Hi, I wonder if you can help me again! My husband and I are having a disagreement over whether the children should be here when the shippers arrive to pack up. NB. The children are 8,6,5,3.

We have two choices to book shipping during term time or the following week when term finishes. Do any of you good people have advice as to whether it's too stressful with the children around? Or is it good for the children to be involved? What are your experiences?

Thanks for your help!

A resolute "NO" from me.

The last thing you need, when your house is being packed, is interference from your children. The packers need to move quickly and have the space in which to do it.

Based on my experience I would say no.

I can't help you with those questions, but I can advise you that if you are planning on shipping your kids, make sure you liquidise their food, tape up their mouths with gaffa tape, and insert a straw through a small hole.

That way they won't make any noise going through customs.

Why would you? Sorry but the idea of having the kids under my feet whilst the packers were in, watching their stuff disappearing into a container and them not knowing when they'll see it again would be a complete nightmare, apart from the fact they'd be attempting to help! If they're not going to be at school or kindy, get a friend or relative to take them far far away.

I dont know about kids, we nailed ours to the garden wall whenever we wanted some quiet time......

BUT as a victim of stuff going missingfrom a shipment I will offer this advice,
anything you value, ask the packers to pack it in front of you and sign the box and over the tape if you can..also ask them to make a note that you did this and record the box number on the inventory.

We had stuff missing that did not arrive here and no boxes were lost or tampered with.... you work it out!

best wishes

don't tell those on the McCann thread!

My thoughts exactly Moneypen, but my beloved thinks otherwise! But judging from other replies I win hands down!!

To put it more bluntly, I would rather give myself a Dando's Piri-Piri sauce enema than allow kids to be present whilst having my house packed.

Enough said really

Definitely at school or with family/friends, it's pretty hectic when they are going through the house, and there isn't generally anywhere that they aren't working.

Good luck

Sam

i second and third everything everyone has said. No kids around!

Thank you all excellent replies and helpful as always! That's another decision made!

Love it!!

Ours (aged 3 and 1) were kept occupied by their grandparents and out of the way on the first day, but on the second day I had to look after them. I spent some of the time next door, but had to go back and forth to supervise what was being packed and what wasn't. At about 11am, I finally decided that I had had enough, our three year old was getting distressed seeing her things packed away, so I left them to it and took them to mil's (150 miles away) where we were staying until the flight three days later.

Other than them getting under your feet, there is also the 'trauma' of seeing their things packed up, probably more so for younger children who don't understand.

Our stuff is being delivered tomorrow! I am so excited I could burst!

If you have them around make sure that you don't accidentally ship them as well!

The three year old could see something in a box, falls into it, box closes on top. Workman comes and takes the box away

I would agree ... NO . My 3 year old was taken out for the day on the first and second day by grandparents as the packing process gets a bit messy with kids running round while youre trying to watch what goes on with your stuff, BUT i let him stay for the morning on the third day to see them load all the boxes onto the container just so he could understand where his stuff was going and the process. I had a book from Allied Pickfords all about moving so we watched the men and read the book. At this end he was around for the unloading and was SO excited to see the container turn up and his boxes come back out. I think doing it that way helped him understand what we were doing.
Hope that helps
Sunbound