The first day in your new home will be exhausting! You’ll have spent the day running back and forth, unpacking, cleaning and setting up places for everyone to sleep and eat. If you have kids, they may be toggling between excitement for their new house and sadness for what they’re leaving – especially if the move isn’t a close one. To ease everyone’s transition from the old to the new, these suggestions may help. 

Prepare you kids’ rooms first. For sanity’s sake, get your kids settled first. Once the question of who gets what bedroom is decided, have the movers put their boxes in their rooms as soon as possible. Get those boxes open and furniture settled, and if they’re old enough, let them start unpacking on their own. They’ll love the ownership of deciding where things go, most importantly, this will keep them busy! 

Hire a babysitter. If your move is local, hire a babysitter you already know for the day to help watch your kids at the new house. If you’re moving to a new location, check out websites like care.com to hire someone just for this purpose. Give them the job of keeping your kids busy, helping them unpack and providing them with snacks and meals throughout the day while you’re setting up your new house. 

Kids love boxes! If you have children, set aside some crayons, tape, blank paper, boxes, blankets, sheets and pillows so your kids can build forts of all shape and sizes and decorate them. They can sit inside, make believe, read or watch TV (if you have it set up!) in a room of creativity. If you have a large flex space, designate it just for this purpose on moving day. Visit them throughout the day with snacks and drinks. 

Eat whatever and wherever. Today is not the day for a traditional meal or sit-down supper. Instead, lay a blanket on the floor, plug in a Bluetooth speaker and dine on the floor with your favorite takeout or food from a new local restaurant. Schedule a service like UberEats or DoorDash to bring it to you, so you can put your feet up while you wait for it to be delivered! 

If you are searching for a new home, San Joaquin Valley Homes is still busy building homes throughout the Central Valley. Our model homes are open daily and virtual tours are available on our website for your convenience. Our model hours are Sunday and Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.sjvhomes.com for more information.