Moving, we change the whole familiar world around us. A new view from the window is a symbol of new perspectives, new habits! What do you expect from the changes? What are your children waiting for and dreaming about? Talk about it, and let your plans come true.
You have all the time in the world ahead of you to take apart the boxes. Don’t aim to do it overnight!