Moving is exciting because you and your family are off on a new adventure. No doubt you all are excited because it’s a new house (or apartment), new location, and new opportunities.Once you’ve got all the important details sorted such, talking to your bank, liaising with the letting agents Warrington, organising the removal company etc. you might think everything is sorted and you can relax. One downside of it all, though, is the tediousness (and sometimes stressful) task of doing the moving. Add kids to the mix and it can quickly become a nightmare trying to get them to do their share of the work (you already know how hard it is getting to just clean their room!).
But it doesn’t have to be like that…
In fact, moving can become a fun, family experience everyone can enjoy if it’s done right. In a lot of ways you can even make a spectacle or game out of the moving so it feels less drudgery and way more fun.
The Fun Stuff
The last time I moved I wanted to approach it in a way that it felt less like some monumental task and more as if it were a game. Adding a small layer of “gamification” (which is adding game elements to a task or set of actions) removes a lot of the tediousness from the activity because you’re having fun.
For you, the parent, the task is going to get done regardless because you know what’s going on but getting the kids involved is a whole other ordeal because they’re definitely going to choose play time over moving time. A lot of the ways to get kids on board with helping out is much like what you’d do to get them to clean.
In the instance of moving, though, this is where things can get fun:
· Point Game – One game you could possibly consider is adding a point value to each item (or box) your child helps pack. You could set out the game where they receive some form of reward if they reach a tier of points (ex. 10pts per 1 box = $5 extra).
· A Race – Another game that could work brings out the competitiveness in your children. In this instance you make packing a race where whoever wins gets to choose a prize (within a reasonable budget). Throw on some music, and use some other fun techniques to get them going, and those boxes should be filled up in no time!
· An Event – Why not create the tasks into an all-day event? You could even theme it as a “moving party” where you all have a great breakfast, play outdoor games during lunch, work together on each room, invite the neighbors, and have a BBQ for dinner so it’s really fun and gets everyone on board.
Some do sound silly but they could work if you make sure everyone is having fun. Having the kids help with the move will make it go with ease. Adding a layer of gamification will help get them on board.
What do you say? What would help getting your kids involved with the packing rather than running away to friends leaving you to do all the work?