Can I have your moving house with a toddler tips please?

[thefluffysideofgrey]

We're getting a packing service but still panicking a bit!

Any wisdom appreciated!

Never done it, but if I did I'd:

• Take toddler to see new house before moving day, talk lots about what new house will be like, how all her old toys etc will be there. show photos etc
• get her to say bye bye to her current room & house
• get friend or family to take her for the day
• unpack her room first
• collect her in time for play in new room before evening meal in new house

(Actually, thinking about it, I did kind of do this as DD2 was adopted as a toddler.)

Will you both be there on moving day? One of you can occupy DC, either at home or go to the shop/park for a bit whilst the other oversees. Make sure you have an overnight bag packed to travel with you with snacks, toys, PJs, teddy, books etc. Ask them to assemble cot/bed first so they have somewhere to sleep. Have a towel/rug and some picnic food to have an indoor picnic in an empty room before you leave (depending on timings). To be honest, moving is stressful but I didn't find the toddler particularly stressful, as I had time to give her whilst hanging around and she enjoyed running from room to room. Bedtime in the new place was a bit strange, so have as many familiar bits ready as possible.

Pack toddler in box 📦 only kidding

When we moved to Oz, I had a 3mo and a toddler. We had a packing service. With dd1 I just had Peppa pig on dvd for her and moved her from room to room.

Good luck with your move.

Honestly it’s absolutely fine with a packing service.

Make sure you pack toddler essentials separately and keep in car - snacks, toys, pjs, cup etc etc to take with you to the house. So you’re not hunting through boxes to find essentials on your first night.

I sent mine to my sisters for the day , there is so much hanging about waiting for the bloody money to exchange , it's a long day !!
Did the same with the cats and my sister collected them and brought my son back around 6.. I would pay someone if I didn't have her though . It's bad enough without added stress of a small winey person who is bored .

If you can, get somebody else to look after the toddler. If you can't, organise a busy bag of activities and snacks and take lots of toddler breaks. They can be good little helpers sometimes, so keep some stickers and chocolate on hand to motivate and reward them. And order a takeaway for dinner.

Also, when you get The other end, unpack the toddlers room first so they have somewhere to go to bed. Keep anything they will need for bedtime in a separate box, like a favourite blanket, cuddly toy, bottle/bed time cup, toothbrush and toothpaste, bedtime book, night light, pyjamas. I would bring this in the car with you, because it's especially important it doesn't get lost! I think it's important that kids get to see the place empty (or packed) and to say goodbye to their old home. Obviously it's not always possible or practical, but I do think it helps them.

God advice from pp about their room , we did his first but he thought he was going to be left in that house on his own when we tried to put him to bed that night and it took a lot of reassuring that we would be next door .

We read the usbourne moving book a few times. My mil stayed and looked after our son while we did boring things. He stayed ‘with’ us but was entertained by her, this meant he wasn’t scared or confused.
Most of his stuff went in the car rather than the moving van so we could get to it first!!

We also had the new home professionally cleaned before we moved in so it was spotless and we could just unpack and crack on!

Oh yes to getting a cleaning company in to do a deep clean for you before you move in. Worth every single penny and makes life so much easier.

I've done this twice and both times the one who was a toddler was emotionally fine with the move.

As for logistics - they was tough! Make sure you have childcare on the days that the house is being packed up and for any and all moving day(s). There will be men in and out of the house carrying heavy boxes and bits of furniture, there will be stuff everywhere and chances are your front door will be open for long periods of time - not safe with a toddler in the house. So either send them to grandma or nursery or something, but get them out of the house. You will be constantly asked questions by the movers anyway and you'll be sorting stuff out and probably doing runs to the tip and the charity shop and you'll be cleaning as rooms are cleared - you will be busy and quite stressed - so FGS get your DC out of the way for everyone's sake. It is kinder to them too not to be ignored and feel like they're in the way (which they will be if they are in the house).

And yes, get their room sorted first - bed assembled and made, curtains up, favourite toys on the bed asap.

I booked mine into nursery for an extra day. Can't imagine having to load/unload the van with him there.

Get someone to look after your toddler all day.

Buy a couple of fun treats for them to "find" in the new house Eg a new cuddly toy in new bedroom and bath foam in bathroom etc

Accept it will be chaos

Look up number of local takeaway with options your toddler will eat before you move and lose access to the internet (unless you're moving somewhere with ace coverage you'll miss that wifi).

Good luck!

I haven't read others so might be repeating but I:

• packed a suitcase with everything needed that night
• went and unpacked their room whilst toddler remained at old house with dad
• made sure there was enough food available (sandwiches made etc) for that day and the next morning
• had sil come over and play with him whilst we unpacked in new house (it only took one day)
• had box of toys open and ready to be unpacked by toddler

@oohnicevase

There's always one, isn't there!

We used professional packers, booked both tickets into nursery all day and then got their rooms ready before we picked them up. It worked really well.

Sorry toddlers not tickets!

I would totally recommend getting the toddler entirely out of the way for a day or two if possible. I moved with a 1.5 yr old, and she went to friends the night before and day/night of the move. It was a godsend. There is stuff everywhere, people carrying heavy furniture, doors open all day, and movers need you to tell them where to put everything at the other end. Absolutely no way I could have kept a toddler safe, never mind entertained, in that environment.

As soon as you’re in the new place, unpack their bedroom and the kitchen, so at least you can do their meals and bedtime without issues.

Then just stick them in front of the telly a lot, and gradually do the rest!! Good luck!

If they spend a lot of time with grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins etc, make sure they see them as soon as you can after the move. When we moved when DD2 was 2.5, she wouldn't settle, got really clingy. As soon as my DM came to visit (we had moved country!) A month later, she reverted to her usual happy self. She could cope with the house being different, but not losing people (despite only seeing them every 1-2 months due to distance already!)

Other tips- decorate their room asap, find someone to look after them on moving day and the say before and after if possible, and overall make life as normal as possible for them.

Definitely make sure you have child care for moving day and probably a few days afterwards as well so that you can unpack in peace. We got our DC's room all sorted first as well. We took our DC to see the house every time we did and we went past a few times with them as well.

Both our DC are school age. They handled the move well and seemed to settle really quickly. Our house is much nicer which helps I guess! We've been here about six weeks now and they have mentioned missing the old house a few times. But all in all, it's gone OK.

We moved abroad with 2 and a half year old twins, one of whom had a post-chickenpox chest infection. My advice is to set fire to the old house and claim the insurance

No, what the PPs have suggested. Obvious one but make sure your house is as tidy as possible before the packers come as they will just pack everything in a room into boxes and label it up and you won't be able to find your hairbrush because you left it on the sofa that morning. Try and imagine everything you will do the evening you arrive, from putting the wee one to bed to setting the alarm on your phone, and make sure all that stuff is either with you or easy to find. What's the deal with your washing machine and fridge, how long will they be out of service?

Packing service? Totally fine - take tot out for the day, tell them all about the exciting new room, let them choose bedding etc, move in to new home.

FIL looked after 3yo DD2 when we moved. The movers rebuilt the kids beds and my mum had clean bedding for everyone ready to put straight on.

Pick a room that's not essential (dining room, spare bedroom etc) and put ALL boxes in there no matter what room they belong in. Bring one out at a time to unpack. When you've had enough unpacking, shut the door to that room. You should then have a relatively uncluttered house without lots stuff in toddler reach x

you have packers so....????

i suggest you and toddler vacate for as many days as possible, go and stay with grandparents, pop in for a superficial visit perhaps. leave it to DH he likes it. put everything in the right place at your leisure when the basics are sorted.