Moving is challenging. Even for an adult. For a toddler, moving can mean the upheaval of everything they know in their lives. And we all know how much toddlers like change. So whether you are moving down the street or across the country, I wanted to share how to make your move easier on the whole family.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
You know you will need to get a moving truck. You might have scoped out some new furniture you need to buy (or decided what to get rid of). And you have made lists of the new things you will need to do to get settled into your new home, like turning on the electricity or finding someone new to walk your dog.
You will also need to prepare your toddler for making the move. Toddlers don’t like change under the best circumstances and crave stability and routine in their daily lives. Toddlers might not understand what moving means and this can create anxiety ahead of time.
Here are some ideas to help your toddler be prepared for the move ahead of time:
- Start explaining the move ahead of time but not too early. You should start a little bit before you start packing. That way when they see the changes happening, your toddler will at least know the reason. Don’t start too early because this can increase anxiety.
- Read books or watch short videos that explain moving. If your child has favorite characters, see if there is a book or a video that uses those same characters to explain what moving means. If not, there are lots of other good materials about this topic.
- Go see the new place you are moving to, if possible. If you have the ability, take your toddler to see the new place you will be living. Even if you can only look at it from the outside it will still be helpful. If you can go inside all the better. Even if you are not able to physically go to the new house or apartment, show your child pictures. Help them understand where things will be in the new house. You can show them photos and explain that “this will be your room” and “this is our new kitchen”. The more toddlers can see something concrete the easier the transition will be.
- Allow your toddler to pretend-play through the move. If your child wishes, allow them to create play scenarios of the move or moving to a new place. Small children benefit from ‘rehearsing’ things that will happen. This decreases their anxiety and allows you as the parent to help them understand what will happen and their feelings about the event.
Plan Moving Day
Having your toddler underfoot during the move can be dangerous, not to mention challenging. If you have ever tried making sure the movers didn’t leave your boxes on the sidewalk while frantically packing the last of your belongings you know that having a toddler around is going to be a bad idea.
So if at all possible, hand your child off to someone else to take care of during this time.
If your toddler will be with you during the move here are some tips to make it go as smoothly as possible:
- Ensure that you know at all times exactly where your toddler will be.
- This IS the day to have your toddler use an iPad or watch TV if that is something you are ok with.
- Plenty of snacks will help your child stay occupied and comfortable.
- Busy them with helping you complete some type of packing task that you can delegate to them.
- Leave out enough toys and activities to keep them occupied during this time. Make sure you keep comfort items within reach and do not pack those away early.
Maintain Your Toddler’s Schedule
Toddlers love routine and during this time of change and upheaval, it is all the more important that you stick to their routine as much as possible.
Moving day
It will be challenging to maintain normal schedules and routines on moving day. Do what you can to stick to regular wake-up, snack, and nap times. Having these parts of the day happen on schedule can help your toddler orient themselves to what is going on and feel more secure.
For naps on moving day, you have a few options to choose from to maintain as much stability as possible.
- You can pack their bed first thing in the morning but keep a Pack-N-Play out for them to nap in. Make sure to make it feel as cozy as possible with any comfort items they usually use. Try to keep the curtains on the window up as well until after the nap.
- Another option is to move your toddler’s bed last and let them take their nap in it (this would be my suggestion). This also has the added benefit of the bed probably being one of the first items that will be unpacked. So you will be able to quickly move it into their new sleeping space.
After moving
Set up your child’s sleeping and play spaces in the new home as soon as you can. Especially their sleeping area. This will ensure that you are able to get back on track with sleep as soon as possible. The more you can do to make the new area look like it used to before the easier the transition will be.
Immediately after moving stick to your previous schedule as closely as possible. Even if you intend to change something in your routine later, this is not the time. Allow your child to adjust to their new environment before you make changes to their schedule.
Adjusting to Changes
No matter how much you prepare your toddler and how low-key you keep the actual move, there’s no denying it. This is a huge change in your child’s little life. There is going to be an adjustment period and you will have to be patient, flexible, and creative to make it as easy as possible for your toddler.
Here are a few additional tips to make this period after the move go as smoothly as possible:
- Continue to maintain all routines, especially the nap and nighttime routines you have in place. This is not the time to try and make changes. If your child is sleep-trained then make sure to maintain that after you move. If you currently help your child fall asleep do not start sleep-training until everyone is adjusted. Once everyone is, check out some of my other blog posts about teaching your child to sleep independently.
- Your child might have lots of feelings about the move and they might appear at the most random times. They might be more sensitive or anxious. Reassure your child that everything is still ok. You can continue reading books and watching videos that talk about moving.
- Have fun with your child in the new neighborhood. Reinforce all the great things about the place you moved to so that they feel happy about the move. You can explore to find fun things to do such as going to a new park or finding a new favorite place to have breakfast.
Moving with a toddler can be very challenging and emotional. It can also be the start of something new and exciting. As with most things, the way you handle it will help set your child up for success if you do it right.
Did you just move and are finding you’ve hit a bump in the road with sleep? Book a discovery call with me and we can chat to see how we can get your little one’s sleep back on track.
Hi, I’m Jenn 👋. Mom, Sleep Boss, and Finder of Lost Loveys. I have more than 10 years of experience in guiding families from sleep deprived to sleep-revived. I help exhausted families around the globe find the right sleep solutions for their children through one-on-one coaching. Read more about me and my philosophy.
