How to Make Moving With a Toddler Easy
How to Make Moving With a Toddler Easy
It’s been a whirlwind over here at the Nesting Domestic house. I’ve been keeping quiet about it until we were sure, but we are officially putting our house on the market!
This will be our second move during my son’s lifetime, but it is number 6 for my husband and I! Fun fact: we have lived in four different states in the past decade. I have a bit of a packing system, and my husband is in charge of physically moving while I organize.
This will be our first move with a full-blown toddler, as my son was just over a year old when we moved last. Today I am sharing what works for us, and tips for keeping your toddler wrangled (and even engaged!) while you move your entire life to a new house. Be sure to save this post so you can come back to it.
It can be aggravating when you are just trying to get stuff packed up and your little one is running his tricycle into the walls and oh no he somehow got a hold of a marker. Check out these tips for making moving with a toddler easy.
Where are We Moving?
For privacy reasons, I don’t share where we live, but we are moving about an hour and a half away. This will be a relatively quick move, using a smaller moving truck.
Why Are We Moving?
This move will bring us to the same town as several family members. It is also the town where we will eventually build our forever home. While we are not quite ready to do that, we are ready to be in the community that our son will grow up in.
This move will also help us financially, as we will be cashing in on some equity in our current home and moving to a smaller (read: less in utilities, less in mortgage payments) house.
How to Make Moving Less Stressful
Moving, in general, can be stressful, but moving with a toddler can be tedious on occasion. To mitigate the struggles of moving with a toddler, I’ve put together this handy guide to help you through it!
Tell Them About the Move
Clue your kiddos in on why you are moving and what will be happening. It could possibly be scary for a small child to just see their stuff packed into boxes with no context.
We started by talking about how much we love visiting our family’s farm, and how we would like to be closer to our family.
We also shared with our son that we would start packing some things away to prepare for the move, but that we would open those boxes again in the new house. Giving your toddler time to grasp what is happening will lessen the onset of tantrums.
Start Early
Whenever you move, you don’t have an exact timeline for when all of this will happen.However, we do know that it took less than a month from signing documents to moving to a new state the last time we moved.
To be prepared, I wanted to have as many non-essentials packed up as possible. That meant I started packing boxes two weeks before the photographers came to take pictures for the listing. This meant any out-of-season decor or clothing, books, lesser-used appliances, etc… was all packed up and put into the garage. This also helps your house feel less cluttered for photos, which makes it more appealing to potential buyers.
Once the house was listed for sale, I packed like crazy. Anything that wasn’t used daily or didn’t look nice for viewings was packed away. Think gift wrapping supplies, work out equipment, heating pads, bluetooth speakers. All the random bits that are nice to have but not essential.
Declutter As You Go
Don’t pack stuff that you don’t want or use any longer. Just because it has served you in the past, does not mean it still does. Check out this post on how to declutter without getting overwhelmed. The more you declutter, the less you have to pack. Which also means the less boxes and tape and packing supplies you have to buy and then move.
Use Things Up
My grocery bill goes WAY down when we move, because I am working to get rid of everything in my pantry. The same goes for conditioner, lotions, soaps, etc…Don’t buy more gas for the lawnmower until you are totally out, because then you have to move it or dump it.
Have Them Help
Toddlers want to be involved, so let them help! Even if a box isn’t packed perfectly, let them help pack it. You can always go behind them later and pack it a little neater. Let them fill a box with their stuffies. Let them see you putting their blocks and trucks in a box. This will give them a sense of control over the situation.
Remind Them That This is a Positive
Small children can easily get scared that they are going to move and none of their stuff will come with them. They can be worried about leaving friends behind, or even about who they might meet after moving. A brand new house without any of their creature comforts can be stressful (more on that below).
Take the time to talk to your little one and remind them that all of their toys are coming with them. That they might not see some of their belongings because it is packed up, but they will have it again.
My son repeatedly asked if things were coming with us. One day it would be the TV, then the lawnmower, then his stuffed dinosaur. I encouraged him to ask questions and repeated that we would be taking everything with us when we move. He even asked if the walls were coming with us! I gently reminded him that they were a part of our current house so they have to stay behind for the new owners.
Kids are curious, especially toddlers. This is all completely normal behavior in the wake of a big life change. Just be patient and remind them that you love them and you are all moving together.
Create Open-First Bins
I love using plastic storage bins when we move. The clear ones are especially helpful when you are trying to find things. While it might not be feasible to pack up our whole house with them, I’ve bought quite a few.
I use several for what I call open-first bins, which, just like the name implies, we open first upon arriving at a new house. These travel inside our personal vehicle to the new house. That way, we have a few supplies ready to go until the moving truck arrives.
You can have one bin for each child. Put a few of their favorite toys inside, so that they can see them moving to the new house. Put in a set of sheets, favorite blankets, and a few coloring books for games. Also include toiletries, medications, and two changes of clothing.
I also make one for the adults, and one for everything else. That last bin has scissors, a screwdriver, disposable plates and utensils, batteries, a blow up mattress (if needed), cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, and trash bags. Essentially, anything we’ll need overnight, plus supplies to prepare our new house before the furniture is moved in.
Comfort and Reward
Like I said earlier, moving is stressful in general. Even more so for a small human who generally doesn’t have much say in the grand scheme of their lives. Give your toddler comfort if they are struggling with the move. Be there for them if you notice tantrums escalating.
Reward them for their patience, even if it seems like a small thing. Help them to have some control where they can, and give them grace during a big life change.
Moving with a toddler doesn’t have to be stressful. Give yourself some grace if you don’t react perfectly, and remember that this is a small blip in your little one’s life. Check out my post on organizing toys for more helpful tips.
What has helped you when moving with a toddler? Are there any tips you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
