Moving home can be a very stressful experience even if you are moving on your own, but imagine packing up and moving house with a toddler.

Everything is harder to do with a kid in tow, especially if your kid is still very young. However, there are certain things you can do if you want to move home with as little stress and worries as possible. Here’s where to start from.

• Discuss the move with your kid

You should talk with your toddler about your upcoming house relocation and explain to them what it means. Try to assure your kid that there won’t be any drastic changes in their life and that there is nothing to be scared of. Explain the whole process of moving to the kid and prepare them as much as possible for what will happen on moving day.

• Visit the new home in advance

Visit your new house with your toddler before you get started on your house removals. This will give the kid a chance to get familiar with their new home, see their new room, etc. Although your new home may not be furnished at this point, it will still give the toddler an idea of what to expect. By visiting your new place in advance, you will be able to put the abstract idea of moving in to a physical frame that will be much easier to grasp for your kid.

• Get the toddler involved in the move

You should not exclude your kid from the move altogether. Don’t try to shelter them entirely from the process – it is much better to get the toddler involved in the move in some way, so that they can feel part of the process and feel useful. Give your kid a minor task like sorting their toys for packing or drawing pictures on the moving boxes with crayons. That will serve another purpose too – it will keep the kid busy for a while, but make sure don’t leave them without adult supervision.

• Get help on the day

On moving day itself, you would do best to get some help. Enlist the help of a friend or relative to look after your toddler while you are dealing with the details of the move. If you have a suitable vehicle or you are moving just a few things, you can ask a few friends to help you with the lifting and loading. However, if the move is a larger scale one, your best bet would be hiring professional movers.

• Pack your kid’s room last and unpack it first

Your toddler should spend as little time as possible in an unfamiliar environment. That is why, when you are packing your home for the move, you should leave the kid’s room last. Similarly, your child’s items, the kid’s room furniture and all their toys and other stuff should be the first things to be unloaded from the moving van and put in place in your new home. Set up the kid’s room as quickly as possible to prepare it for your kid’s arrival. Pack you toddler’s favourite toys in a separate box and transport it in your own car, so that while you are travelling and when you arrive at the new home you can keep the kid busy.

• Get to know the neighborhood

In the first few days after the house relocation, you and your toddler should get familiar with the new environment. Take short walks around the neighbourhood and find the nearest parks, kids’ playgrounds, shops and cafes. Keep your kid engaged in exploring the neighbourhood so that they can get used to the new environment as quickly as possible. Don’t forget to explore your new home with your toddler too, so that there are no unfamiliar nooks left for them to be scared of.

Keep these few tips in mind if you need to move with a toddler and the process will be much easier and less stressful for both you and your kid.

What are your best tips for moving with a toddler? Share with us in the comments.

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