Laurie Free's 1-year-old daughter, Laney, howls for her attention while she describes the onslaught of unforeseen twists accompanying her family's move to Buford. For example, they haven't actually made it into their new home yet.

They're still in the furnished Dunwoody apartment arranged by her husband Linn's company, for which they relocated from Tega Cay, S.C., just outside Charlotte. They've had to wait —- five months for their house to sell, after dropping the price four times, and for the backlog on the processing of their loan to clear for their new home.

In the meantime, life feels cramped and stressful. Her 3 1/2-year-old, Logan, refuses to potty train, which Free chalks up to change —- it's what everyone says can affect them, she explains. Free had to pull him out of preschool for the move, and he seems to miss his old routine and some of his toys, like the play car and bike that are back in Tega Cay.

"Things are just kind of haphazardly jammed in nooks and crannies. It's just small for us," she said.

Free, 36, is one of the many people facing such hurdles this summer, the peak season for moving, when kids are out of school. Still, even when the school factor does not apply, moving amounts to a walloping amount of stress.

In fact, it's considered the most stressful life event beyond death and divorce, said Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Stress Institute, the Buckhead-based resource for managing stress and achieving work-life balance.

Free has coped by scouting out the perfect park with playgrounds for her son to explore. And the family's spent a little more money than usual on outings to the zoo or even restaurants "just to get out of the apartment," she said.

For her part, she's kept in close touch with her three sisters and reminds herself of their good fortune in avoiding foreclosure. The key is talking to those wise and relaxed souls who "have been through it before and can kind of say, it's gonna be all right, you'll get through this," Free said. "When the uncertainty sets in, it does kind of drive you crazy."

The crazy line is one Hall hears all the time. That's because so many of the relationships that ground human beings —- with officemates or even the local convenience stores —- are upended in a move. Disorder disrupts the brain, which scrambles to reorganize.

For people with a low stress threshold, the discombobulation can amount to a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder, Hall said. And more often, the bulk of the stress is saddled on the woman.

"Who do you think packs and does all the moving?" Hall asked rhetorically.

Also, women are often more emotionally attached than men to things like their child's elementary school artwork, and sorting through and ridding collections during a move can be heart-wrenching.

"You have to go through the deconstruction and the reconstruction," along with asking: "Did I do the right thing? My children are crying, my husband and I have had 12 fights," she said.

So how do you cope?

With a month-by-month plan to restore control, Hall said. That gives the whole family a common sense of what's happening.

"That's huge, because in a move, everybody feels like they're going through their own private hell," she said.

Also, stay positive.

"Children feed off the emotions of their parents, and so will your neighbors and so will your co-workers," she said. "Listen to your kids. It's pretty scary."

And here's a revolutionary idea: Make it fun! "This is a time to laugh, to play, to listen to music" and "to try to revive that childlike playfulness," Hall said.

Set up a badminton net in the backyard and play a round or try freeze tag, she suggested. And by all means, belly up to some macaroni and cheese. "This is no time to diet," she said.

It can, on the other hand, be a time for making some lasting memories.

CHEAT SHEET FOR ENDURING A MOVE

Stress management expert Kathleen Hall has an acronym to help cope called "Self-Care," in which the letters of the first word correspond to coping techniques. "Serenity" marks the first step, in which one can pray or meditate for a few minutes with an affirmation such as "I am strong." This reduces one's blood pressure and heart rate, she said. This is followed by "exercising," this means the brain, and suggests a mental challenge like Scrabble. The "L" is meant to summon love, a reminder to call friends and loved ones and get together in person. Finally, the "F" is about food. Stay calm and moderate your mood with a diet rich in protein and enough vitamins.