Moving homes is never easy as it involves a lot of planning, preparation, and hard work. However, it becomes even more challenging when you have tiny hands getting into moving boxes and small toes to trip over when you least expect it. Moving with toddlers is difficult, but it’s nothing compared to moving with a baby that is crying at the top of its lungs because of a disturbed naptime.
So, what can you do to make the move easier on your little angel and maintain your sanity in the process? Well, there are a number of small tips that can help you move homes with a baby successfully and smoothly.
How to Move Homes with a Baby?
Here are some small steps you can take to ensure that moving with a baby is a smooth experience:
- Start packing in advance
- Stick to the baby’s routine
- Talk it out with toddlers
- Pack the baby’s room last
- Prepare a baby bag for the move
- Let someone take care of the baby on moving day
- Hire movers for the job
- Set up the baby’s room first
You can find a description of each of these steps below which you can adopt when you’re moving homes to ensure that the transition is peaceful for both you and your child.
Start Packing in Advance
When you’re moving with a baby, the first thing you need to do is plan your move well in advance. Moving from one house to another requires a lot of packing, and with a newborn baby demanding your attention, naptimes and early bedtimes will be the only time when you can focus entirely on the move itself. Thus, start by packing early and at a slow pace, prioritising your baby’s needs when they’re awake. Packing on the last day is one of the critical mistakes to avoid when moving.
baby, the first thing you need to do is plan your move well in advance. Moving from one house to another requires a lot of packing, and with a baby demanding your attention, naptimes and early bedtimes will be the only time when you can focus entirely on the move itself. Thus, start by packing early and at a slow pace, prioritising your baby’s needs when they’re awake. Packing on the last day is one of the critical mistakes to avoid when moving.
Stick to the Baby’s Routine
When you move homes with a baby in tow, remember that sticking to their routine is important. Do not disturb their nap or feeding times for the sake of the move. Plan your move around their schedule instead. Pack your moving boxes when they’re asleep and even plan for the actual move to take place at a time when they’re awake and most active so that the transition will not disturb their rest.
Talk It Out with Toddlers
Moving with toddlers comes with its own challenges. Infants are generally unaware of their surroundings and spend a large part of their day sleeping. With toddlers, they’re accustomed to certain surroundings, certain people, and of doing things in a certain way. If you uproot their room from one house to another, they will not only question why but will also throw major tantrums about wanting to go home. This is why it is important to talk to them about how you will be moving to a new home and to make the experience into an adventure for them by mentally preparing them for their new surroundings.
Ideally, before moving with toddlers, it is best to take them to visit their new home, helping them understand that you will be living there now and showing them their empty room and asking them for ideas to decorate it. This will get them excited for the moving process, and they’ll be eager to set up their room with their creativity.
Pack the Baby’s Room Last
While you obviously need to start packing well in advance, the baby’s room should be the last one to be packed. You can pack away any furniture or belongings that you will not need in the days reaching up to the move, but with babies, there is a lot of stuff that you will most definitely need to keep in close access, including but not limited to their clothes, diapers, crib, and toys. This is why it’s best to pack the baby’s room on moving day itself or just a day before it.
Prepare a Baby Bag for the Move
Even while packing the baby’s room, you should mark out all the essential stuff that you will immediately need after you move in, and pack all of that separately into a baby bag or carrier. This will help you cater to your baby’s needs without unpacking boxes on moving day if you’re too tired. Baby food, milk, water, diapers, clothes, and their favourite cuddly toy are just some of the must-haves for this bag.
Hire Movers for the Job
Moving homes is a chore and if you can hire help, go for it. A moving truck not only has a lot more space than your car, which will reduce the number of trips you need to make, but the truck driver and his team can generally lend you a helping hand in moving furniture out of your house and into the new one.
Let Someone Take Care of the Baby on Moving Day
Yes, you’re hiring someone to help you with the move, but you just might be required to pick up and transport heavy furniture down the stairs too and let’s be frank here, you cannot do that with a squally baby in your arms. If you have family or friends in town that your baby is familiar with, ask them for a favour and let them take care of your little one for the day.
Set up the Baby’s Room First
Once you’ve moved your belongings into the new house, you’re all set and can relax for the day, NOT! You have a baby to look after who’s going to want all their needs catered to in surroundings that they are familiar with. Therefore, set up the baby’s room first thing and try to keep it as similar to the arrangement in the last house as possible. Familiarity will help your baby, as well as toddlers, adjust to the move better.
If you didn’t have a separate room for the baby in the old home and are planning on setting it up now, there are plenty of ideas to decorate a baby girl’s nursery. You can also brainstorm similar decor ideas for a baby boy.
Moving with a baby is a challenging feat to accomplish, but if you’re excited about the move, you’ll be able to handle it like a pro using the tips shared above. If you’re moving out of a rental property, make sure you use a checklist to complete the process smoothly.
Email us your queries at blog@zameen.com, and we’ll get back to you with our responses. For more moving tips, stay tuned to Zameen Blog.
