METCALF MOVING BLOG
Moving With a Toddler In-Tow: Tips for a Smooth Transition
Moving with a toddler is rarely ideal, but if the need to relocate has arrived, don’t stress! You can follow some tried-and-true tips to make your household relocation day (and the transition period after it) go as smoothly as possible.
1. Recruit Help for Moving Day
As you already know, toddlers require much time and attention. This isn’t going to be any less accurate on the day of your move, which is why it’s a good idea to recruit help from a family member or other trusted caregiver on moving day.
Having a caregiver handle things like diaper changes, mealtimes, and even just keeping your toddler entertained can go a long way in freeing up your limited time and resources. From there, you can focus on completing your move and settling your family into your new place as quickly as possible.
2. Research Daycares Well in Advance
If your toddler is in daycare and you’ll be moving away from your current childcare facility, finding a daycare at your new place as soon as possible will be necessary. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for daycares to fill up and have a year-long waitlist (or longer!)
With this in mind, securing a daycare as promptly as possible is in your best interest once you know where you’ll be moving. If you can’t find a facility with openings by the time of your move, consider temporarily hiring a sitter or nanny to provide care in your home until a spot opens up at the daycare of your choice.
3. Childproof Your New Place
If possible, visit your new home before move-in day to complete any childproofing needed before your toddler arrives. This way, you can focus more on settling in and less on worrying about what your toddler might get into once you arrive at your new home.
Some areas to focus on while childproofing include
- Stairways
- Cabinets (especially cabinets where you store medicine or chemicals),
- Window treatments (such as dangling blind cords)
- Electrical outlets
4. Prepare Your Toddler for the Move
As much of a transition as this move will be for you, the adjustment can be even more difficult for a toddler who doesn’t necessarily understand what’s happening. With this in mind, preparing your child for the move as much as possible ahead of time is essential.
You can accomplish this by reading children’s books about moving, watching child-friendly television shows about moving, and (depending on your toddler’s age) simply having an honest conversation about what to expect.
If your toddler will be attending a new daycare or will have a new nanny/sitter after the move, try to set up a meet-and-greet ahead of time to ease the transition as well.
Need More Help With Your Move?
Moving with your toddler can be easier than you think with a little planning and preparation. Having a team of professional movers can also take a lot of the stress and burden off of your shoulders, so be sure to find the right moving team to meet your needs. Request a free moving quote today to get started!
