Moving House With Young Children
If you’re preparing to relocate to a new home, you understandably may be feeling stressed by the magnitude of the project in front of you. Relocating is rarely a simple task, but moving house with a baby or toddler can add to the stress of this already stressful time. In addition to the extra stresses it puts on you, the experience may also be stressful on your child. Keep in mind that young children can pick up on your stress and anxiety and this can compound the anxiety they may be feeling about the move. They also may be aware of significant changes in their environment even at a very young age, and this can also add to an increase in their level of stress. In addition, when moving house with a toddler or a baby, their regular schedule may be disrupted. By adopting a few tips, you can make the process of moving house with young children easier for you and for them.
Helping a Child Cope With Moving
Depending on the age of your child or children, it’s a good idea to try to develop an understanding of all the aspects of relocation that may be most stressful or unnerving for them. For many young children who are accustomed to having a very set routine for eating, sleeping and everything in between, the disruption of their routine can be difficult to deal with and they may easily feel insecure when this routine is disrupted. They may lose sleep which can make them irritable. Finding a way to keep their routine as stable as possible is critical.
When moving house with a toddler, they’ll see that their home environment is drastically changing. Pictures are coming off of the walls, toys are being packed up and boxes may be accumulating in the corner. These physical changes in their environment can be confusing. Young children may not understand the concept of things being relocated to a new home, and they may even think that their familiar things are gone forever. You can find some excellent children’s books on moving that may help children better understand what is happening in their home environment. One strategy that is recommended is to pack up your children’s rooms last. Keep their toys and essentials out of boxes for as long as possible, and unpack their room first when you get into the new home. When moving house with a newborn or a young baby, this may be a practical necessity anyway. After all, it can be difficult to care for a baby without essential gear and supplies.
Remember that your toddlers or young children may be closely attuned to your pets. Calming your pets when you move house can help your children to feel more comfortable as well. Pets can likewise feel stressed by your move, and young children may be unnerved when their pets begin acting strangely. Just as you wait to pack up kids’ items until the last minute, it is also wise to pack up the pets’ sleeping pads, toys and other items until the last minute.
Improving Your Own Moving Experience
While moving house with a baby or a toddler is difficult on the children, it can also complicate the situation for you. After all, you may struggle to find time to pack when you have to constantly care for a baby or a toddler. If your young child is mobile, you may be concerned about their safety as your home is disassembled. To tackle some of these concerns, recruit the help of friends, neighbours and family members. Ask them to watch your child or children for a few hours here and there so that you can strategically pack up different areas of your home. Avoid packing any essentials that you use daily until the last minute. If you find that this is too challenging for you, you can always hire movers to assist with packing. If you are concerned about having disassembled items and boxes in your home, keeping your household goods in storage while you are in transition is a smart idea.
On moving day, arrange for the care of your children as well as your pets. This can be a very disruptive and even possibly dangerous time for young children and pets, and they should be removed from the environment if possible. If you cannot find care for them, consider setting up a temporary setting for them in the corner of bedroom that you have already emptied while the movers do their job.
While some moves are planned well in advance and take place at the most ideal time for the entire family, other moves must take place quickly and often at a less ideal time. If you are moving house with a toddler or a baby soon, focus on implementing these tips into your efforts to make the experience as easy as possible for the entire family.
