I’m too busy! I don’t have time to pack and move!

Written by Arika Ford

I’m in a rush most of the time. Three kids with various activities on our schedule every day of the week, a full-time job, a house to clean, husband, dog, cat, and hamster. Hurry, hurry, hurry is my life these days.

In addition to the chaos, I am moving in June. It may seem far away, but when you’re as busy as I am, it’s hard to find time to get everything together. After careful consideration and planning, I put together a timeline to prepare for my move. For the other busy moms and dads out there, hopefully this will help you stay on track for a smooth move.

Before you start packing, you will need to buy all necessary packing boxes and supplies. Fortunately, your local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® sells a variety of moving and packing supplies so you can purchase a wide variety of boxes to hold different household items like we did!

My timeline is as follows:

One month before the move. Set up a handful of big boxes, not only as a reminder and a motivator, but to pack items you won’t use until after the move (special baking dishes, extra serving dishes, silverware, holiday items, etc.).

3 weeks before the move. Box up out of season items – for me this is winter items – in each kids’ room (snow boots, extra coats, gloves, heavy sweaters, snow pants). If you have young kids, you can turn this into a game — anything to get them to help. I am going to set up boxes in the living room and have my kids run as fast as they can to their rooms, gather their winter gear, and box those items up. I have designated an area for each of them in the living room to see who can get all of their winter items to me the fastest. Two of my kids play fall sports, I can easily pack up those items and label them. This is also a good time to start working on hallways closets and rid any bulky winter or vacation items.

At this point, hopefully you will have a healthy stack of labelled boxes. Keep your packed boxes out of the way so they don’t get damaged or tipped over. The display of boxes will begin to get my kiddos talking about moving and they will likely adjust to the move a little quicker if it is a part of their life for a few weeks before the move.

2 weeks before the move. Use this time to put small boxes in the kids’ rooms and have them begin to sort and pack small areas such as junk drawers, toys, and closets. This helps them to have ownership and a sense of control over something. Take this time to pack up miscellaneous or other household items that will not be used until after the move.

Gather items you no longer want and plan to donate. Now is a perfect time to get rid of items you have not used in the last 12-14 months. Research local shelters and donation sites in your city.

Week of the move. Use this time to finish packing up clothing, go through your bathrooms, and pack the remainder of your items. Start cleaning forgotten areas of your home and put last minute things together. Checklists are wonderful. Think about writing a checklist for the final packing and cleaning steps.

Packing up small areas at a time eliminates the feeling of becoming overwhelmed and allows you to be more prepared as moving day quickly approaches. If you stay on top of packing and prep as much as you can, when you can, your busy family will be packed up, moved out, and settled into the new place with what felt like much less effort. We’re hoping this checklist gives you busy parents a starting point to begin packing and organizing for your family’s big move.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. We are packing and moving experts and like to share our expertise with you. For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook. Let us help move you forward!