7 Important Things to Consider while Moving House with Kids

Relocating to a new place is challenging and it is two-folds when there are kids involved in it. There are so many things that you need to care about when kids are involved in the process. Juggling moving boxes and babies crying at the same time isn’t going to end well. If you are facing similar problems, don’t get worried. We'll help you plan your relocation logistics and baby-proofing strategies ahead of time. Here are some of the tips you need to consider while moving with a small child or a baby.

1). Discuss the Move

Talk with your toddlers about the upcoming house move. It will help you put them at ease. Make the moving sound like an exciting and fun adventure. This doesn’t apply when you have a newborn, rather do your best to stay calm as small kids usually pick up on their parents’ stressful emotions.

 Create Strategy for your Packing Process

It is important to have a step by step strategy in place before getting started on your packing process.

Pack non-essential first: This is because your baby may get stressed looking at the changed setting. A sudden change would be unsettling for the kids. Also packing your things too early will come with challenges as you won’t be able to find the basic supplies for your baby. You should avoid wasting time by packing all your baby’s non-essential belongings in a packed box and label it as “nursery”. These non-essential things include extra blankets, toys, clothes and anything else you don’t need on a moving day.

Pack essentials to take them with you: Once you are done with packing the non-essentials, collect all the essential items and keep them in separate boxes or bags.

These items should be the one you will need during the move and you would want to take with you when traveling to the new destination. We have made a checklist that you need when boxing up your baby’s essential belongings:

    Wipes

    Diapers

    Clothing

    Bouncy seat or high chair

    Security blanket

    Favorite stuffed animal

    Breast pump

    Juice and food

    Snacks

    Extra pacifiers

    Medications

    Car seat

    Stroller and Carrier

    First aid kit

    Bath items

    Extra bags for messy clothes and dirty diapers

 

Make sure to have some snacks and extra bottles in hand at all times. Keep your kid distracted with whatever works, such as a new toy, or an iPad with cartoons.

 

3). Hire A Professional Moving Company

 

A reputed house moving company can be of great help to a family with a newborn. With children around, you can’t devote the necessary energy and time to pack the house properly. Movers can ease your burden and can pack things in no time. This way you can spend time with kids and keep a watch on them.

 

The need for a professional mover increases if you are moving long distance with kids. If you are moving across the country or to a different state, hiring interstate removalists can help ease your burden and make moving with kids less of a hassle.

 

4). First Thing to Unpack

 

The child’s bedroom or nursery should be the foremost thing to unpack when moving to a new home. Giving them a consistent and clean space can ease them with their new surroundings. You can unpack your kid’s room on day one and they will barely notice that they have moved to a new place as space will look the same as it has always been.

5). Safety Measures

When you are renting a van for a DIY move, then there won’t be a backseat for your kid. You need to make sure there should be someone to watch your baby and that person should be someone whom you can trust.

Keep potentially dangerous items like scissors, furniture with a sharp edge and cleaning supplies away from your kids on moving day. If you are flying to your new destination, then read up the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) guidelines for traveling with children. These guidelines include all the items that are allowed and not allowed on the planes.

6). Keep a Consistent Routine for your Baby

 

Consistency is crucial when you are raising kids. Indeed maintaining a strict feeding and napping time won’t be easy but try your best to keep your baby’s routine as normal as you can. This will give them a sense of security that is important during a stressful moving process. Also, staying in a schedule helps parents maintain their own sanity.

 7). Remove Dangerous Packing Materials

 

Clean your new home extensively before moving and remove all potentially dangerous packing materials. Here is the checklist you need to follow:

 

    Child-resistant locks should be used on drawers having lighters, matches, cleaning products and knives

    Use safety gates to block dangerous areas and stairways

    Keep small objects like magnets, marbles, balls, and balloons away from kids

   Secure your furniture to avoid tip-overs

    Use window guards to secure windows

    Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors alarm- change their batteries once in a year

    Use outlet covers to cover electrical outlets

     Use child-proof locks to protect medicine and prescription cabinets

 

To keep it in a nutshell, you need to be a bit cautious and organized when moving with a baby. Keep the above discussed points in your mind and your job will become a lot simpler. All you need to do is focus on the needs of your kid and the move will be stress-free.