From time to time we are overcome with desirechange: to fundamentally solve the housing problem or even start a life in a new place. If the decision is already ripe, the rest is everyday, as the great Carlson said. Here are some tips on how to optimize the whole family relocation process. With children and dogs!
Let's talk about it
So, moving is your balanced and conscious decision.solution. You have already found a suitable housing option, perhaps you have found a school or kindergarten for your children. Now is the time to tell them about it. Due to age psychology, children are conservative. Changes for them are a symbol of the precariousness and instability of the world. While stability is a synonym for security. Therefore, it is better to talk about moving in the spirit of dialogue.
Photo: Gettyimages.com“When we found a three-room apartment and had already put down a deposit for it, we decided to tell our children, aged 6 and 8, that we wanted to move,” says Mila. “It was Saturday at dinner. ‘Son, you’re becoming an adult! You already make your bed and put away your toys!’ – ‘Yes, Mom, I’m an adult.’ – ‘It would be great if you had your own room!’ – ‘Yes, I could play with a train set there.’ ‘Lenochka, you could hang up your posters in your room and put in that pink shelving unit from Ikea.’ – ‘Oh, yes, Mom! I would have my own room! And Vanya wouldn’t bother me while I was doing my homework.’ Well, then we told them that we had found a suitable apartment and that tomorrow we could go and see it all together.” It is important for the child to understand what the advantages of the upcoming changes are for him personally. It may not only be your own room, but also proximity to a school or sports section, or even being next door to grandma! Get ready for your children to ask thousands of questions about the move. "How will it be?", "Which kindergarten will I go to then?". Give them all the explanations patiently. After all, they are talking about what worries them. You need to explain what moving means, how it will happen, when and where you are moving. In the final scenes of the movie "Bad Moms", Mila Kunis and her mother tell how they moved to America when Mila was 7 years old: "She told me that we would change apartments, but we moved to Los Angeles!" And although they remember it with laughter, the actress still remembers the shock she was in. And we don't need shock.
Let's pack!
If moving is not a force majeure and you don’t need itpack in 24 hours, then you can easily plan everything in advance. It takes 2-3 days on average to pack a 2-3-room apartment. This is provided that this is all you do! If you work, set aside time to pack on weekends during the month. Even if it seems to you that you don’t have much stuff, you will need 20-30 cardboard boxes and 4-5 rolls of tape. Think about where you will get them. Buy them? Arrange to pick them up at the mall? Even empty boxes take up a lot of space. You shouldn’t put them at home six months in advance. But you shouldn’t put off getting the packaging containers for later either.
Photo: Gettyimages.com Starting to pack things makes sense with off-season. That is, in the summer it will be fur coats and down jackets, hats, then things for the autumn: windbreakers, sweaters and suits. Shoes can be folded in large boxes on the same principle of "winter", "autumn", "summer". The boxes can be signed and labeled with colored tape: "dad - blue", "mom - red", "children - orange". All content is immediately recorded in a note on the smartphone. "Box number 1: down jacket, red ski pants, white scarf, etc.". On the box we write only the number from all sides, so that we do not have to do acrobatics during the search. And there is no need for strangers to know which family silver box is in. One moment - it is necessary to close the box, and you do not remember what was put there! Notebooks are always lost, and making tables on a computer in field conditions is inconvenient. A smartphone is always at hand. And at any time, the question of the household: "Mom, and where are my blue mittens?" - you will find the answer in a couple of seconds! The Japanese, minimalists in fact, have the "rule of one suitcase." That is, all the necessary things (of course, except for furniture!) Must fit in one suitcase. We bet that the average citizen of our country will have more things! But the principle of the notorious "suitcase" can be adopted. Pack clothes, cosmetics and personal care products as if you were going on vacation for a week or two. And then at the new place you do not have to urgently disassemble all the boxes, "because there is nothing to wear." Even if the next day after the move you are invited to the anniversary, you will be ready. The main thing is to think in advance about what events await you, make a bow, check with the weather forecast, put warm things in case of a cold snap. And everything is ready for everything.
Photo: Gettyimages.com With regard to furniture, then entrust it to the professionals. Check where the mounts, small parts and assembly instructions will be located. “After the move, it turned out that the bar from the children's wardrobe had gone somewhere! Such a shame! Because of this little thing, I could not make out and hang the daughters of the dress! - remembers Marina. “Only a month later, we finally reached the construction hypermarket, bought a new crossbar and still paid for the fit to the right size.” If you understand that there is no need to transport “everything acquired by overwork”, in about a month put it up for sale via the Internet , which you will no longer need. For 20-30% of the initial cost, you will quickly sell, for example, small children's things or household appliances. Do not be greedy! So you will save time and money on packaging and transportation. It makes sense to store and transport “double sets” only if you plan to live in two cities for a while or drive around. “Our son entered the university. Therefore, some of the things needed to be sent to him in another city. At the new place, he will need bedding, pillows, blankets, dishes, a hairdryer ... But then he will also come home for the holidays. That is, the same pillows and blankets are needed here! ”If you borrowed some items from relatives or neighbors, return them before you move. The same applies to books taken in the library. "Six months after the move, I got a child's book from the district library. At the first opportunity we returned it. But to listen to the "preaching" of a strict employee was unpleasant. In addition, as it turned out, she called our old address with a reminder to return the book. Terribly ashamed before new tenants! ”Lena recalls.
Photo: Gettyimages.comKitchenware, home appliances and bedroom furniture are best packed at the last moment. A disassemble, on the contrary, the first. Of course, washing can wait a week, but your household will require food and sleep as usual! Collect the bedding and towels so that they can easily be found in a new place. The same with dishes and food. And yes, as in a children's lotto, make logical pairs: “tea-kettle”, “Turk-coffee”, “plate-fork”, “tablet-charging” and so on! He trains logic and saves a lot of time and nerves! By the way, do not buy large quantities of food 2–3 days before the move. Think over the menu, use "strategic stocks" of the freezer and groceries. And then you will not have to worry about the meat thawed out in the heat and curdled milk on the day of the move. And half-empty boxes of cereals will not crumble and take up space.
X day
So, moving day!Of course, it is ideal if children and animals can be sent to relatives for at least a couple of days! And if not? Then we act according to plan "B". Children. What should we think about first of all? Safety - do not leave unattended! Little ones should not go to the elevator or the balcony, play with hammers and screws. The first aid kit and "mommy" bag should always be at hand. Cuts and bruises during a move are, alas, common.
Photo: Gettyimages.comLeisure! If teenagers can be involved in the process, then what to distract the little ones with? A tablet? Coloring books? CDs? Timely nutrition and hydration! Also think about "snacks": fruits, crackers, sandwiches and drinks. Now about pets. Packing, fussing is also stressful for them. Do not shout or swear. If the animals have a cage or carrier - great! If not - think about how you will transport them. Collect bowls, food, toys in one place. Do not leave animals alone in a new place. In an unfamiliar environment, dogs can whine loudly, cats - damage the upholstery or wallpaper. Give them time to get used to it.
In a new place
So, the things have been moved, the assistants have dispersed.Take a breather! Have a "romantic dinner on boxes." It doesn't matter whether you order pizza or serve spaghetti with cheese. The main thing is to talk to each other. Share your impressions, plans, dream of a new life that has already begun - in a new place! When we move, we change the entire familiar world around us. A new view from the window is a symbol of new prospects, new habits! What do you expect from the changes? What do your children expect and dream about? Talk about it, and may your plans come true. You have all the time in the world ahead of you to unpack the boxes. Don't try to do it overnight!
