Did you know that 41% of movers are making a local move within the same city, while 23% are making a long distance move to more than 500 miles away? If you are planning a move in the near future, there is probably a lot of stress and details involved. Packing, disconnecting mail, phone, and bill services from arriving to your old home, planning out the details of your new home, et cetera.

Moving with children can be difficult; like pets, kids are often agitated by shifts in daily routine– especially if accompanied by another life change, such as a divorce or parents going back to work. Looking for ways to get your family moved smoothly? Here is a three point moving checklist for parents.

1. Get Friends and Family to Help You Out

It’s often difficult to get things packed up in your old home with kids constantly trying to help, asking questions, or feeling stressed out by the process. Arrange playdates or family outings with cousins during this time. It will help keep your child’s mind off the move, and it will help you move a lot more quickly to get things packed up. Even hiring babysitters to help you out during this time isn’t a bad idea. You can get them to do artwork with your kids, that they can then hang up in your new home.

2. Be a Tourist with Your Kids

For anyone switching locations, a good addition to the moving to do checklist would be checking out the benefits of your new location. It’s easy to get caught up with the chaos of unpacking a whole house and end up ignoring your kids. Take a day off, though, to find local museums, fun places for kids, playgrounds, nature trails, et cetera. This will give them something to be excited about, and it can often be a good time to invite along new neighborhood or classroom friends. All this will help to make their new surroundings less mysterious and unknown (AKA: scary).

3. Be Calm Along with Your Child’s Transition

Not every move is going to be a smooth one, and don’t assume everything is going to be okay right away just because you got to the physical location. The adjustment period can be a rough one, and teachers typically don’t expect new children to feel comfortable in their classrooms for about 6 weeks. For the home, this will probably be the same. By reassuring your child about their fears and worries and not getting too concerned yourself, you can set the pattern for seeing moving as a large, but surmountable, change in lifestyle.

Do you have any tips for moving with children? Reference links.