Moving Safely with Kids

Where did I put that bolt?

Safely moving with kids.

When you move there are dozens of things that have to get done and priorities pulling you in every conceivable direction.  A lot of things can get neglected or sent to the “I’ll do it later” pile especially when you are moving with kids involved. The one thing that I don’t ever like to see neglected is the proper set up and securing of a child’s bedroom furniture and especially the crib.

Check the crib twice when moving with kids.

Whether you are having the movers reassemble the baby’s crib or you have decided to take that task on yourself,  take a step back and inspect the crib for any loose joints, missing pieces, sharp edges or misalignment before putting your child to bed after moving.  Some moving companies won’t even allow their employees to assemble cribs for safety and liability reasons and I can certainly understand their fears.  Our employees are pros at moving with kids and know how important this step is and communicate to the customer that the bed should be double checked by the parent before use, this way liability and more importantly the child’s safety won’t be an issue later on.  This is the key point; never assume that a mover, your uncle ted or whoever assembled the bed checked it over as well as you would and just forget about it.

Other items in the kids rooms you should think about on moving day;

Bookshelves and dressers also need to be secured to the walls to keep them from potentially tipping over.  Most people are good about doing this when the furniture is new, but many forget after moving especially after a long day of unpacking and settling in.

Wall hanging pictures are items that usually get put up last.  This can present a problem in a kids room or play area because where there is glass and children, there is a potential for breakage and possible injury.  I always suggest that pictures be placed in an out of the way closet or even the garage until you are ready to take on the task of hanging them.  The more out of the way of foot traffic the better.

Tools and excesses clutter can also turn a room into a virtual minefield.  You’ve got box cutters, hammers, empty boxes all over the place and safely negotiating around all of this is hard enough for even us adults after a move.  Children want to run around and explore their new surroundings and a cluttered assortment of moving “stuff” looks to them like a playground so just do a quick sight inspection and make sure that none of that clutter could be a potential danger.

Now that I’ve pointed out all of the pitfalls and dangers associated with moving with kids, not let me offer a neat little idea to make your children more comfortable when they get to their new home.  Help your kids pack an “open first” box the morning of the move and tell the movers to put it at the very back of the truck so it can be one of the first items off the truck.  Have the kids put some of their favorite things from their room or play area in it. Things like their favorite stuffed animal, action figure, or even the game console.  This way the kids will having something to occupy them with at the new home for a while and make them feel like a big part of the process.

More tips on moving with kids.

We have also published this article at ezinearticles.com