Pre-funeral planning is an excellent way to take control of your own passing. It's also a good way to take some of the burden away from your family. You want to make your passing as painless as possible for your kids. In addition to the funeral arrangements, pre-funeral planning is a good way to make sure that you have all your affairs in order—such as how you'll divide your personal belongings.

Now that you're down to the "who gets what" part of the planning, you'd probably like it to go smoothly. Here are a few ways you can make the division of property a little easier for everyone.

Gift It Early

If you have items that you know your children are partial to, consider gifting the items before you pass away. Gifting the items will allow you to create a special memory for each of your children. Perhaps you can plan a separate day for each of your children so that they can have a private moment as you present them with the items you've selected for them.

Gifting the items early will allow you the opportunity to see your children enjoying their special keepsakes before you pass away. It will also ensure that there are no mistakes about the division of property once you're gone.

Label Everything

Labeling is another way to ensure that your personal belongings are divided up properly after you're gone. Create labels with your children's names on them. Place a label on the bottom of each item you plan on giving away once you're gone.

Take pictures of each item with the label visible. Once you pass away, the items can be divided up according to the labeling. If you're concerned that labels might accidentally get switched, you can take pictures of each item with the labels clearly visible. Store the photos on a memory stick or disk and keep it with your important documents.

Trade It for Memories

You can't take your personal belongings with you, but you can use them to make memories for your family. Instead of dividing your personal belongings between your children, consider selling the belongings and using the proceeds for a family vacation. Your children—and grandchildren—will be left with a memory that will last them a lifetime. On top of that, you'll be able to enjoy having all of your family together in one place.

Take control of your own passing. These tips will help you decide how—and when—to divide your personal belongings.