Moving with a Toddler

Moving is a pain, but everyone who’s had a toddler knows that they make everything even more difficult. They are past the immobile baby stage and not quite old enough to survive unsupervised for more than a few minutes. If your family move includes a little one, you’re in for quite a lot of work. But with the proper organization and preparedness, your family can move without unnecessary stress and wasted time. Here are some tips to make moving with a toddler easier.

Preparation

Proper planning is a lifesaver when moving with a toddler. Consider all of the details. When do they tend to sleep? Will they sleep in the car, on the bus, or in whatever other mode of transportation you’re using? How will they keep entertained while awake? Organizing your travel times around the toddler’s schedule can be helpful if doable. Prepare snacks and plan out meals. If you are flying on a plane, direct flights might be more expensive, but will limit the amount of time you have to shuffle the kids around at the airport.

Set Up the New Home

If possible, move some of your toddler’s belongings to the new home before you move them. Having a sleeping area set up is also great, especially after a long day of travel. If he or she arrives at a new house that already has familiar items in it, they will be much more comfortable there. This will make the process easier for them and, as a result, easier for the rest of the family.

Safety First

Also set up any baby-proofing that needs to be done at your new home before the toddler arrives. Cover the electric sockets and any sharp corners that are within kid reach. Don’t stack up boxes and belongings too high so that they can fall on a passing child. Set up gates and block doors to areas that small children shouldn’t access. Overall, make your new home just as safe as your old one before moving in the kids.

Entertainment

It’s often easy to keep a toddler occupied, since most are easily entertained. But when your family’s moving, it can be hard to keep a small kid distracted enough from the fact that they’re not home. Long trips with lots of downtime can be boring for everyone. Prepare plenty of entertainment for your little one. What works best depends on your toddler. Whether it’s music, books, or easily-portable toys. Tablets and smart phones can be a lifesaver these days, enthralling toddlers for as long as the battery lasts.

While you’re packing and unpacking, it’s important to keep the toddler out from under foot. Try to section off an area like a playpen with toys to keep them distracted.

Childcare

If the kid just keeps getting in the way and you can’t spare anyone in your family to keep an eye on them, or if you want to speed up the moving process, take advantage of childcare or a babysitter. Whether it’s a friend or a professional service, it’s very helpful to get the toddler away from the action. This lets the family focus on moving rather than child watching.

Medical Care

Small children tend to need more doctor visits than adults. Not only for checkups and vaccinations as they grow, but also for when they inevitably hurt themselves. Before you move, make sure your toddler is up-to-date on medical appointments. Notify the doc that you’re moving. If you have to change to another doctor after the move, look into new doctors beforehand. You don’t want to arrive at your new home only to have a sick toddler without a pediatrician lined up.

Toddlers are at a fun and exciting stage in life, but they sure do make things more complicated for the rest of the family. Next time you have to move with a toddler, use this guide to make the process at least a little easier on everyone involved. If you want more moving tips, check out Porta-Stor’s other blogs, such as this one going over how to make it easier to move with a pet.