Moving to a new house is known to be one of the most stressful life experiences you will ever go through. Add a toddler to the mix and you’ll quickly discover it takes the stress to a whole new level.
However, there are ways to make moving to a new house with a toddler a simpler, stress-free process. So, if you’re looking to move and you’re worried how on earth you’ll get through it, read on to discover some of the best tips you can follow.
Pack As Early As You Can
One thing that’s going to really help to reduce the stress of the move is ensuring you pack early. The earlier you can start packing things up, the less stressful it’s going to be in the long run as there will be much less to do in the week before the move.
Start by packing everything you don’t use very often. It’s also a great idea to de-clutter as you go. Getting rid of everything you don’t need will free up space in your new house and save you time when it comes to unpacking.
Accept As Much Help As You Can Get
No matter how early you start packing, the actual moving day is still going to be stressful. That is of course, unless you enlist help from friends and family.
These days, parents often feel like they need to be able to handle everything themselves. However, when it comes to moving to a new house with a toddler, any help you can get is invaluable. So, if people offer to help, let them! If they don’t, you can always ask them for help. Nobody is going to think any less of you, especially if they’ve raised a toddler themselves.
Talk To Your Toddler About The Move
One thing toddlers aren’t overly great with is change. Moving to a new home can be a very scary prospect for them so it can help to sit down and talk about the move together. You don’t have to go into too much detail, after all they aren’t going to fully understand what’s going on. However, talking about moving and building it up as an exciting opportunity can really help to ease their nerves.
You may also want to take them to visit the new house if you can before you move. That way, they’ll be familiar with it before the actual moving day. If you can get the keys early, then even better! You could show them where their room is going to be and basically just show them there’s nothing scary about the new house you’re moving to.
Get Your Toddler To Help
OK, so they aren’t going to be able to help lift heavy boxes and transport everything, but your toddler can still be a great little helper. You could get them to help pass you things to put away in the boxes. Or, why not let them pack a box of their own stuff?
Give them a small box where they can place some of their toys and books inside, Make sure they don’t pack anything they play with frequently however! This should also obviously be done close to the move as otherwise they’re going to start asking for the things they’ve packed away.
Be Sure To Label The Boxes Properly
When you’re packing the boxes, it’s a really good idea to make sure you’re labelling them correctly. When you arrive at your new house, the last thing you want to do is have to open numerous boxes because you can’t remember where you put the things you need.
Ideally, you’ll want to organize the boxes into rooms. So, make sure you label which room the box will need to go in. It’s also a good idea to write down some of the things in the box to make them much easier to find. The kettle is a great example. Chances are, when you arrive at your new home, you’re going to want to make a cup of tea or coffee. So, knowing where the kettle is packed will definitely help!
Try To Organize Child Care For The Day Of The Move
Provided you’ve followed the steps above, the actually moving day shouldn’t be as stressful as it could be. However, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. It’s highly recommended you get someone to look after your toddler while you move. That way, you won’t need to worry about keeping an eye on them and what they’re getting up to while trying to transport boxes.
If your toddler is with friends or family, it also gives you an opportunity to clean after the move, as well as unpack all of the essentials. Even if it’s just for a few hours, knowing your toddler is safely out of the way can make the moving day run much smoother.
Keep Some Of Your Toddler’s Toys On Hand
When packing up your toddler’s stuff, it’s important to leave a few things out. Unless they are being looked after by a friend or family member, they’re going to need a few distractions to keep them occupied during the move. It also means they’ll have some toys on-hand when you arrive, so you don’t need to instantly start digging out the rest of their toys.
Consider Giving Your Toddler A Moving Out Badge
If your toddler is struggling to accept the news of the impending move, giving them an incentive might help. A great idea is to give them a moving out badge. These are pretty simple to create on the computer. You may even be able to find a template online that you can print out.
Giving them a badge makes them feel like they’re important and they’ve achieved something special. So, they’ll associate moving to a new house as a very good thing.
Make The First Night Extra Special
Once you’ve arrived and you’ve unpacked the essentials, you’re likely to be extremely tired! So, why not treat you and the family to an extra-special night in. You could order a takeaway and watch a movie together. Or, stock up on treats you can enjoy. After all of the hard work and stress of the day, you deserve a little time to relax.
Moving to a new house with a toddler isn’t easy, but as you can see, there are ways to make it a lot less stressful. If you follow the tips and advice above, you should be able to eliminate the majority of the stress that comes from moving house.
Conclusion
Do you have any additional tips for moving to a new house with a toddler? Do us all a favor and share them below!
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