3 Common Mistakes Parents Make When Moving With Children

Moving is a tedious and time-consuming task. Regardless if you’re just going to move within the same city, expect that you will still exert time and effort in scouting for the best moving company NYC. Moving long distance will require from you as you’ll have to look at several long-distance movers and compare your options. And while moving itself is already challenging, the task can become tougher when you’re doing it with kids. Fortunately, moving with children can become a breeze if you know what mistakes to avoid.

In South Korea - 2008

Aside from making sure that all of your valuables are properly packed, and you have properly budgeted for the move, as a parent, you should always look after your children. Just as how tiring a move is, the same can also be felt by your children. For your upcoming move, make sure to avoid committing the following mistakes:

1. You’re Not Bringing The Children Whenever You Visit Your New House

After choosing a home to move in, you will usually change your schedule and visit your new home weeks before the actual move. This is the time when you carefully inspect if the home is equipped with the amenities your family needs and if its neighborhood is suitable to your family’s lifestyle. You’ll have the free range to decide when to visit the new house. And because children can be a handful at times, most parents would opt to leave them home whenever they are visiting the new house. Most parents think that their children will not have any tasks on the new house, there’s no need to bring them. When you’re moving with your children, make sure that you don’t commit the same mistake.

Instead of leaving your children home, tag them along whenever you visit your new house. If possible, visit the new area during weekends so their studies will not get in the way. Bringing your children to your new house will allow them to adjust easily. They will know what the new house will look and better manage their expectations. Even if they are only children, keep in mind that they will still need to adjust when moving – and allowing them to personally see and experience the new neighborhood will enable them to do just that.

2. You Forget Communicating About Them

As mentioned, a move will require a lot of tasks from you and from other adults of the family. Aside from picking the right professional moving company to hire, you will also need to think about the expenses before, during, and after your moving day. And while it can be tempting to totally disregard the children in decisions and updates regarding the move, don’t do it. Neglecting to communicate with your children about the move can only make them feel isolated from the family. They will think that they are not part of the family, and as a result, they won’t show interest in helping with the move. In worse cases, they might even begin to rebel against you because you excluded them from the move.

Any updates about the move should be communicated to the children. Have you picked a new house? Is your moving date already scheduled? Does the family know why you guys are actually moving? Sit down with your family whenever there is progress about the move. This is a simple step that can keep the family intact, making it easy for you to assign tasks whenever needed. Don’t forget to ask for their opinions and suggestions, as well. You’ll be surprised how smart your children are once they provide effective packing and storage hacks!

3. You’ll Be Unprepared While On The Road

Children can want different things at different times. They might want to eat a bar of chocolate now and the next thing you know it, they’re looking for their favorite stuffed animal. To avoid stress when traveling on the road, prepare all of the things your children will possibly need and want. This means packing their favorite snacks, toys, and even sleeping essentials. The more prepared you are, the easier it’ll be for you to manage your children’s behavior.

Change Your Mindset

Instead of focusing on how tiring a move is, look at it in a positive view. Utilize the move as a time to bond with your children and know them better. If you treat the moving as an activity that can bring the family together, for sure, you’ll be driven to accomplish the task as soon as possible!

Morgantown, West Virginia #MarriottHotell

The  25th Catholic Schools Dinner was held in Marriott Hotel in Morgantown, WV.   We've never really explore Morgantown but we do drive by there often times when we do our road trip.  It was our first time to see a little bit of Morgantown.

Marriott Hotel was located by the river so the back of the hotel is quite relaxing.  I can imagine how beautiful it is during the Fall.  It  still looks dead  during the event but still a breath of fresh air to  go out from the  hotel and enjoy mother nature.

As I have mentioned in my previous post at the other blog, we suck at socializing so we kind of avoided the crowd and hang out at the back and  took some pictures.

Our son is not digging the pictures though lol.  Oh well, he will regret not smiling for pictures (I warned you, giggles).

The table outside served as our camera holder for a family picture.  I should have brought our tripod but it's inconvenient carrying it around especially to an event like this.

The cherry blossoms were  beautiful out there.  It reminds me of the annual  Spring Flower Festival we used to go to in South Korea when we were still living there.  In  Japan, cherry blossom festival is called Sakura festival but in South Korea,  it is called beot-kkot.

I wish the  mountain isn't looking dull but the cherry blossoms kind of beautify  the view.

There was a greeter at the door of the hotel which I thought was nice.  I am not sure if he was part of the  event's organizer or an employee of the hotel.  I thought it was a nice touch to welcome the guests.

Exercise is Essential to Your Little Ones' Wellbeing

When we think of exercise, we tend to think of adults hitting the gym or fitness classes. Of course, exercise is important to adults. But it’s important for kids too! Luckily, kids do get a lot of their exercise organically. They tend to run from one place to another much more than adults do and they tend to engage in more physical play. But seeing as it’s recommended that kids get at least one hour a day of exercise, you might want to try incorporating routine exercise in too! 

 Of course, let your kids still engage in other activities they enjoy. Game consoles aren’t bad and neither are other more creative pursuits. But a little exercise is going to be good all round. A great place to start is team sports. Team sports don’t feel like exercise, because there’s such a social element to them. Your kids will be bonding with others, learning communication skills and teamwork at the same time as getting a physical workout. 

 You can also try individual activities. Alternative activities like archery, high jump, dance, and other exercise are all just as good for your kids and might appeal a little more to those who prioritize independence and freedom - wanting to work alone and at their own pace. 

 The infographic below by Cisco Athletic Uniform Manufacturers shows some common trends in youth sports participation. Take a look and make sure that you’re helping to contribute to positive trends - keeping your kids fit and healthy!

Infographic Design By Cisco Athletic Uniform Manufacturers