I'm so excited to have Jane, from See Jane Blog, share her moving experience with us. If you don't know Jane, you must head straight to her blog (after you read this post of course)!
Q. Where was your from and to?
A. We moved from Orem, Utah to Boston, Massachusetts almost a year ago. And now, we are moving from one house to another in our same town. Call is move-lovers!
Q. How old were your kids at the time of the move?
A. Our kiddos were 4, 8, 11, and 13.
Q. How did you tell your kids you were moving?
A. Honestly. About 18 months before we moved my husband casually said over family breakfast one morning, "We should move to Boston." And on the down-low, all the planning began. This was a plan that had been discussed even more casually over the course of ten ears leading u to that on moment. Our move was completely voluntary. We moved all the from Utah to Boston just because we wanted to live on the east coast and my husband is a Red Sox fan. Seriously. My husband travels for work and it was a lot of work to move, but has been one of our best adventures to date.
Q. What were some of the challenges with the move and how did you overcome them?
A. Well, we had few big hiccups.
First - the moving truck. We had so many challenges with our moving company. I really hate to mention names here so we'll leave that out - but, after weeks of waiting for our stuff to be picked up in Utah, and fr it to finally be delivered in New England - it became a joke. That was the only way to handle the situation --- we laughed instead of cried.
Second, we found it very challenging to rent a home in Boston vs. living out West. Why? First of all, lead paint. The housing market in the city doesn't want to rent o anyone with a child under 6 years old because of the lead paint laws. Every home is Boston is old , and everything old has lead paint! Ugh.
Third, a family of six is a big family on the East and landlords frown upon the idea of having such a large family in their homes. We were turned down multiple times trying to rent home because they "Didn't want that much wear and tear from such a large family on the home." Crazy talk. I know we would maintain a home better than most twenty-somethings without kids! In the end, I truly believe in the fate and knew we would end up exactly where we should be. And we did.
Q. How have you embraced your new town?
A. It helps to move with kids, because immediately we were immersed in three schools - a preschool, elementary , and middle school. We also had our neighborhood, and our church community. My husband and I also love working-out. So we had new gyms to cross paths with new friends. I immediately put the kids in all their usual activities -dance, baseball, etc. Everyone made friends by doing what we love naturally. I'd say it took about four months to feel settled with new good friends. Until then we heard the kids' complaints on a regular/daily basis. After four months the complaints about moving were less and less. Now: Our kids are split 50/50 after our first year here. Two {the oldest} want to stay forever, and two would jump on a train to get back to Utah! However, I will say, it was one of my favorite summers ever because the kids didn't have friends yet in our new city. They just each other to play, and hang out with. It was a cool family element.
Q. What tips would you give to another mom moving her family?
A. Be organized. Start packing and de-junking as soon as you know you are moving. Don't waste tie. Plan a yard sale if you need to downsize/rightsize. Try to make packing fun for the kids. I used a Pinterest idea and we used some of our bubble wrap for hopscotch when we were packing. Make leaving a big deal - plan going away parties for each of your kids, even if they're really causal. Make sure they know that saying good-bye is a part of life. And, be very positive and optimistic about what lies ahead! Our kids are old enough to google, and use computers. So when the y were disappointed about moving I'd give them a topic to research about Boston. For example, the children's museums and beaches. Then with in minutes they were looking forward to the new things and places we were going to see! I also like to get eh kids excited about their new bedrooms, and small detail can make it special. -You will have a "cool window," or a "big closet," - my kids like to be involved with me as I prepare for any new decor or plans with moving.
This time we are moving just across town, not across the country. I'm finding that we lived ready-to-move-again this past year. Meaning: I like to use plastic storage bins for organizing items we don't use on a regular basis. This keeps storage organized + when it's time to move, you're ready! I only needed to pack what we are using. Yes, that's still five closets + wall art + the kitchen + so much more, but it saves time that all our storage items are already packed and ready to go.
Lastly, expect challenges. If you are mentally ready to deal with the fact that the move will not go smoothly - you're less likely to fall apart when the trials hit. Keep moving forward! {pun intended.}
Thanks for having me Nikki, and good luck in North Dakota! I can't wait to read about your moving-adventures! xo.
Warmly,
Jane
