What is in your essentials box?

[Winterfellismyhome]

Hoping to exchange and complete soon so have packed a few things already. Ive read about a first night/essentials box and wondered what people put in theres? Ive got a 3 year old and a 9 week old to consider. No pets

Thanks!

Paracetamol and wine usually

Tea bags, kettle, cups, spoons, biscuits. Cleaning stuff for the new house. Pack the hoover last at old house and take in car.

all your baby feeding stuff.

Decide what you going to eat in first night in new house - friends bought us round fish and chips....we hadn't moved far.

We packed all the bedding from the beds in big bags I'd borrowed from a friend. So the duvet still in it's cover with the sheets etc - so could just roll out.

We have a filing case with important papers like the passports, birth certificates etc and I made sure that was in our car and not packed.

Tea towels and kitchen roll for kitchen, hand towels, tp and soap for bathrooms.

As well as pp's recommendations of tea, coffee, kettle, mugs!

Thank you! Paracetamol is a good shout

Is it a relatively local/easy move where it's just to survive the few hours between leaving old house and stuff arriving from the truck in the new, or is it a cross country job with the possibility of stuff having to be stored overnight or arriving very late in the day? Assuming the former, I'd say:

• Laptop and laptop charger, phone and phone charger.
• Essential medications, calpol

-Nappies and whatever your baby needs to feed, any precious toys and comfort items for the toddler plus some snacks and drinks in case you somehow ending up waiting at old house or new for the removal truck. Change of clothes for both in case of poo-nami from the baby or toddler getting car sick all over themselves on the journey to new house (can you tell this has happened to me!). -Kettle and tea/coffee/sugar plus mugs, toilet roll and hand sanitiser. Water bottles. We always have a takeaway first night in a new place, ideally something that can be eaten with fingers/from the boxes like pizza or fish and chips but if you are classier than me either put some plates and cutlery in your essentials box or mark the box your eating implements are in clearly so you can go straight to that one and be able to eat your first night without having to go through all your boxes. -Do the same with your bed linen and duvets/pillows. In fact, just mark all your boxes clearly with what room they are from and what's in them so when toddler decides they absolutely MUST have a certain toy right now you aren't tearing through 100s of boxes of books and kitchen implements and spare towels and shoes to find it...

Oh and obvious point but exactly the sort of thing I'd forget if moving house with a newborn (cudos to you for even attempting it!), you will want to be able to put the baby down when you get to new house so you can have hands free but you don't want to leave them in their car seat for hours, so make sure to keep keep your pram or a moses basket or a sling or whatever they'll be comfy and happiest in away from the truck and in your car, so when you get to the new house you can settle them and get on with whatever else you need to do!

Wash bag for all of you - toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, face wash, hand soap, shower/bath gel, sponge, deodorant for you etc. 24 hours worth of nappies for the little one. Pyjamas, essential night time toy/muslin/book. Bath towels
Plates, cutlery, bowls, cups, mugs (I forget which move it was that we forgot the cutlery bit and it was fine having pizza for dinner, but breakfast was rather more difficult)
2 changes of clothes each, inc shoes (you don't want all the toddlers shoes getting packed when they don't have any on, or you not being able to find work/school shoes on Monday morning)
Chargers and ipad/phones/hot spot thing if you have one
Loo roll, antibac cleanng wipes, washing up liquid and brush, tea towel, kitchen roll.
Treat food that when someone has a bit of a meltdown because they are tired, hungry and a bit worried by it all, someone can insert instant food

Thank you so much everyone. These are really helpful.

Ill be getting the train with the kids so will have some essentials (distractions for 3yo) with us

Didn't spot it on previous lists but stick a box of plasters in there - v annoying if caught short. Also a roll of bin bags.

Thanks all!