Military Moves can be quite a challenge, Family Friendly Military Moves are even harder when you’re a service member trying to balance the needs and those of your family. The frequent relocation that characterizes military life can make the challenge unbearable.
Fear not! With moving tips for military active duty relocation or from the base back into civilian life, we have the insight that keeps moving about family and transition success. Read on for 10 must-know moving tips for service members and their families because every move should be as stress-free as possible. Time to flip those potentially chaotic moves into planned adventures that unite family members even closer! Let’s get in there!
Tip 1: Start the planning process early
Military family moves are often overwhelming; front-loading your planning can make the process smoother. Have a conversation with your family about the move. This can better allow everyone the freedom to express their thoughts and concerns.
Get to research about your new location in advance. Explore possibilities for schools, parks, and community resources that will enable you and your family to transition. As the saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.
Make a timeline that moves as you do. Write in dates for important things, like when to give notice or pack the cat. This will allow you to remain more prepared and have more time to settle down in your new abode, not running around uselessly at the last minute.
Involve children in an age-appropriate manner so that they, too, feel a part of this journey. It’s a great learning curve in terms of adaptability and possibilities.
Discussing relocation with your family
It’s important to consult with family members about the relocation process. It gives a cue on how everyone will manage the experience.
Begin by bringing the whole family together in one room and sharing the news. Allow every family member to air their views on the matter. Kids may be worried about
leaving friends and changing schools, while spouses will think about or consider job opportunities.
If you’re unsure what to do, ask questions and listen; this validates feelings and supports someone positively.
Share what you’re excited about the move. New adventures, experiencing life in a new city, having a new house, and meeting new friends may excite them too.
State it out that this is a family decision. Teamwork will make certain that each person remains together as one and strong as they move ahead with this change.
Searching for a new place
As a military family, it’s important to know the new area. Start by looking at the local schools and child-care resources. Education helps in creating a smooth transition for your children.
Research community organizations offer family support. Local parks, recreation centers, and libraries help all family members feel a sense of belonging.
Get the scoop on area medical facilities, including health care for the family. Having this information assures that there is a sense of security throughout the transition.
Join military family-related social groups or forums in your new area. Engaging in these groups will give you a wide range of insight from others who are serving. Often, other service members in your area will post about which neighborhoods are good for military families, things to do, and people to get involved with in the nearby community.
Contacting your base relocation office will be a good starting move, seeing that they will have all the information and provisions so catered for already, much like you, a military family with a base. They will be able to instill in you a lot of knowledge on housing, schools, and local amenities in your new place, which can ease the transition.
Don’t overlook the benefits that are also offered. Many service members qualify for monetary benefits that can be used for their moving costs or other expenses resulting from the military moving programs.
When looking at PPM.
PPM, or a personally procured move, is a do-it-yourself move within the military. You will be responsible for either packing/unpacking and transporting your belongings to your new location yourself or hiring your own moving company.
Overall, these tools entail easier logistics handling and a quicker way to get involved in your new community. Use these tools to have a less stressful move for the family:
Contact the relocation office on base
A base relocation office can help military members during a move. Generally, it can provide a completely different experience. The office is created especially for service members and their accompanying families, and that makes them so important.
Start by visiting the office website for information that relates to living life in your new location. Websites often contain lots of information on possible accommodations, quality schools, and local amenities.
Don’t hesitate to make a phone call or stop by. Personnel is well equipped and can provide individual assistance based on the situation. It’s helpful to make lists of questions that you might have so you don’t let things slip by.
They can sometimes also link you to support groups for spouses and families at the new duty station. Engaging with these communities early can ease some of the transition stress many face during military personnel relocation with a family.
Many service members are not aware of the wide array of resources at their disposal to help with a family.
Begin with your base relocation office; they provide personalized consultation and information on services offered in your area, particularly for military families. Community groups and organizations within that network understand the particular challenges you face in these changing times.
Think about these special reimbursement programs, such as Personally Procured Moves (PPM). These can add up and be very helpful with your expenses if you have to carry them on your own.
And don’t forget to include surfing on the Internet for websites that cater to military moves. These sources can provide you with useful data about the homes, schools, and play facilities available within your new community so that all can pitch in to make that necessary transition as suitable as possible.
Tip 3: Get your documents and papers in order
Keeping critical paperwork organized is high on the list for a successful move prelude. Start by gathering all of the necessary paperwork you will require in one safe place. This data includes birth certificates and medical and school records for your children.
These can be kept together in a waterproof container or durable folder to make sure that everything is safe in case you’ve exposed them to the elements moving. Label each section clearly to know where to find this important information when setting up your new home.
Think of these digital copies as an added layer of protection. Keep them in secure cloud storage or on a hard drive that travels with you.
It would also be good to process any paperwork involved with military moves ahead of time. This could include command orders, and if conducting the move from one base to another, applications for the new base for housing, if it is applicable. This way, everything will already be arranged and in place, meaning less worry, and a more stress-free time for the family in preparing to move into the new location.
Securing important files and records in packing
When moving, you want to have all important documents secured. Compile all important papers, such as birth certificates, medical documents, and financial statements. Place them in a folder or binder. Use plastic sheets in case of any spills or tearing during the move.
Clear label everything, which makes it handy when you reach your new home. Also, keep a digital backup—scan your documents and store them on a cloud service.
Remember to put this folder in your hand luggage and not in one of the boxes you may have packed. In this way, you will have peace of mind that your vital information is on you.
– Collect any paperwork or documentation necessary for the moving
That nature of the moving is chaotic by itself, yet it feels even more chaotic when done with the military. A really important part of a move is to make sure all of your paperwork is in order.
The place to start is with your service members’ orders. You need them to get housing and arrange for transportation. Make sure you have several copies.
Next, gather personal records such as medical files, school transcripts, and financial documents. This makes settling into a new place smoother.
If your children need to enroll in a new school, check what paperwork they need beforehand. Some of the schools might ask for immunizations or proof of residency.
If you are traveling by car, remember to carry with you vital information about your vehicle, such as registration and insurance information. This method helps you save time and enables you to avoid last-minute relocation of these documents in the run-up to the moving day.
Last but not least, have a one-stop location to store all documents that you will need at the time of your move.
Tip 4: Have an appropriate budget for moving
When relocating, one of the most important steps is to build your military household goods moving budget, which will allow you to keep track of your spending and not run into surprises.
First, list all potential expenses. Packing materials, transportation and storage costs, and maybe temporary living, if necessary. Remember to budget for food on travel days or additional childcare costs.
Reach out to your command for available resources. Many bases have programs to assist service members in relocating with their families. Most of those programs can help offset some costs for you.
If you’re thinking about a Personally Procured Move, calculate what you need versus what the military provides. You will know how much you can claim back, and it will be easier to budget.
Saving detailed moving budgets not only reduces the stress around finance but also allows one to enjoy this transition more fully as they begin to build a new home.
– Planning for expenses such as packing supplies, transportation, and temporary housing if needed
Having a moving budget is an important aspect when preparing for military moves. You can start by estimating costs such as the packing supplies, known to accrue to very high amounts. Boxes, tape, bubble wrap—every single one is important.
Next, calculate transportation expenses. Whether you use your car or intend to hire movers, add fuel and potential car rental fees. Do not forget about meals on the road; these can easily slip into your expenditure.
You could also consider temporary housing if relocation or temporary duty is part of your agenda. Contact such places in advance to avoid unnecessary strain on your move. Look at military-friendly short-term rentals or extended-stay hotels.
Maintain a record of all such expenditures with meticulous detail. Documenting all this will keep the process smoother and in case of implications, may be useful for resettlement through military programs designed for Personally Procured Moves, or PPM.
– Use the facility of military moving assistance or reimbursement programs if available
Members of the military have to use all possible facilities when they are to plan a military move. Many support programs make the whole exercise pocket-friendly.
PPMs Begin with your branch’s commands about Personally Procured Moves. You get a chance to manage the move on your own while possibly getting reimbursement, limited by the weight. Thus, don’t forget to look for other help like Temporary Lodging Allowance and Dislocation Allowance. They help defray the expenses involved in moving and when settling in somewhere new.
Always be aware of the application deadlines. Missing these could mean you can receive money or aid that would be quite beneficial at this time. Also, interacting with other military families can open your eyes to some resources you could have overlooked.
Tip 5: Lead through inclusion
Moving can be seen as making a major life change for children, and involving them in the process can soften the thrust. First, sit down with your children and discuss the move. Explain why you are changing locations and the implications that this change will have on the family.
Let them talk about how they feel, leaving friends and familiar places. Acknowledging their feelings is the best way to help them adapt. To make this more fun, make the planning also part of the fun. Ask each one what item they would like to bring to represent their present home.
As you prepare to move, let them know what they are going to see in your new place by showing them pictures and videos that you can get online. This will build anticipation, not anxiety.
If possible take them to local sites or events before moving day. The recognition of places may lead to the reduction of their anxieties.
Once there, place a priority on settling down in a fun way for all. Head to the parks, schools, and community centers together to feel connected quickly.
In conjunction with a military move comes unique challenges, but with it, all the supreme opportunity for military families to grow and bind. Now that you are equipped with these thoughts, you will be able to handle a military move smoothly and with a focus on all transition requirements at hand.
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