Tampa movers like us here at Big Boys Moving and Storage are a great place to come across tips and tricks to help your move go smoothly. Today we’re sharing some tips on a topic that many families have trouble with during their move – kids! How can your kids help with your move to relieve some of the pressure off you and keep them occupied so that they don’t get underfoot? Here are a few tips!
Tampa Movers Tips on How Your Children Can Help You Move!
Clearing Out the Unwanted, Broken, and Disliked
Kids have a tendency to accumulate things. They shove broken toys into the back of the closet, they keep things they don’t want anymore, and they keep things that they never liked in the first place! Have your kids help by going through their toys and clothing and making piles of items to keep, items to donate, and items to throw away. This will help to lighten your moving load as well as teach your children about sharing what they have with charity.
Moving Box Construction
Flat packed moving boxes need to be taped together before they can be packed. This is a great job for middle age children! Give them a roll of packing tape and a stack of moving boxes and let them start building the boxes so that they’re ready for you to pack when you get to that room. Just be sure to show them how to securely tape boxes together so that you don’t have any problems with the bottoms falling out once they’re packed!
Designated Labeler and Box Drawer
One tip that we emphasize over and over again is to label your moving boxes and write on each side of the box to designate which room the box should go into, what’s inside, and a number designating which order boxes should be unpacked in. Your kids can help with this process! Have them place the moving boxes they taped together in each room of the house and give them some markers. Draw a diagram of how you want boxes to be labeled, for example, “Room Name, Contents:_______, Box #”. You can fill in the contents of the box once it’s packed. Have them write this set of details on each side of the box so that no matter how it is carried, the information is in view.
Clearing Out the Pantry and Kitchen Cupboards
If your kids can read an expiration date, this is a great way to keep them busy, cut down on what you have to move, and save yourself a tedious job. Have them go through every item in your pantry and kitchen cupboards and check expiration dates. If the expiration date has passed, have them throw the item away. If the food is still within its expiration date, have them sort items into piles of like foods so that they’re easier to pack. For example, you may have them put all cereal in one area of the dining table, all pasta boxes in another area, etc. If your children are older and understand the concept of good packing (not making boxes too heavy, knowing not to put fragile items on the bottom of the box, etc.) then you can even have them pack sorted foods into boxes.
Packing Overnight Bags
On the day before and day of your move, it helps to have an overnight bag packed. For your child, this bag should include toiletries, clothing and underwear for two or three days depending on the size of your move, any “must have” stuffed animal, and anything else that your child may need in the few days surrounding your move. If your child is old enough to understand the difference between needs and wants, have them pack their own overnight bag so that you can work on yours at the same time.
Cleaning Up the House
Once you’re all packed up and ready to move, you’ll need to go through the house and clean! This is perhaps the least desirable part of moving out of your home, but it’s one that everyone in the family can help with. Designate age appropriate cleaning tasks to each of your children to get the job done in record time. Some jobs that you might consider handing out include sweeping, vacuuming, wiping down countertops and surfaces, mopping floors, wiping down the interior of the fridge, cleaning the interior of the windows, raking leaves out of the yard, picking up any debris from the floor before vacuuming, and wiping down baseboards.
Babysit or Petsit
If you have older teens as well as younger children or pets, ask them to babysit or petsit (not both, you need them to be vigilant!) while you take care of packing and moving duties. If you’re just cleaning and packing while still in your old home, have them take care of the kids in another room of the house while you get that done. If you just have a pet and your child is old enough to responsibly play with them, have them go out to the fenced backyard to play. If you’re in the process of actively moving, you can still leave your teen in charge either at a friend or relatives home or if you are already in the process of moving to your new home and have the utilities turned on, you can have them take care of everyone there too! Just be sure that if they’re in the new home, they keep everyone in one area of the home where they won’t be underfoot or at risk for darting out of open doors!
Need Tampa Movers to Help?
If your kids aren’t up to helping you with your move, if you just need a little more help than they can offer, or if you’d rather have someone else do all the work for you, Big Boys Moving and Storage can help! Give us a call at 813-936-2699 today and don’t forget to ask about our current moving specials to save on one of our moving packages!