Moving can be difficult on your family. Most details of a move revolve around your possessions. Remember that any move is actually about moving your family. The possessions only come along to support the family. This bit of perspective can go a long way towards minimizing stress and easing your move.
Moving is an emotional time, especially for children. They are less capable of dealing with the prospect of leaving behind all that they know. They will look to you whether you like it or not. Try to maintain a positive attitude. If you treat it like a fun adventure, they will likely pick up on it. If they express sadness or fear, don't dismiss them. Rather, listen to them and reassure them that, while it may be difficult, everything will work out fine.
The basics of moving with your family:
Keep everybody involved. Determine what level of involvement your children are able to handle, then try to find things they can do. With a little imagination, you can keep your children happily, and even productively, involved.
Think Safety! Young children and pets have a knack for getting into stuff. During packing and loading, the opportunities for injury and mischief increase dramatically. Try to set up "safe zones" in which they can play and relax. Having pets and children underfoot when carrying boxes and furniture can mean injury for both them and you.
Take a time out when necessary. If you sense that stress levels are rising, stop and take a break. This may be 30 minutes of relaxing or it may be a family trip to the zoo. The ability to step back for a while to relax and recover is critical to having a happy move. (In other words, start your move early so you're not rushed.)
Plan for your household's specific situation
Households look different, and "just keep the kids busy" isn't a complete plan for everyone. Depending on your situation, consider these planning needs early — not because every household has all of them, but because it's easier to arrange support before moving day than during it:
- Solo moves and single parents: Who watches the kids or pets during loading if you're also lifting boxes? Line up help before moving day, not during it.
- Dual-military households: Coordinate orders, report dates, and who's responsible for which phase of the move if schedules don't align.
- Caregivers and family members with disabilities: Plan mobility aids, accessible transport, and continuity of care around the move dates — don't assume the new location has equivalent services in place on arrival.
- Medication continuity: Enough prescription medication to bridge the move, plus a plan for refills at the new location, kept with you rather than in the shipment.
- School records and special education: Request transcripts and IEP/504 documentation in hand before you leave; contact your installation's school liaison officer and, if applicable, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) office at both the old and new locations.
- Service animals: Confirm required documentation, carrier/transport acceptance, and any destination-specific requirements before you book transportation.
- Temporary housing: If there's a gap before you're in permanent quarters, plan what goes into short-term storage versus what travels with the family.
Your installation's relocation assistance program, school liaison, and sponsorship program are built for exactly these questions — start with Military OneSource's PCS and military moves guide.
Helpful Hints
- Ask about childcare support rather than assuming it's available. Some installations offer respite or hourly childcare for moving families, but availability, eligibility, reservation requirements, and fees vary and change — check current details with your family services or child development office rather than counting on free babysitting being guaranteed.
- Assign one adult explicit responsibility for children and pets during loading, separate from anyone moving heavy items. A designated play area helps, but it isn't supervision by itself — keep sharp tools, plastic film, cords, batteries, and unstable stacks out of reach, and don't let that adult also be the one lifting furniture at the same time.
- Packing materials and children don't mix well. Tape dispensers have sharp cutting edges. Tape in hair can be a real nightmare. Packing film can be a suffocation hazard. Utility knives are very attractive to young children. And the list continues. Avoid leaving these within reach of young hands.
- Boxes do not equal jungle gyms. Of course, your children will disagree. Climbing on stacked boxes can be very dangerous. Ensure boxes are firmly stacked and unlikely to topple. Don't let your children climb on or around them.
Pack a family essentials kit — and keep it out of the shipment
Set aside a bag or box that travels with you, not in the truck or trailer: medications, identity and travel documents, chargers, a change of clothes, hygiene supplies, keys, a basic tool kit, child and pet essentials (food, comfort items, leashes), and a list of important contacts. Skip the temptation to toss useful-on-arrival cleaning chemicals in with it — some are prohibited in commercial shipments and none belong loose near medications or documents.