Baby on Board – A Helpful Guide to Moving With Young Children
Boundless energy and youthful exuberance are the calling cards of little children.
Their curiosity and wonder at exploring every inch of their world is part of their charm. Unfortunately, if you are in the process of moving house, these traits don’t mix well with the disarray caused by open cupboards overflowing with breakables, poisons or sharp objects.
When I moved house late last year, it hit home to me how having 3 children under ten, was a little like attempting to organize puppies. As soon as I had one settled, the other two escaped through doors left open by zealous moving men.
I had also underestimated the impact of suddenly being transplanted to a new environment would throw out their routine and cause them stress.
After that experience I had learned my lesson.
A friend suggested to me that I should have used a full service removalist. They would have come in, packed everything up and even unpacked everything at the other end. That would have allowed me the time to acclimatize the children to their new environment. We live and learn!
Transitioning Tiny Tots
Moving house can be a major stress to little ones.
After all, they don’t understand why they have been uprooted from their familiar comfort zone and unceremoniously lumped into new surroundings.
Having dual rooms set up during the transition process between homes, will enable small children to feel safe in their new home. Setting up favorite toys and dressing the room as close as possible to the previous one, will make the changeover less jarring to them.
Keep them close by at night and have a nightlight on so they don’t wake up in their new room and become disoriented.
Exploring their new home
Spend as much time at the new house as you can prior to the move.
Show the children as many positive, exciting features as you can. Setting up a cubby house at the new residence can assist with them letting go of their connection to the old house and making an emotional attachment to the new.
Saying bye bye
A few days prior to the move, attempt to explain in simple terms that you are saying goodbye to the old house. Walk around the house and garden and ask them what they would like to take with them to the new house. Flowers can be replanted together as a family and will form a bridge between the old and new house.
Photos of the old house and new house, are a useful way of starting a simple conversation about what is happening, why and beginning the process of letting go.
Moving Day
Whether you are utilizing a full service removalist or going it alone, the safest option is to send the kids to grannies or a trusted friend’s house for the day. If you have organized yourself well and have everything ready in boxes and packed to go, moving should only take a few hours.
During the move process there is a risk of children getting in the way, or worse still, getting injured.
The day after the move would be the time to take them back to the old house for one last look. This way they can make the connection that this is no longer their house anymore. They have an exciting new house waiting to be explored.
Children are nothing if not adaptable.
Approaching the move with a positive, flexible and relaxed attitude can mean a seamless, tear free transition for you and your little ones. Moving home can and should be an exciting new page in your life. Make sure it is also a happy one.