We have just sold our house so now starts the adventure of packing and actually moving! This will be my first real move, we were just starting out when we moved into our house now so we didnt have much, and furnature was delivered. Now we have a lot more, expecually with a 2year old. We are a military family and will be moving onto base and at this point it looks like we will have a place before we move, but possibly only a few days before. My hubby will not be here to help pack or move, but we will have a little help from family. we have about 5 weeks before we move and I could really use any and all tips for moving, and for moving with a 2year old. I am going to let her pack her own little special box and put anything she wants in it, she will also be getting a small gift "from her new house".
Great idea on letting her pack her own box. Keep her involved with packing. When you get to the new place,(if you have multiple bedrooms) let her pick out her own room. Ask her if she wants it special...like a special color let her set the room the way she wants it.
Good luck.
Hi A.! I have been there from both sides. I was a military kid so we moved a lot. And now that I am grown, I have a 2 year old & just moved into our first house!
Routine routine routine. Can't say it enough. It's what my mom always did with us & what I did and it worked like a charm. I made her room the very very last that I boxed up. I waited as long as possible. Then I made it the first room I set up once at the new house. I still brushed her teeth at night. Did jammies, diaper change & a story. Layed her in bed & that was it. I made sure I explained to her first what was happening. Although she may not verbalize as much as us, she understands all the basics. Then at the new house, let her run around & check the place out. It'll help her feel safer. If for some reason you have to break the routine for a couple days, turn it into a game of sorts, almost like you're on vacation. Then when ready, routine again. All my moves as a kid were great. My daughter didn't seem bothered at all by the one we just did. Good luck & congrats on selling anything in this market!
We have moved a few times ourselves. My daughter just turned three when we moved from CA to NV. It was a little hard for her to see everything in boxes. So I let her draw on the boxes and packed her things last. I think letting her help you pack her things would be very helpful. Good Luck on your move.
It will be the first of many moves if you are a military family. Do not over pack the boxes so they are easy for you to lift and move yourself. Make sure if it is something of real value to you, like china it is well wrapped to reduce breakage. Label all boxes on the top and all sides with your name, what room, contents and number the boxes. Keep a list of what is in each box and give a copy of the list to another family member. This is good training for when the military moves you.
I always start with things I don't really need and use on a daily basis and get rid of things I haven't used in the past year unless it is a Holiday Decoration. This is a good time to weed out junk. If she shows an interest let her help by putting things into boxes too (ones you will obviously repack later, LOL).
Sounds exciting. I think you are on the right track letting your little girl pack her own box. Let family help as much as you like and you will make the transition in remarkable time. Good Luck in your new place.
LABEL the boxes with which room they should be delivered into and a basic description of what is in them. (put this label on the top and at least one side of the box. Also, number or letter code each box and then keep a master list with the contents of each box. Then, when you're looking for the CHristmas decorations or whatever, you know you're looking for box 8-B, for example.
The location the box is supposed to end up in is what really helps the movers, whether they be family, friends, you, etc... It doesn't all need unpacked that day, but the boxes all need off the truck and into the house.
Also- start gathering boxes NOW...you will need a lot. And you can start packing now, like summer clothes, and extra books and toys, etc. Don't feel like you have to keep your house "intact" as a complete home at this time--you are in the process of moving and anything you can do to prepare now will help later.
My husband got a job promotion that was in effect immediately one time when we were living in Indiana. The job was in Colorado and he left 3 days after getting the job. I had a 16 month old, and a 31 month old, and was left to do everything by myself. I had stopped bartending about a year and a half before, which was where I had met all my friends, so when I quit, all my friends found another partying buddy, so I was left with basically no friends. When you stay at home, it takes a while before you realize that you can still make friends, so I was basically ALONE. So, what I did was packed up everything in boxes that said what room they went in, and also a post it on it with what was in the box. I knew when I got to Colorado, I was going to be busy with getting kids rooms and toys set up, so if I needed something, I was going to need to be able to find it fairly easily. I was so thankful that I marked the boxes this way! Anyway, I packed up pretty much everything towards the end, which I had about 30 days to do, plus list the house and find a house in Colorado for us to move into....The last week, the toys that were left were all in the livingroom. We were using all paper plates, cups, and plastic silverware. The last few days, I packed up all our clothes in suitcases. It was very very stressful, actually had to call my doctor and get some zanex (or however it's spelled), but I made it! It was very stressful trying to get everything done with two very small children, but I usually worked until midnight or later after they'd gone to bed, which gave me a solid 4 hours or more worth of uninterrupted packing. Also, the first thing I'd do when you get to the new house is get her room set up with her bed, bedding, and toys put out. Not only will it get her excited about having her own new room, but it will give her something to do while you're working on other things. I did my kids' bedrooms and the bathroom first. Good luck! It's not as bad as it seems it will be!
Hi!
Everyone is on the right track with the actual packing info...labeling properly is key, but I would like to address your little one! I moved with my two year old when I was 8 months pregnant with my 2nd daughter, so I have some experience with this! Not only was I prego, but she went from a crib at her old house to a toddler bed at the new one! We had a lot of changes going on in a very short time, but had no problems as a result of how we chose to handle the situation.
The most important thing you can do is talk to your daughter. Let her know EXACTLY what is going to happen and when it is going to happen. You could even start a countdown calendar and have a small daily task for her to "help" you with so the move will be easier. I would also put an empty box in her room so she gets used to seeing them. She can play with it for awhile and then slowly start filling it as the move approaches. She will think it is cool to be a big girl helper, too!
Emily was really curious about everything we were doing when we were preparing to move, so we just told her what we were doing. I think we as parents make it a bigger deal than it actually ends up being. As long as you stay calm, she will, too. Kids will pick up on whatever you decide to emote, so even if you are freaking out on the inside and your to-do list is a mile long, make sure you take time out to answer her questions and read the book she brings you when you are in the middle of chaos. It will make you life a lot easier!
As soon as you get access to your new place, even if it is only a few days before you move...go there! Take her to the new place and show it to her empty. Seeing it ahead of time is helpful because then you can spend the next few days answering any questions she has so that when you actually get there, it is familiar. You can take pictures, too and print them out so she can get used to it. Once all of her things are there it will feel more like home, but the familiarity will be there before that, too. Does that make sense?
Moving is tough no matter how old you are. Just remember to keep a cool appearance and if you have family over to help you pack, make sure everyone knows to include your daughter so she doesn’t feel left out of the process. GOOD LUCK!
definatly label each box with what room they go in! this was very helpful as when we moved two years ago, the first rooms we set up were my daughters and the kitchen. and i started packing weeks in advance also, start with what you don't se ona daily basis- end with your daughter's room and the bathroom so it won't be as hard to take care of her. good luck!
