Moving house can be stressful for anyone - and this is especially true for single parents. As a single mom or dad, you may not know how to approach something as challenging as moving your entire life from one place to another.
With your kids being a handful and always distracting you from big, important tasks, moving might seem like more of a hassle than it's worth. But sometimes, it just needs to be done, says Carla-Mari Moore - COO Biggles Removals and SAFR Group.
So, how can you go about doing this? Moore offers these top tips on how you can make your move as a single parent as smooth as possible.
1. Stay positive
The first thing you should do in a stressful situation like this is to stay positive – consistently. Whatever your reason for moving, it’s important to approach the situation with a positive attitude to give your kids the support and comfort they need.
Moving can be stressful and scary for them too, so your attitude needs to give them a sense of security that everything will turn out fine even with the big changes about to be made.
2. Plan and organise ahead of time
Anything can be made a lot less stressful with thorough planning. Start packing well in advance as having more time as a single parent is sometimes essential.
Create checklists of items that you can tick off when you pack, or even write down a list of things you need to do before the move so that you remember every single little errand.
Label cardboard boxes and fill them with items grouped to go into specific rooms to make unpacking much easier for you. You could be even more productive by organising your time for the harder tasks when the kids are away at school or with babysitters so that they don’t cause any distractions.
3. Prepare your children
With moving to a new school being quite scary, keeping that all-important positive attitude and communication could make them feel reassured about moving somewhere new.
You are bound to face resistance from your kids at some point during the move, especially if they have built important friendships in their current neighbourhood and school. No child would want to leave their friends, so it’s important to get the communication right.
Furthermore, keep the kids safe on moving day by having them be minded by a friend, neighbour, or babysitter. It might be less stressful for you to move if you know your kids are in safe hands elsewhere, especially as they might get in the way during the moving process.
4. Get some help from your friends
As a single parent, it can be hard doing everything by yourself. So, why not get some help from people you trust? Even if moving house can be a tiresome task, true friends are usually more than willing to help you out, whether this is through helping you sort out your possessions or cleaning your house. With friends around you, doing boring chores might even become fun!
5. Involve your children
Don’t leave telling the kids about the move until the last minute. Involve them in the process so that they have time to get used to the idea of moving to a new house. Keeping a positive attitude could encourage them to help you with the move through packing up boxes, cleaning out their rooms, and taking part in a garage sale.
All of these involvements will take the weight of stress off of your shoulders as you’ll have fewer tasks to complete yourself. You could even allow this involvement to be a fun, bonding experience, getting them to complete exciting games or activities throughout the productivity of packing up.
6. Declutter your items
When clearing out your old things in preparation for the move, you may come across many items that you don’t even use anymore. Instead of throwing them away, you could be more environmentally friendly by donating unwanted items to charity shops or other people in the neighbourhood.
This will help you declutter your move while also teaching your children the importance of donating to the less fortunate. Getting rid of these items, whilst helping a good cause, can also free up your space so that you don’t feel so overwhelmed when it comes to the moving day.
7. Educate yourself on the area
Getting yourself familiar with your new neighbourhood is an important reassurance for yourself as well as your kids. You could go on several visits to get to know the local parks, shops, and schools to learn more about what to expect when you actually move.
If you don’t have the time as a single parent to visit too much, the internet is always a good option to get yourself acquainted with somewhere new. You can research school ratings and reviews, kid-friendly places to have fun, and neighbourhood crime rates. Gaining knowledge through research will help you realise if this is somewhere you actually want to live or not, and it can help you get familiar with what you will soon be calling home.
Visits or research like this can persuade your kids that this is a positive move if they see some fun, exciting activities and places in the new neighbourhood.
8. Make connections
When moving to a new place, you might not know anyone at all. This is an incredibly scary thought; no one wants to be lonely in a new area. Take this opportunity to reach out to others either online or in-person - you could connect with other parents at your child’s school, make an effort with new work colleagues, or use an app to connect with people who have similar interests.
9. Consider your budget needs
Money is important for everyone, and this can especially be said for single parents who only have one income to keep their family afloat. Keep costs low with a few money-saving tips, including selling items that you don’t need, packing everything up yourself rather than hiring someone to do it, and finding free boxes on sites.
10. Order new items ahead of time
If you’re looking to purchase new items for your new home, consider doing this before you actually move in. This will mean that you’ll have everything you need to settle as soon as you move rather than having to stress about buying things after the big moving day.
Having new furniture or other household items ordered straight to your new front door can make the process easier, meaning that you won’t have to move them or worry about not having the items you need. Therefore, you can start making your house your home with a click of a few buttons before you’ve even moved into your new place.
11. Take direct flights only
Sometimes, your new home can be so far away from your old home that it requires more than a simple car journey. If your move requires flights, it might be worth only booking direct flights since this will help reduce stress and increase ease as a single parent.
12. Unpack at your own pace
Once you’ve made it to your new home, don’t put extra pressure on yourself to rush your unpacking process. With the kids adding stress to your move, you should be trying to find ways of reducing stress in other areas. Unpacking little by little can get the job done within a couple of days, allowing you to take your time and unpack when the kids are out of the way at school or with a babysitter.
13. Use a reputable moving company
Do your research to find a reputable moving company with consistently positive reviews and recommendations. After all, your move is incredibly important, and a reputable moving company can help everything go as smoothly as it needs to go. A less legitimate moving company could mess up your move, and this is the last thing you want on such a significant day!
14. Breathe
Don’t forget to take a break when you need it. Having a little time to yourself is crucial as a single parent, so make sure that you look after yourself during this stressful period.
With regained energy, you might actually find that you approach your tasks with more productiveness rather than if you had jumped to do everything at once. You do not have to complete everything in a rush, so reward yourself as a single parent and remember that you aren’t alone in this challenging process.
It’s easy to let the stress get to you when it comes to moving house. But by following these top tips, you should be able to make your move a little easier, smoother, and a better experience for both you and your children.
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