Moving House Successfully as a Single Parent

Moving house isn't an easy journey, and it can be even more difficult if you're making the move as a single parent. Although your children may feel excited about starting over in their teenage years (changing schools), they still need some guidance when adjusting to life away from friends or family that has been there for them through everything else, even if they are young adults in university. That's why these moving tips will help both the children and yourself to adjust better during this challenging time while also helping yourself.

Packing

Packing for your move can be daunting, but with these handy tips it will feel like less of an effort. Whether you are seeking refuge in tropical paradise or just want to get out of the city as fast possible – you need to ensure that you spend that time packing.

1. Sort and pack those out-of season items first so they don't end up forgotten about during the rest of this process; next thing on our list is purging anything that isn’t needed anymore (mosquito repellent anyone?). Once everything has been nicely arranged into boxes by type then take a deep breath because its finally time start filling them up.

2. It is always a good idea to pack what you can ‘live without’ for the week before your move. Everyone has their own space so consult your children before you start piling their stuff in a box. Avoid using newspaper as it doesn't protect anything nor does bubble wrap make great packing material - use butcher's paper instead so those fragile items don’t break during travel; but don't forget about our pro-tip: if moving long distance, consider hiring an interstate removals company instead of doing everything yourself because they are experts at knowing how much space each individual item needs in order to keep the damage to a minimum.

3. Pack an essentials bag, things like toothbrush, toiletries and some spare clothes. Keep them near by so that in case you do not have time to unbox everything straightaway, you always have access to some of the most crucial and essential items to get you by.

Children are Fantastic Helpers

Child-friendly moves are a great opportunity to get your little ones involved in the process. The more they know about what's happening, and how it will affect their lives, the better equipped they will be for the change in environment when it is time to move. From now on, even if you just talk about the move, get them involved, start the conversation, get their opinions and if possible, I recommend letting them choose some items to help them with the move. If it is that little comforter that they’ve been sleeping with since birth, let them take it around and tell them their job is to look after it and make sure it moves safely too. For older ones, find out what it is that makes them feel like home and keep that close to them. It could simply be the spoon that they love to eat breakfast with every morning or that height chart that they’ve been using to track their height since age 2.

According to research, it is important for parents who are moving abroad or relocating within Australia take the opportunity and build familiarity of what they will be living in before committing fully. Take them on a holiday to where you will be moving to. Let them enjoy the place and explore the neighbourhood together. By giving your child control over certain aspects during this process you can help ease any anxiety that he/she might feel about leaving home finally!

Build Familiarity in the Surroundings

Once you have moved, it's a good idea to get your children settled as soon as possible. Help them feel comfortable in their new surroundings by making it priority number one and setting up everything they need right away so that you build upon what is familiar with them. Maybe the kitchen could be laid out exactly as before, or maybe their room is setup as close as it was at your old house. The sooner we make these little ones settle down the better, because once they do, anxiety subsides from their minds and you can then start to build a sense of feeling towards your new home and neighbourhood.

Ask for a Helping Hand

Single parents already have too little time during the day to accomplish their long list of tasks including working and keeping the family finances healthy. It can be overwhelming when you're moving into or out of any home. You might feel like it's too much work. You may also feel that your immediate family and close friends don't want to take time-off from their own busy lives and spend what little energy they have left on helping you with the process. But let’s have a think about this, if any of your family or friends asked you for helping hand. What would you do? Would you say no because you are way too busy or would you drop everything in a beat of a second and lend that helping hand? It is really these times of need when friends and family are most vulnerable that our inner natural instincts to help one another will prevail.

The first step towards a successful move is admitting you can’t do it alone and need to ask for help. You’ll be surprised the amount of support you will have just by simply raising your hand.

Hire Professionals

Hiring removalists is a stressful process that can take up your entire week. Accept what help you can get. A move isn't the time for stubborn pride; instead ask them if they could lend assistance when needed with packing (and maybe even watching the children), picking up new furniture etc.

Hiring the right movers is crucial when you're busy juggling parenting, work and other responsibilities. Not only should hiring professionals ensure that your items are safely packed up but also if there's any damage done during transport then it can be easily fixed without having to worry about money spent on new furniture or contents lost in transit. Hiring the right removalists will ensure that your items are properly packed and organised. They'll even handle everything from unloading to storage if necessary! On move day, all you have do is provide a helping hand rather than worrying about how things are being handled behind-the scenes.

If you have a move planned, I really hope this post has been helpful. Or if you've already been through the journey, what other tips would you add? Good luck!

This is a collaborative post.