While I wish this was a post about getting exercise with children, it’s not. (Although maybe someday, I’ll write about that.) For now, I literally mean packing up everything and moving to a new home. And did I mention with an almost three year old and nine month old?
Here, I am going to outline eight practical tips for moving with children.
- It seems so obvious, but sometimes we forget to do it when it comes to events that aren’t religious, per say. Entrust your move to St. Joseph and Mother Mary. They had to flee to Egypt right after Jesus was born so they know how to move on a dime. Ask them to take care of the details; to help keep peace during this time and to let God be glorified through it all. Wouldn’t it be amazing if at the end of the move day, you could say, “Wow, God, that was wonderful. Thank you!” Let us ask St. Paul to intercede for us so we can give thanks in everything.
- Get movers. We live in an age of DIY and yes, you can rent a UHaul and yes, you can summon family and friends to help you, but having movers eliminates many worries. Especially with little ones because one parent still has to be all hands on deck, so that leaves one parent doing most of the physical work. Moving is exhausting. Parenting little children is exhausting. Get the movers. You can still be cost-efficient by being prepared and have everything packed so you only have to use them for the minimum time.
- Make a packing schedule and list, and start earlier than you think you need to. You can start with the non-essentials and do one box a day. As moving day gets closer, check your schedule often so that you stay on track. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that can take the longest––for example, taking down curtains and curtain rods. A seemingly 20-minute project can be an hour plus once you wash the curtains because in taking them down you realize they were quite dusty! Gradual packing is like spiritual life in that we need to be working on it daily as to not be rushing at the end.
- Accept help. If family and friends offer to watch your kids so you can pack before or on the move day, say yes. It’s amazing how much you can pack in one hour uninterrupted as opposed to two hours interrupted. If a friend from church wants to help with a couple boxes, let them. Sometimes we try to keep people away when we don’t feel our home is presentable or that we ourselves aren’t presentable, but it’s humbling to let people see us when we’re less than our best. Let go of the pride and let people in.
- As you pack things up, think about if you really use it, want it, or need it. Moving is a good opportunity to declutter and simplify. Do you really use that panini press? Is that second hand coffee table really practical with children? Make the time for deciding now, because we think we’ll have more time once we move, but the truth is that we’ll be getting settled and we won’t want to be deciding about our things then. We’ll end up putting them in the attic and dealing with it later. We all know that later could be in 10 years, at which point we’ll donate or discard them. So save the hassle of moving them and the mental space of keeping of them. Only keep the things you use, want or need.
- Lower your expectations. Not to get confused with getting rid of expectations altogether, because that’d be chaos! Lowering expectations is about accepting that things won’t go as you planned, but they’ll still go. Frozen meals for a couple nights will be fine. Boxes overflowing into the living spaces add character to the rooms. Running out of clothes because you sold your washer and dryer makes you thankful for the one you’ll have in the new home. Having lower expectations lets you accept the present state with joy even though it might seem disastrous!
- Take pictures. This move is part of your family story. In the future you might have more kids who won’t realize you lived in a different home. They’ll want to know what it was like. They’ll want to see what you were doing before they were born. Pictures always serve as a great record-keeper.
- Give tasks to your kids. They like to help and they like to be included. Maybe it’s giving them a marker to label a box with their own writing. Or asking them to hold the tape down as you pull it across the box. They like to see the changes happening around them too. Moving is a family effort and there is something for everyone to do (except the babies, of course), but even they can “supervise” from their high chair.
If you’re moving, you probably want this to end here so you can get started on your packing schedule, but I have just one more thing to add. Moving reminds us that we are pilgrims in this life. Our true home is in Heaven. The home we are moving to won’t be perfect, but we’re thankful nonetheless for what God has provided. May our move be an opportunity to reflect on our eternal dwelling place with the Lord. May it stir in us a deeper desire for Heaven and the things of Heaven.
Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for those of us moving.
I’m on a mission this year. THIS will be the year that we organize the house – a place for everything and everything in its place. No more clutter, no more waste. Sound familiar? Yeah, to me too. I think I say that every year. As this calendar year dawns, I feel extra motivated and ready to make it a reality this time. Now, where to start? Hmm, that’s what seems to trip me up each time – paralyzed with indecision, I fall back into old habits and routines, treading water in the ocean of daily activities, homework, housework, etc.
How do we find that balance? How do we find quiet, daily devotion time with our Lord while balancing our life’s vocation of marriage and motherhood? I haven’t found that answer yet. A couple ideas come to mind as I type. One is that I can aim for 15 minutes a day – I know there must be at least that much time “wasted” throughout my day. If my 15 minutes come in 5-minute increments, that is ok – I am still spending time with the Lord, who will recharge me and send me the grace I need to get through to the next opportunity. If the time I have with the Lord isn’t first thing in the morning, it doesn’t mean all is lost and I might as well just give up until the children are older. Sometimes the chance will be in the middle of the day during an unexpected nap time or in the evening when the children are doing their chores or homework or even after they are in bed for the night. Sometimes that chance comes in the middle of night if I’m awakened by a child who needs cuddles or the pressure of the little one I’m carrying on my bladder J. The second thought is one of my favorite bible verses, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) We do pray as a family together and separately – before meals, on the way to school, before any activity, before bed. Years ago, Father gave me wonderful advice in the confessional. He said that when things seem to be spinning out of control to stop, say a quick prayer, “God, please help me to intentionally accept the grace You are pouring into my soul.” God is always ready and waiting and here with us. It is up to us to recognize His presence.