Moving Tips to Keep the Whole Family Happy Follow these tips from NorthStar Moving and Storage’s expert, Laura McHolm, to keep the move stress-free and the kids entertained!

1. Moving with Kids
Moving Tips to Keep the Whole Family Happy
Laura McHolm of NorthStar Moving
Summer is the most popular time to move to
a new home for families. But, whether it’s
summer, fall, winter or spring, before you pack
that first box think about your kids and
how the moving process may affect them.
Follow these tips from NorthStar Moving
and Storage’s expert, Laura McHolm, to
keep the move stress-free and the kids
entertained! Her company was even
featured in the American Girl Movie
which addresses the stress of moving on
children and how to stand up to bullying.

2. Timing and Transition
1. Consider the grades your children are currently in.
I f your eldest is about to be a senior in high school it may be
best to let them live with a relative to finish up their high school
career with their friends. If your youngest is about to enter
middle school this is an ideal time to move as they will be
entering a new school either way.

3. Timing and Transition
2. Make the new home their own.
Allow the kids to walk through the new
house before the move. And, make them
feel that they are part of the decision,
by letting them choose their own bedroom,
the paint colors, etc.

4. Timing and Transition
3. Stay connected to friends, neighbors, and family
back home. Arrange web cam time with the children's
friends when you move to the new home, it will help make
the transition easier when they know they can keep in touch
with their old friends. And, set up a play date for the old
friends to come over for a sleep over.

5. Timing and Transition
4. Adjust to the new home.
a. Host a party in your new neighborhood and invite
children of the same age as your own kid(s) over so
that they can make friends. It’s as easy as a pool party,
pizza party, or cookout. Try and host the party the first
weeks of being in your new home.

6. Timing and Transition
4. Adjust to the new home.
b. Take them for a drive by their new
school, the local ice cream place,
playground, etc. so that they see
their new neighborhood has all the
same things as the old.

7. Timing and Transition
4. Adjust to the new home.
c. Set up a tour of the new school and to meet their
new teacher before school starts.

8. Timing and Transition
4. Adjust to the new home.
d. If you move in the beginning of the summer, sign the
little ones up for camp or other local activities where they
can meet the new kids before school starts. It also keeps
them out of the house so you can continue the unpacking!

9. Timing and Transition
5. Make some popcorn and let them watch
American Girl Chrissa go through a move
with NorthStar Moving.
Watch with them so you can remind them that they can
always talk to you about anything.

10. Get Them Involved!
1. Have them arrange their own room.
Draw out a floor plan of the rooms in the new house
and let the children make paper doll furniture and
arrange what they want in their room, while you
arrange the other rooms.

11. Get Them Involved!
2. Encourage your kids to pack themselves
so that they are involved in the moving process.
They can have their own boxes and suitcases that
they are responsible for. Give them color codes or
fun stickers to stick on the boxes that belong in
their room. You can oversee this.

12. Get Them Involved!
3. Give each child a back pack to fill with
overnight items so that you don’t have to
dig through boxes. Include their tooth brush,
pjs, favorite stuffed animal, favorite bedtime
story, etc.
image by Stephen Fulljames
flickr.com/photos/emptyjames

13. Get Them Involved!
4. Then give them one box
to pack freely that will be
the first box that they open
in their new room.

14. Get Them Involved!
5. Give them a disposable
digital camera to take
pictures of the move and
send the pics to their old
friends, or post on Facebook.
image by PhotoDu.de image by MiikaS
flickr.com/photos/senoranderson flickr.com/photos/miikas

15. Entertainment!
We all know that the key to a successful family
road trip is keeping the kids happy
in the car, the same goes for the
big move.
Instead of relying
on the DVDs, here
are some helpful tips
to focus on your
surroundings to
make the move
a positive memory.

16. Entertainment!
1. Wrap things you were going
to give to your children anyway
like books with car games, deck
of cards, sticker books, puzzle
books, joke books, reading books,
crayola crayons, fun masks, etc.
When you make stops a long your
route place the presents on the
kids’ seats. When they come back
gift to unwrap and play with!
This makes the process more
exciting and be sure to save some
presents to give to them when you
image by tastybit arrive at the new home.
flickr.com/photos/sour_patch

17. Entertainment!
2. Happy kids are hunger free kids!
Have healthy snacks such as grapes, carrots, and string cheese,
a loaf of bread, jar of peanut butter and jelly (one sharp knife
for spreading) as well as treats like snack size packs of crackers
and cookies easily available throughout the move.
Avoid juice boxes as they tend to explode.
Instead pack bottles of water and glass
juice bottles that you can recycle at
rest stops. Pack these items with
plastic utensils and napkins in
clear plastic bags in a cooler.
Place the one sharp knife in
a plastic bag and tape it to the
inside of the cooler for easy and safe access.

18. Entertainment!
3. Before you head out, sit down with
your children with a map.
Show them where the new house is and have them
help you plan the trip out and then have them follow
the map as you make your way to your new home.
image by di bo di
flickr.com/photos/bonettodiego

19. Entertainment!
4. Another option is to hire a nanny during the move.
The service keeps the little darlings safe, happy and entertained
under the watchful eye of a modern day Mary Poppins, while
mom and dad focus on the busy moving process!

20. Entertainment!
5. If you are planning on
getting rid of items the
children no longer use,
do not do it during moving time.
Otherwise the children will
experience loss, this is not
the right time to weed out
their things, wait until you
are settled in at the new home.
Or do the weeding out months
before the move so they don’t
associate the two events.
image by angusf
flickr.com/photos/angusf

21. Entertainment!
6. Lastly, wrap up some wish list items the children had
and put them in their closet at the new home, for them to
discover! You can even gift wrap the new bedspread the
two of you choose in the catalog together.

22. Don’t Leave Home Without…
In addition to your boxes, box up the following items,
they will come in handy during your move to keep
everyone safe and happy.
1. Kleenex
2. Hand Sanitizer
3. Baby wipes
4. Extra zip lock bags
5. Medications
6. Personal Pillows
7. Phone numbers (i.e. the kennel)
8. Cell Phone Charger
9. Walking shoes
10. Sweater and Rain Jacket
image by davef3138
flickr.com/photos/davef3138

23. Moving with Kids
Moving Tips to Keep the Whole Family Happy
by Laura McHolm of NorthStar Moving
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