While getting a new home can be exciting, moving house with a toddler can be challenging. Change causes anxiety and stress to the little one. The new home, new neighbours, and the moving process can be reasons for the stress. Thankfully, you can help them avoid stress.
You can make moving easier for your toddlers by telling them in advance. It helps them prepare mentally, and their curiosity about the new home could trigger excitement. You can also involve your kid in making decisions and checking on them frequently to know how they feel.
Why Moving with a Toddler is Hard
While you could expect your kid to be excited about the new home, they get more worried about leaving their friends behind. Your child is also afraid of going to a new school; if they struggle with meeting new teachers and other kids, the move will be harder on them.
Some signs your kid is affected by the move are if their eating habits change, they suffer headaches, or they start bedwetting. Other kids get less sleep, become clingier, and could start isolating themselves.
However, not all kids are negatively affected by moving houses. Some understand the excitement of a new space and will be eager to move to the new home and make friends. However, since you can hardly tell if your child will be affected by the move, prepare them early.
How to Move With a Toddler
By preparing your kids earlier, you can avoid tantrums, crying, and rebellion on a moving day.
Some of the ways to keep them calm during the transition are:
1. Tell Them about the Move Early
Your excitement about moving could get in the way, and you forget to tell your child about the new home. Other parents think kids don’t need to know about the move because they won’t get involved or affected.
Surprisingly, just as hard as change can be for adults, it is also hard for your child. Informing them about the move earlier can help them relax before D-day. You should also explain to your child why you are moving and assure them that it is for a good reason.
2. Be Open about their Reaction
Moving is a big deal to your child, and they will react to the news. Acknowledge how they feel and give them time to process the feelings. They could be sad, confused, and unhappy. Other kids cry at the realization that they will leave their friends behind.
Do not stop your toddler from feeling the emotions. You should also check up on them regularly and answer their questions. That helps them be calmer, and listening to them makes communication easier.
3. Let the Toddler Make Decisions
You don’t expect to ask your child to choose the best house or town to move to, but you can involve them in minor decisions. For example, let them choose the clothes they want to carry and those to give out.
You can also let them decide the colour of their bedroom walls, bedding, and bed. However, ensure you draw a line on the decisions you involve your young one. For example, if your kid is an introvert, you can help them make friends by encouraging them to mingle with other children.
4. Pack your Bags Early
Packing household items takes a lot of time and is stressful. Unfortunately, waiting for the last day to pack can make you forget some things due to the rush. Besides, it will be less friendly to toddlers if they get in the way. You’ll end up shouting at them during the last-minute rush.
Unfortunately, shouting at your toddlers can increase the moving stress and anxiety; you don’t want to experience this when your movers are waiting. Packing your items on time will allow you to involve your kid in the exercise.
If you are not packing early due to a lack of boxes, you can rent some from Vaultra Storage. We provide movers with durable, water-resistant, and easy-to-carry rental bins to make the moving process easier.
5. Do Not Pack their Favorite Toys too Early
Most people want to pack everything at once to have fewer things to worry about on the day of moving. However, packing your toddler’s toys and favourite items is not good. Other favourite things could be a spoon, a cup, or a pair of shoes they like wearing.
Although it will take you extra time to pack these items on the last day, you will have peace of mind doing it. You can ask your little girl or boy the items they would like you to pack last.
6. Make the Move Fun
Even though your toddler will resist moving to a new neighbourhood, you can make them forget about it for a while by making the moving fun. For example, ask them to lift small items, so they are preoccupied. That’s because letting them stay idle builds up stress making a move harder.
You can also arrange a small farewell party and invite your kid’s friends to say goodbye. If the journey is too long, take some exciting stops to have fun and eat. You can also plan a short trip with your kid once the move ends.
7. Visit the New Home Before Moving In
Moving with toddlers is hard if they go to an entirely new place. You can reduce anxiety and stress by visiting the new house with the child before the moving day. Showing them the house and their new playground can make them more excited about the transition.
Besides, you could meet neighbours who could be friends with your kid on the first visit. Having friends before the actual move will make them less worried on the day of moving.
Final Words
Although moving house with a toddler can be stressful and challenging, there are ways to make the kids calm and cooperative. First, ensure you inform them early about the move and let them make decisions. It is also advisable to pack early to avoid last-minute stress and avoid storing the toddler’s favourite items many days before the move.
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