Moving Your Parents Into A Home Away From Home
One of the most difficult times in a family is when parents reach the age in which they move out of the family homestead. Whether they are moving for health reasons or simply because the home requires more work than they can physically do, it is difficult for not only the parents, but also for the rest of the family. How you go about moving your parents out of their home can make it a little less heartbreaking for them and the rest of you.
Start Slowly
Don't just jump in with boxes in hand. Before anything gets packed up, sit down with the entire family and talk about the things that your parents plan to take with them. Learn what your parents want to go to individual family members and what they are okay parting with. Keep a log of what they have decided so that you can quickly refer to it during the packing process.
Use a Storage Unit
Your parents will likely have many things that they aren't quite ready to let go of yet. They may want to take it with them but just don't have the space in their new place. This is where a storage rental will come in handy. Anytime you see that your parents may be giving things a second thought, put those items in a box and mark it for storage. This can buy some time to be sure that your parents will adjust without the contents.
The storage unit can also be used as a way to slowly start emptying the house. The things that your parents know exactly what they want to do with can be boxed up weeks before the move and stored in the unit until the new home is ready. Contact a service like Redondo Van & Storage to learn more.
Be Aware of Emotions
Your parents may begin to have second thoughts about selling their home or may just begin to break down emotionally. When you notice these emotions coming through, stop what you are doing and sit with them for a bit. Listen to what they are worried about and do your best to comfort them. Sometimes, these feelings can be eased by putting something that is dear to them somewhere that they can see it and know that it isn't going to get lost during the shuffle. It is your job to not only do the heavy lifting, but also to comfort your parents as they did you when you were a child and feeling scared.
Settle In
As your parents settle in to their new place, take your time helping them. It can take some time to find the perfect place to put all of the things that they felt were special enough to be saved for this new home. During this time, you may end up spending a lot of time making trips to the storage unit to find one thing or another that your mother needs in her kitchen or your father needs in the den. It can take some time for them to find a home comfort, but it will come.
This can be an impossible time for a family, but the advice listed above can truly make it a little easier on your parents emotionally.
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