Founded in 1890, Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage the parent company of Portabox has successfully weathered many history-changing events including the Great Seattle Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and 9/11 among many other public crises. We are taking the current COVID-19 threat very seriously and will promptly adhere to any and all directives from local, state and federal government officials. Hansen Bros. and Portabox have been categorized as an essential industry business (moving & relocation) within the current mandate established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

As essential services, we will maintain normal operations until such time as either company management determines we must close our offices or we are directed to do so by a governmental authority. We are taking extensive precautionary measures including the adoption of all CDC guidelines and the establishment of our own policies intended to minimize health risks for all customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders. We are proud to be able to support the needs of our customers during this crucial time but are prepared to quickly change course as required.

Stay safe together with Hansen Bros. and Portabox

The COVID-19 crisis is fluid and there are many uncertainties and factors outside of our control that may, with little or no advance notice, impact our delivery of moving & storage services. Please be aware the current crisis could potentially result in small inconveniences such as a delayed project start time or significant inconveniences such as the complete rescheduling of services.

Although there are many unknowns to be navigated, you can be certain that Hansen Bros. and Portabox will be timely and transparent in our communications regarding servicing your moving & storage needs, and our professional relocation consultants will work diligently to offer creative solutions in the event your project is impacted by the current health crisis.

Steps We're Taking:

  • Company-wide Implementation of all precautionary measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
  • Office staff and crews are being monitored daily for symptoms and/or known exposure by management and asked to go home, contact their healthcare provider, and self-quarantine as directed. Staff that experience symptoms and/or aware of exposure when not at work have been directed to stay home and notify their supervisor.
  • Office staff and crews are receiving daily briefings on precautionary measures and have been directed to follow them on and off the job.
  • Office staff and crews are being instructed to maintain appropriate “social distance” of 6 feet minimum between one another, customers, and all other people.
  • Office staff and crews are being provided with appropriate hand sanitizer and surface disinfecting supplies. They have been directed to disinfect truck cabs and moving equipment between each move to the best of their ability. These supplies will continue to be replenished as we are able, based on availability from retailers.
  • We are limiting visitation to our branch offices. If you wish to purchase moving boxes or supplies, please simply call in your order and we will happily deliver to your vehicle outside.

We are all in this together.  The team at Hansen Bros. and Portabox is proud to continue offering our services in accordance with the necessary precautions outlined above. We are here to make the process of storing belongings seamless & safe for you.

How to help your child get organized

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There are numerous benefits of being organized. And this is true for children and for adults alike. So, as a parent, when you help your child get organized, you will not influence only his present activities. So, an infused daily routine will also help him a lot later in life. However, as kids are still young, you have to introduce organizational skills by applying a game-like strategy. As with any other life skill, some children are naturally systematic and have an inborn strong sense of responsibility. However, some very bright children are lacking good organizational skills. Keeping their room untidy is one thing but such disorganization can lead to problems later on. You can start by helping and showing them how to organize their room’s surplus things by using Bellevue self storage units.

The mother holds the child in her arms and helps him organize things on the table – the way to help your child get organized.
Help your child get organized.

Most children are struggling with organization

It is not so uncommon that children have problems staying organized or staying focused for longer periods of time. They also often struggle to remember all the things they have to collect or complete. So, forgetting books, losing the lunchboxes, missing to complete homework, or finishing given tasks on time is not a surprising phenomenon. As a parent, you can do a lot to help them get and stay better organized.

Play the “who will organize it better” game

Perhaps all other members of the household are perfectly organized. However, you have to include all of them in this game, so the child that needs help will not get rebellious and thus distract your plan from the beginning. You can start by helping him to organize his room. At the same time, the rest of the family members will do the same. Kid’s rooms are usually full of clutter. First, ask the child to define the room segments. There is usually a bed, a desk with books and school supplies, a wardrobe, and a corner with toys.

Boy in yellow T-shirt sitting on chair in front of roster.
Help your child to organize his school tasks.

Ask your child to go from one segment to another and to set aside the things that are not of use anymore. Next, ask him/her to put the things that are still in good shape but not in use at the time being on the other side. And the third pile will be the things that the child is using now. So, first of all, get rid of obsolete, spoiled, or thorn things. After that, ask the child to return things from the third pile to their respective places. And the second pile is the one that you will use to teach him/her how to store away belongings in PortaBox Storage Seattle unit.

Making your child proud of the job he did will help him stay organized in the future

As the room is perfectly tidy and cozy now, it’s time to praise your child for his efforts. That will, as well, help him/her to see how much space he/she has now. And how easily can he find the things he needs. Don’t forget to point out that such fast finding the things will give him more free time. So, instead of spending hours looking for something, he can play. This is a very strong motivational factor for small kids.

Finally, the room is nice and tidy. Now, bring the child to the storage unit, along with the pile of clothes and other things that he is not using for the time being. Allocate a certain space inside the self-storage Boise unit for him and show him how to properly store his things. Also, give him/her advice. Keeping the out-of-season things in the storage will make his room cozy. And don’t miss to emphasize that keeping the storage unit tidy and well organized is important too, as easy finding things there will also grant him/her additional free time.

How to help your child get organized with school tasks?

School activities are the second area of great importance for children. So, use them as an excellent example to teach your child organizational skills. Since, when organizing a room, your child had already put his books and other school stationery in order, we should now focus on doing homework. In most cases, it is never children’s number one priority. It is also happening that they start doing it too late and are not able to complete it in time. Or, in some cases, they completely forget to learn a lesson from some subject. To avoid such misfortune events that can lead to critics and finally to your child starting to avoid going to school, you have to help the child to organize his/her learning time. And their learning habits as well.

Two boys are sitting in chairs on a sandy beach.
With good organization, a child is getting more free time.

So, how can you help your child to get organized? Well, you can start by establishing the daily routine. You can talk to the child as soon as he/she comes back from school asking him/her about the tasks he has to complete for the next day. Or you can make a weekly calendar and ask the child to write down, soon he/she comes back from school, all the tasks he/she received that day. Also, agree with a child about the study hours. You can let him/her designate time after school to work on his homework. But play it smart. Point out that, as he/she designated the hours, it is now solely his/her responsibility. In general, children respond well to assigned responsibilities. So, play this game until you notice that it has become their new routine.

What does your child gain by developing organizational skills?

First of all, well-organized children are getting better results in all fields, be it school, sports, or learning new skills. They are also becoming more efficient, and soon they are realizing that such a systematic approach is giving them more free time that they can spend as they wish. Which is yet the additional motivation to stay organized. Besides learning how time management is good for them, they are also developing independence, and in general, have much better relationships with siblings and parents.

Teaching your child about organizing things is just a beginning

These are two very important fields in the life of children. So, once they develop the habit of being responsible for their rooms and homework, they will easily organize their activities in the other fields. They can easily learn the other routines by themselves, like dinnertime, bedtime, playtime, etc. They may also volunteer to help with clutter in the rest of the house. That will give them opportunities to visit more often the Newcastle-self-storage unit. And the biggest motivational factor for them will be seeing that staying well organized they have much more free time for themselves. So, these are great results. And you can be proud of the idea to help your child get organized.

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