Settling toddler into new home

[curlyrebel]

We are moving house in a couple of weeks and I want to make sure my 2 year old DD settles well. We have told her we are moving and shown her photos of her new room but don't think she will properly understand until we are there.

She is happy in her nursery which she goes to part time and we are going to keep her there for another month so she can keep some sort of routine for a little longer.

I'm particularly worried she won't want to sleep in her new room or will wake during the night, which she doesn't do currently.

Has anyone got any tips from personal experience? How can my DH and I make the transition as smooth as possible?

Make her part of the move. Choose some new bedding, cuddly toy, etc for ‘the new house’. Make sure she also has familiar stuff in the new room.

Thanks for the idea @Loveislandaddict...was showing her some stuff online that would be nice for her room and she told me which she liked.

We sorted the two year olds bedroom first when we moved and he didn't even bat an eyelid. If anything he slept better after we moved!

We made a move when DS was similar age, totally agree making them part of the process is totally beneficial. Picking duvets, teddies etc, what pillow is the comfiest and things.

My dd was about 2 1/2 when we moved house. We showed her the house from the outside and explained what was happening.

Her bedroom had her old furniture, bedding and toys so there was enough familiarity and she wasn't at all bothered by the move.

We moved just before DS's 2nd birthday. Never really considered it to be a 'thing' to be honest. It's say just keep it all exciting for her.

I think you’re reading too much into this. We moved 6m ago with 3 under 5 and it didn’t effect any of them. Have you never stayed at another house or gone on holiday?

I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. If you're there, and her favourite stuff is there, she'll be fine. Kids are incredibly adaptable.
I disagree with the pp who suggested buying new stuff. a) she's too young to care about a duvet cover and b) I'd say familiarity is best.

She’ll be fine. My eldest moved at 20 months (and again at 6). Youngest moved at 12 months. It made no difference to either of them. It was stressful and exhausting to us. But they were fine. Get family help or extra nursery sessions if you can just to give yourself time to sort everything as that really is the worst part.

Mine was 2 when we moved, we got her to decorate a box and put her teddies in it however she liked (with a blanket to sleep!), We read her new house books from the library, talked about it to her that when we move she will be in a different room and that she would get to pick the colour (and we did it within 3 months of moving in).

The biggest thing was the new house fairies, they brought teddies which were in every room as she explored for her to look after in the new house with her sister (who was to young to care!). The teddies were my old ones I was going to get rid of but not yet.

Worked really well, they settled in well but it may have helped we only moved a small distance.

You’re over thinking this. She’s 2. It’s fine.

I'd be very surprised if this was some kind of traumatic event for her. Have you ever been on holiday or stayed elsewhere?

As long as you are there, it's home.

Thanks everyone. She probably will be fine but she loves her home now and it is a big change. I agree with all of you that said familiarity will be key...as long as we are there and all her toys, cot etc she shouldn't have any issues.

Will be good to get her involved in decisions re decorating her new room. I like what y

Sorry posted too soon...was about to say I like what you did @Ratbagratty. Anyway I will let you know how it goes. Thanks all.

@curlyrebel It doesnt have to be teddies, you could get a few small token things in a few of rooms, or one in one room and it could be engineered to be the last room you visit when you exolore the new house. what every suits your budget / time scale.

Forgot to add on the day I got her to see the removal men and they were brilliant with her chatting and then she said goodbyt to her old house before going to Nannys for the day.

I peersonnaly think that getting her back and into her room that night was important in the change of house but i understand this sometimes cannot happen.