Let’s all ignore this study: “Moving can be hazardous to your health and wellbeing.”
We’ve noticed a lot of our friends have had to move from one home to another with toddlers (or babies, or older kids). Sometimes they’re moving back to their hometowns (as I did when my kiddo was about 7 months old); sometimes they’re taking better (or different) jobs that require a change in location. A lot of families move from apartments, condos or “starter homes” into bigger homes, or into better school districts, or to a neighborhood that’s more family friendly. (We realize sometimes you have to move the other way, into something smaller or cheaper, for reasons of job change, divorce or other life changes.)
Since I moved with a baby, our transition was fairly easy. We didn’t have to deal with discussions about new neighborhoods or toddler resistances to changes in routine.
So I asked a panel of experts (i.e. my sister and a friend from college) for tips to help other parents as they move. Our experts are married, working moms, each with a toddler. (For bonus similarity points: They’re both named Stephanie.) One moved within a city to a different house, another moved to a new city (in the same state) for work.
If you’ve got a move coming up, they’ve offered up some tips on how to help kids adjust and how to make the logistics easier in the midst of chaos.
TIPS FOR MOVING WITH KIDS
- Talk early and often with your kid(s).
“We talked about the moving process and emphasized that everything/everyone/every pet would still be together at the new house. Rinse and repeat.” - Introduce new parks, neighborhood, or home features with excitement.
“We started playing at ‘our new park’ that’s only a couple blocks from our new house, driving by the house and frequenting things that were near the new neighborhood. We showed Thomas pictures we took of the inside of the house and especially his room. We emphasized cool features of our new house that we didn’t have before (‘You’re going to love swimming in your new pool!’).” - Bribe your kid.
“Give a special “new house” toy.” - Pack strategically.
“We were able to pack up a lot of the house without her realizing there was a huge difference (a 2-year-old doesn’t notice if you have empty kitchen cabinets and are eating on paper plates).” - Hire movers!
“BEST DECISION EVER! It gets it done quickly and is least disruptive.” - Set up the kid’s room first.
“The day the movers came to the new house, we made sure to get her room set up first so it felt familiar.” - Establish routines in the new neighborhood.
“Once we moved in, we made sure to establish new fun routines in our new house and neighborhood. Other than missing seeing deer in our old backyard, the transition overall went pretty smooth.”
Thanks for sharing your tips, Stephanies! Readers: Got any other tips for parents who are dealing with a move?
Love how you illustrated this post, Suzanne. I love a nostalgic photos. Ellie
Thanks, Ellie! I can get lost in old photo archives for hours!
– Suzanne
These are some great tips, and I appreciate your advice to hire movers when relocating with a toddler. My husband and I have a four-year-old daughter, and we’ve decided we’re moving at the end of this year, so we want to make sure she’s going to be OK. We’ll definitely look into hiring a moving company so the process is quick and as painless as possible. Thanks for the great post!
I really like your idea about setting up the kid’s room first, but I think that it can also be incorporated with tip number 3. Instead of a toy, I think that it would be more practical to bribe a child with new things for their room that they actually really want. At least, that is what my husband and I are doing when we move next week with our two kids. They really want a hanging chair for their room, and so that is now their bribery gift.
My kids don’t like being told what to do, so I’m dreading the day we have to start packing up our house to move. I want them to be able to help with things, but I’m not sure how they’ll react. I really appreciate your tip about bribing your kids so that they have motivation to do the tasks you give them. Thanks for the tips!
I love the #3 “Bribe your kid” tip…Classic!!!
I think that this is one will really work, come on, what kid doesn’t want a new toy!
When you don’t take tension regarding packing and moving your valuable stuffs, you can easily take care of your babies and pets while moving. Moving can be really a stressful and tedious process, but when you have a moving company to do all the hard work, you don’t need to take stress. They will do everything starting from packing all the moving packets, loading on the moving trucks, unloading at your new home, to keeping all the possessions in its right place. Anyways, I liked your tip 3. Bribing with a toy can be the best thing parents can do to keep the move with toddler smooth and efficient.