Moving, though a stressful time for adults, is also a complicated process for children, whether toddlers or teenagers. This is a huge transition for your children, no matter their age. They are leaving everything they know, a sense of security with the fear of what is awaiting in the future.
Yet again, kids are always prone to changing and this will be a fun adventure for them. They will simply need guidance at the beginning and a sense of security that everything will be just fine, and reassurance that this will be a great change for them.
We understand parents might be busy juggling full-time jobs, daily chores, and actually planning and executing a house move which takes up a lot of time and energy, therefore we created a guide to preparing to move with your kids of all ages.
Moving with Infants
Juggling between packing boxes and crying babies can be very challenging for anyone experiencing it. You have all these tasks to finish, and also want to make sure your children are taking this upcoming transition well. To ensure a successful move, we recommend planning all of your relocation logistics and baby-proofing strategies ahead of time
Keep them safe during the move
If you are able to, and your budget allows, we do recommend hiring childcare on the moving day. Not only will this ease your moving process, but also keep your baby safe from harm. In the midst of a chaotic move it’s easy to take your eyes off your child, and that’s where the real trouble comes in. Enlist a friend, a family member or a babysitter to look after them, and have an extra pair of hands to feed, play and hold the child while you concentrate on handling the moving tasks at hand. This way your baby will be entertained and safe while you focus on the big move.
Talk to your current pediatrician
Your pediatrician is a great resource for tips on how to keep a baby happy on a plane or a long ride, if you’re moving long distance. If you need to find a new pediatrician, make sure to copy all of your child’s medical records to give to your new pediatrician. Get copies of all your child’s prescriptions and have them called into a pharmacy near your new home. Ask your current pediatrician for recommendations on how to find a new pediatrician close to your new home. When finding a new doc, it is recommended to set up a meet and greet appointment as soon as you move.
Pack a baby bag
You already know one thing about having a baby is that you need to pack half the nursery with you wherever you go. This time, depending how far you’re going, pack a box or a small suitcase so that you have enough baby stuff for at least 3 days. Once you move into your new place, you might not have time to look for diapers, baby food, pacifiers, or your baby’s favorite toy. Therefore, packing a baby bag and keeping it close by will be a life saver for you.
Stick to routine
Babies love and absolutely need their routine. Don’t let the moving, packing and the whole process disrupt routine with your baby. Instead of pulling an all-nighter to pack, try to pack over a long period of time. Use nap time and baby’s early bedtime to get packing done in bits. Baby and parents need their sleep!
Moving with Toddlers
Moving with small children can be a difficult task. What toddlers fear the most is losing consistency and being left behind. They are at that age where they can be taught about moving and be involved in the process. Some parents may find their young ones adjust to big changes with no problem, while other kids need a little more help settling in.
Here are some ways you can involve your child in a move, and help them settle in their new environment:
Break the news gently
One thing about small children, they are very good at sensing changes, so your young son or daughter may already know that something is about to change. Just make sure your young child understands what’s going on or at least try to explain the simplest way possible. Let them know that the whole family is moving, including any pets you might have and all of their toys of course. Be upbeat and speak positively about the move from the get-go, children are incredibly receptive of emotional cues, so ensure your tone of voice is positive when you speak of your upcoming relocation.
If the new home is close by, consider taking your child to the new site and showing them their new room and explore the parks and playgrounds around the area with them. This will be useful and will help them understand the concept of moving better.
Pack your baby's belongings last and unpack first
Involve your child in the packing process, let them pack their own items and use this bonding time to show them all of their things are coming to the new place. Explain ahead of time all of their belongings will be safe and transported to their new home ahead of time.
Make sure to unpack and set up their room first, so they have a sense that not much has changed.
Pack your kids’ favorite toys in a travel bag and take them with you during the car ride or flight. This can include toys, blankets, books.
Let them keep those items close during their journey. Before leaving, help your toddler say goodbye to their old home, this can help them greatly in the entire moving process.
Keep your toddler safe from the moving day chaos
If you are able to hire childcare on a moving day, we greatly recommend doing so. Not only that this could help you stay sane during the moving chaos, it will keep your children out of getting harmed in the whole process. In the midst of a chaotic move, it is easy to take your eyes off of a toddler, and that means trouble for your little one.
You want to be focused on the move and the entire process entirely, therefore the best thing is to hire a sitter or even a close friend to watch your little one for a few hours so you can concentrate on all of the moving tasks.
Settling in
It is not uncommon for children to react to major changes, though some children adapt more quickly than others. Give your toddler as much time as they need to adapt to the new place and set up their room as soon as possible, so they have all the familiar items with them on the first night.
Take them to a nearby park, playgrounds or explore the shopping malls and the local pool and show them the new house is as much fun as the old one
Book for toddlers about moving
Another great way to ease your child’s transition into the new home, and really help them have an understanding about what moving is is books! We’ll share with you a few great books about moving for toddlers:
You can also check out different websites about child development and read upon what kids specialists say about moving with children and how that affects them:
Helping Kids Cope With Moving (childdevelopmentinfo.com)
Moving and Relocating: Helping Your Child Cope | Bright Horizons®
Moving with Teenagers
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, dealing with teenagers is always challenging. This is the age your teenager is going through so many changes in their life, so they know they are leaving their school behind and friends might not sit well with them.
Nonetheless, discuss this subject with compassion and understanding, and make sure you highlight all the positives of moving with your teenagers. The following effective tips on how to move houses with a teenager will help you guide your child in the whole moving process and arouse their enthusiasm about the upcoming move!
Talk with your teen
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, dealing with teenagers is always challenging. This is the age your teenager is going through so many changes in their life, so they know they are leaving their school behind and friends might not sit well with them.
Nonetheless, discuss this subject with compassion and understanding, and make sure you highlight all the positives of moving with your teenagers. The following effective tips on how to move houses with a teenager will help you guide your child in the whole moving process and arouse their enthusiasm about the upcoming move!
Involve your teenager in the moving process
Teenagers want to feel like their opinion matters, so that’s why it is important to involve them in the moving process. Even if you’re house hunting, ask them questions and let them have their input, it will help them gain their confidence and make them feel special and important. Let your teen research the new area and make suggestions about the areas and tell you what they do and don’t like about the new location.
Don’t forget to choose an appropriate date, preferably during summer months. Assign meaningful projects to them and make sure they’re involved in the packing. When the whole family is involved together in packing and the whole process it will make your teen feel safer and more excited about the move.
Organize proper goodbyes
Saying proper goodbyes to everyone and everything that is left behind is a crucial step in moving on with your life and having a positive start ahead of you. So, find a way to help your teen say farewell to all the people and places that matter to them.
- Take your child to special places where you all have memories as a family and let them spend some long private moments in that area.
- Organize camping trips or something similar for your teen and their friends, allowing them to spend some alone time with their friends.
- Organize a big get together or a farewell party at your house for a couple of really close friends.
- Help your teen make small meaningful gifts for their friends, find funny pictures and make a collage, whatever will make them happy and preserve the memories.
Ensure your teen that you will visit the old neighbourhood and friends and keep in touch. If you’re moving long distance, let them know you will plan visits to their old neighbourhood.
Moving with teens can be more challenging than with younger children, so you can always check out what experts say about moving and coping with this transition:
In Conclusion…
Moving is a huge task for adults, and especially adding children in the mix can be a huge challenge. Whatever the age your child might be, the most important thing is to be there for them emotionally, listen to what they have to say and support them and make them feel good about this transition.
For a successful move with your children follow our pro tips, and let Zip Moving and Storage take care of the moving process for you, ensuring your childrens and your belongings arrive safely to your new home!
