The first few moves were a nag, but after a while, I had to set some very special moving rules to make my life easier and the moving process a lot less stressful. Id like to share some of these “moving the family” rules, so travelers like me can make it easier on their families when moving around.
Moving the Family Rules:
1. Don’t let the kids help when packing breakables. It’s very dangerous, mostly for the breakables.
2. Always cancel electric, gas, and water bills at least 1 week before you move; eat out or have delivered, you don’t want to wash dishes, which you’ve probably already packed. Tell the kids you’re “goodbye camping” the house.
3. If you are moving with a moving company and have the budget, always get full service, since they pack and unpack, they are also committed to responding for any broken or damaged belonging.
4. Tell your kids they can take 1 box of their favorite stuff, which they can pack themselves, this will entertain them long enough and convince them they are helping out on the move.
5. If you have plants you don’t want to leave behind, have them loaded onto the truck last, this way they will suffer less.
6. If you have pets like a dog or a cat, don’t feed it 1 day before the move, he will be hungry but won’t barf in the car.
7. If you have fish, don’t even bother taking them with you, give them away and buy new fish at your new location. Tell your kids they’re in the truck with everything else.
8. Never use old boxes when packing heavy stuff; old boxes are not steady; not good when packing books, dishware, or breakables. Buy the boxes provided by the moving companies.
9. If your kid lost his favorite toy, tell him it’s in the moving truck and buy a new one for him, if you can’t replace it with an exact one, have him evolve into having a brand new favorite.
10. Convince your children that you’re always moving to a better place, fill them with expectations regarding new school and friends, and comfort them on friends left behind. It is very important for children to learn about and understand change. Encourage them to call their old school friends on the phone once in a while.
11. Tip the movers. They always work better when you tip them, especially since they are handling all your stuff.
12. Play station portables are the way to go on long car trips. Children will stay quit for good.
13. Leave old things behind or give them away, even to the movers, they know what to do better than just taking things to the trash. Since many of them have just arrived from foreign countries they can even use your old things in their new homes.
14. Always have furniture wrapped, its incredible how dirty those moving trucks can get on the inside.
15. Don’t pick a moving company based upon the economic rate they give you initially, it will never be the same rate by the end of the move. Choose them based upon real recommendations from people you can call and ask about their service.
16. Salespeople at moving companies are very smart and convincing, ask to speak to the manager and if he sounds like a good guy, he probably is, go with your gut, you will probably be right.
17. Never sign any paper at the destination before your move has been completed successfully.
18. Try to get there before the movers do (it usually is this way) because they will start unloading as soon as they get there.
19. Try to move during the summer, moving when it rains is not a very good idea, your things might get spoiled. However, if you’ve already decided to move, pick a date and book it, because everybody wants to move during the summer and if you take too long in picking a date, you might have to wait.
20. Never mess with your husband’s paperwork, let him do the packing on that one and save yourself a lot of trouble explaining why the prints were folded instead of rolled.
Believe it or not, these are careful considerations made by a man with family and loads of stuff who has to move every couple of years and has taken the time to think about the most annoying and complicated steps in the moving process.
