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Original poster

Moving house with little ones - any tips

15 replies

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 14:14

DS1 (just three) is very concerned about moving house. I've been trying to tell him how exciting its going to be but he seems very worried. We were going to take him to see the new house at the weekend. Is this a good or a bad idea? We move at end July. Any ideas on how to make the process easier on him.

God knows what he's goign to say when he discovers that despite his orders its not a pink castle like Archie's on Balamory!

OP posts:

RubySlippers · 19/05/2008 14:17

is this the new house that you had the thread about? Did you up your offer???

anyway we have just moved with a LO and he was more unsettled AFTERWARDS - he kept waking early, wouldn't settle at night - just more clingy and then it passed

GooseyLoosey · 19/05/2008 14:18

Involve him with what his bedroom will be like and any choices about it which need to be made (within limits). It should then be the first room you sort out when you move.

Original poster

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 14:21

Hi Ruby. Yes we increased the offer and had it accepted on saturday. Its full steam ahead because we have to be out of our house at the end of July. So excited!!

Hadn't thought about not sleeping at the new house. Hopefully this won't affect DS2 too much who is 11 months and has only just started sleeping through.

Goosey do you think we try to make the new room like the old room?

OP posts:

RubySlippers · 19/05/2008 14:23

you must be very pleased

Your DH came round to your way of thinking

my DS is 23 months so much more aware of surroundings than an 11 month old i think

Original poster

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 14:27

Actually in the end we decided not to up the offer after discussing all evening Friday. Then Saturday morning he suggested driving by in the rain "just to be sure" - and then HE suggested we increased the offer!! That'll surprise all of thse meanies who thought I was the worlds worst wife trying to bankrupt my husband!

DS2 (11 months) is probably small enough that he'll be ok (please God don't let him start waking again). But DS1 (3) may well find it hard to settle like your DS,

OP posts:

RubySlippers · 19/05/2008 14:28

You should update the thread!

i think it took my DS around 2 weeks to settle

i could see him sort of thinking "these are my toys, my cot but this isn't my house"!!

Original poster

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 14:30

I don't know if I'm brave enough/have the energy!

OP posts:

RubySlippers · 19/05/2008 14:31

fair enough

enjoy your new home

Original poster

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 14:36

I did it. Not sure I'm going to check the thread for further comments though!

OP posts:

Original poster

mummyjaguar · 19/05/2008 15:30

any further tips anyone?

OP posts:

TwoFirTreesToday · 20/05/2008 18:07

there is an Usbourne book about moving, we read that a fair bit
we also noticed that our daughter didnt seem to quite get that we would take our furniture and they wouldnt be leaving anything behind
we had many conversations of 'will we be taking the chair' 'yes' 'will we be taking the spoons' 'yes' etc
we stuck to the usual routine on the day with nursery and tried not to stress too obviously
we also did her room first
good luck

Fizzylemonade · 22/05/2008 08:33

If you can hand your children over to someone they know and love on the day of the move I think that would be better. I think seeing their room empty can be traumatic.

I would plan his new room with him. We did this with ds1 but he was 16 months at the time so we chose a new exciting rocket themed room. We literally moved out of our old home and because we moved a distance we requested that the removal men store our things over-night and move us into the new house 9am the following day.

We had an early night on a blow up matress after a take-away tea. Then we were up at 5am painting ds1's room. As the removal men delivered our stuff dh put ds1's cot together and sorted his room first. Then we just made sure our bed was up. My Mum brought ds1 back to us early afternoon.

I think showing him his new room at the new house is a good idea, we never got chance to do that with the distance although at ds1's age he was a bit too little to understand!

I think it is good for them to see you packing too, you can tell him all these boxes are coming with you and you know kids just love to play with boxes!

LyraSilvertongue · 22/05/2008 08:36

Take him to see the new house, show him his new bedroom. If you can, let him choose some paint for the walls so he feels it's his.
Reassure him that you'll take all your things with you. DS2 was worried about moving and it turned out he thought we had to leave all his toys and things behind. Get him involved in packing if you can.
When you get to the new house, concentrate on making his room nice first (set up bed, unpack toys etc) so he feels secure.

LyraSilvertongue · 22/05/2008 08:40

DS1 was really traumatised seeing our flat empty the first time we moved with him. And he was just under a year old. He was racing around the flat wailing.

Buda · 22/05/2008 08:44

We moved house when DS was 2 and moved country when he was 3 and moved house again when he was 5!

The first move - we took him to the house and he picked his bedrooms and we got it painted the same colour as his old room. Also bought him a present (a Bob the Builder house) that we put up so it was the first thing he saw when he arrived into the new house.

Also got the removal men to give him a box to pack some of his toys himself.

Sorted his room first and let him have lots of time in it playing etc.

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