When we think about helping a friend to move house, we generally think about carrying a few boxes or lifting furniture to the moving truck. We all know that moving is hard work, so any help is always appreciated. But heavy lifting isn’t for everyone. If you aren’t physically fit or capable of doing this hard work, it poses a safety risk. However, there are other ways you can help your friend during this challenging time, and they’re all as valuable as moving boxes, if not more so.
Food, water and rest
There’s so much to do on moving day. It is much more common than you would expect to find out people forget to drink enough to stay hydrated, eat enough to have the energy to do the work, or take enough breaks to avoid fatigue.
Here are a few ideas for what you can do:
- Play the role of the water boy and make sure your friend is getting enough to drink.
- Provide snacks to keep them fed.
- Encourage them to take breaks so they get enough rest.
- Bring takeaways, so they stop for a proper meal.
- Bring a home-cooked meal that’s easy to eat and take all the dishes away with you.
Young children
If your friend has young children, offer to look after them during the moving process. Children need their routine, rest and meals and find moving disruptive. It’s also unsafe for everyone to have children around when people are carrying heavy furniture and boxes. If possible, take the children off site.
Here are a few ideas for what you can do:
- Take the kids out for a meal and a movie.
- Get snacks and play board games or complete a puzzle.
- Take a walk to a park where there is a playground.
- Bake a cake together and have fun icing it.
- Find out their favourite activity and do it.
