Tips for Relocating as a Single Parent

The everyday life of a single parent is not easy, and moving makes it even more complicated. You need to find time and energy to take care of all the tasks basically by yourself while trying to maintain the routine of your kids. But don’t let that discourage you. Even without the help of your friends and family, you can make it, with moving professionals, like residential movers Columbus. Follow our tips or relocating as a single parent, and things just might become a bit easier.

Prioritize your obligations

Most importantly, be honest to yourself. Especially about what you can do by yourself and for what you need help. There is no point in overburdening yourself if you will end up feeling exhausted. Running from one task to another and feeling stressed all the time can weaken your immune system and you can end up getting sick on a moving day. And you don’t want that. If you prioritize your obligations and ask for help, you can have a stress-free move. Relocating as a single parent, you will need all the help you can get, so don’t hesitate to find professional help and include your friends and family in the process too. If your kid or kids are small, finding someone to babysit can help you be much more productive and run your errands faster.

Relocating as a single parent on a low budget

If you are moving on a low budget, choose ways of saving money wisely. Remember, doing it all by yourself might save your money, but your health and nerves will definitely suffer. Hence, try to save money in a way that won’t jeopardize your wellbeing. For instance, try to get as many free things as you can. Get a free moving estimate and look up for used moving boxes. If you know someone who has moved recently, ask them if they have any packing supplies left for you to use.

Communicate, all the time

When you are moving with kids, you want to make it easier for them. Depending on your child or children age, they are likely to be confused about the whole situation. And the best way to make it easier for both you and them is to communicate. Explain to them what moving means and that none of the crucial things in your lives won’t change. It is very important for them to understand what is happening and feel safe. Relocation is a huge emotional challenge even for grown-ups, so imagine how it must be for the little ones.

Let them say goodbye

Chances are that your kids will have to change school and say goodbye to their friends. You should let them do that properly in order to have a closure. If you find the time, you can even make them a farewell party. Also, there are many ways to maintain those friendships, especially nowadays in an era of social media. If you get a chance, you can even plan vacations with your and your kids’ friends. Let them know that there are many ways to stay in touch and that they won’t lose their friends, but get even more!

Your kids can be your little helpers

Including your kids in packing and preparations can be useful in many ways. Not only you will get help, but they will also feel involved. You can let them handle some easy task, like packing their toys. Younger children can help by decorating boxes and making crafts for the new home. They will feel like they are in control, and that feeling will help them in times of major change.

Try to travel light

Relocating as a single parent, you want to travel as light as possible. Hence, start by decluttering your home so you have fewer things to move. And remember, some things are more expensive to transport than to buy new. Furthermore, your moving costs will drop considerably if you have fewer belongings to ship. Besides, there are many options for the things you don’t want to bring. You can donate the items that are still usable and recycle those that are not. In fact, you can even organize a yard sale for the stuff you decided to part with and make a few bucks. Your little ones can help by making signs and lemonade.

Moving Day

On a big day, there is going to be a lot going on. So, if possible, see if a family member or friend can help by watching your kids and keeping them out of the way. In case you have teenagers, put them to work! Kids running around the people carrying heavy boxes and furniture could is never a good scenario. And if you have a chance to send them to play at their friend’s house, don’t hesitate to do so!

It would be good to have an inventory checklist, so you can make sure everything is packed and loaded. And after the move, you can use that same list to see if everything is delivered to your new home. Once everything is packed and moved out, take some time to walk through every room to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.

Home is where the family is

Once the boxes are unpacked and you are all settled down, it’s time to give you and your kids a moment to just relax and adjust. You can let them decorate their new room and choose the color for the walls. That will help them feel like home in a blink of an eye. Relocating as a single parent is far from easy, but you can be sure that kids are adjusting faster and easier than grown-ups. Besides, home is where the family is. Enjoy it!