Changing nursery - advice!!

[DontCallMeMummyPig]

We are moving halfway across the country in 2 weeks time for my job. It means my 2 DCs will have to change nurseries. My DS is 4 and My DD is 18 months. They've both been at their current nursery since they were 9 months, for 3 whole days a week. I'm worried how the change plus the house move will affect them. My DS is very stuck in his ways, loves routine and his friends and knowing what his day will be like etc. my DD is very clingy at the moment. How can I make this easier for them?

Is there any way that you can do some prep at the new house without them seeing it? When we moved, my parents looked after the children overnight whilst we moved and we set up the children's rooms more or less exactly as they'd been at the old house - same pictures on the wall, painted it the same colour, same bedding, same toys etc so that the new rooms were as close as we could get to the old rooms so they'd be familiar. Thought that if the house didn't seem that much different, it wouldn't seem like such a big change.

We also did quite a few "drive bys" of the new nursery before they started (they obviously had settling in sessions at the new one) and they were fine. Can you find out more about the routine if that would make it easier and perhaps use the same routine at home for a few days (nap times / meal times etc). I think if you accompany the children to the settling in sessions and have a good chat with the new key workers and get them to report back thoroughly when you collect them, it should be easier.

I think they're much more robust than we give them credit for. The things that really matter to them - mummy & daddy, siblings, their familiar toys etc were all pretty much constant despite the move.

Is there anything that you could use at the new house as a distraction / as a positive of the move? The new house had an ensuite so we told them we'd bought a house specifically because they'd have their own bathroom. Sounds lame I know but you can't imagine the excitement of going out to buy their shampoo / sponges etc for "their" bathroom. Think this one thing made the whole move so much easier.

Great advice. Loving the bathroom idea thanks lots x