When we moved a few months ago, I had a lot of people reach out and ask me how. Rosen was barely over a month old when we moved, and Bastian was 2 and a half. We didn’t hire movers, although we had a wonderful group of friends who helped us move. I think that no matter the situation, it is doable, but here are the things we did to make it a little bit easier.
Have someone specifically in charge of the kids
I cannot imagine how we would’ve done this another way. And this can be you! If you want to just sit back and not worry about doing the packing and hauling boxes and unpacking, then assign yourself on kid duty. We had Bastian’s babysitter(someone he was already really comfortable with) come watch the two boys. I wanted to be in the midst of the moving, so it was nice that someone was dedicated to watch the boys and that it wasn’t me.
Put your kids in a separate room
It would’ve been absolute chaos if Bastian had been able to run free as we were loading up the moving truck at our house. Or while we were bringing boxes into our new apartment. Especially since our new apartment was on the third floor!
As we were moving out of the house, we had Bastian in the front room with a movie on. It was the last room to get packed out, so it was easiest to keep him there. And in the new apartment, he was in his own bedroom. We brought his boxes up first, and got his room unpacked while the rest of the boxes and furniture came up. We were able to get his room almost completely set up before he had to go to bed. And we were able to keep him out of the way which was a relief.
Embrace screen time
I mean it. If you want your kids out of the way and to be entertained, give them a screen. Bastian watched Coco as we packed up the house, and when he started to get restless in the new apartment, we handed him his tablet. It’s going to happen, if you want things to go smoothly, so just embrace it.
Keep your kids well fed
Snacks on snacks on snacks. Food will keep them occupied AND in a good mood. We did pizza for lunch, taco bell for dinner, and lots of candy, fruit snacks, and applesauce in between.
Try to finish moving by bedtime
At least, the part that would actually disrupt bedtime. Get them in their own bed by the time they would normally go to sleep. You can continue moving boxes and unpacking after bedtime, but make the kids rooms a priority. This will help them feel settled and get into a routine in your new home much quicker.
Truly, the biggest and most helpful tip I can provide is to have someone specifically in charge of taking care of your kids. Keeping them entertained and out of the way is the key to a smooth move! You can also have them go to a babysitters house during the move, if you think this would help them with the transition easier. For us, I knew Bastian would handle the move better if he was involved and knew that we were leaving the old house for good and could say goodbye. But you know your children, and you know what is best for them!