I'm looking for suggestions on how to make moving easier for our (almost - end of April birthday) 2 year old. He's never been big on changes and I know he'll have a rough time being in a new house and going to a new daycare. He's moving from home daycare to a center, so that'll be different as well. Right now, we are moving at the end of April and he will be staying with my parents (whom he adores) for the first week while we get his room ready, etc. Then I will keep him at home for a week and bring him to daycare twice for a half day each time. After that he'll need to start full-time because I can't take any more time off work! Any suggestions for getting him ready/making this easier?
Letting him help to decorate his new room will help. Picking new items for his room (while keeping as many familiar thing around as possible) will give him a sense of power over the chaos that will be happeing arond him.
Get him excited about the move, let him help pack (even if you have to repack it later). The more involved he is in the process the less scary it will be for him.
We've moved when both of our children were about that age and the tip that really helped them and me adapt to the change was to have their bedroom all set up along with the other room they're mainly in (play room or family room)...so they see that all of their important items and surroundings are there. If you're staying with your parents for a week, do the same thing there...bring things he'll recognize and that are important to him. Best of luck...kids are resilient and I'm sure he'll surprise you with his adaptability.
Hi M.,
Moving is tough at any age, but it sounds like you have a good plan. We have moved twice and each time had a toddler. I definitely agree with the advice of getting his room and play area all set up, and if possible decorate his room as closely to his old room as you can so things seem familiar. If he (or you) is ready for a change, let him help pick out the new things and begin using some of it, like the bedding, before the move. If it possible, bring him to see the new house and give him a tour, pointing out his new room and other important areas. If you can't visit, show him lots of pictures of the new house. Our first move with kids was from WI to MN, so we couldn't bring our daughter for a visit, but our wonderful realtor went in and took a ton of pictures and even made a short video tour for our then 18 month old. Our daughter loved it and I think it really helped her transition. It would also help to do this with the new daycare setting. Talk a lot about the exciting aspects of the move and be sure you tell him that you are bringing all your stuff from the old house to the new house. I remember our last move with a 7, 3, and 6 mo old that our older kids were very concerned about what was coming with us. On a daily basis we needed to reassure them both that yes we were bringing their toys, beds, the couch, etc with us. Every day it was a new thing they were worried about. One day the three year old was really upset when I told her that no, we were not bringing the fridge with us. Some of the things they were upset about seemed odd to me as an adult, but kids attach themselves to different things. She was appeased to be informed that there would still be fridge at the new house, just a different one. Also keep in mind that moving is very stressful for everyone involved and kids take their cues from mom and dad. Try to be calm and upbeat around your son and arrange for him to be elsewhere during the worst of it. Good luck on your new beginning!
Hello,
several years ago we moved with my daughter the month she turned two (and while I was pregnant). I knew it would be hard because she was very much "not good with change". One of the things we did, was to buy the same paint and wallpaper border for her new room as we had in her old room; and the very first thing we did in the new house was to get her room painted, wallpapered, and her furniture and pictures put up. She knew it was her new room, but it looked familiar. It took us until the second day in the house to get her room in place. THe first night she didn't sleep well at all. The second night, she literally walked around her room touching "her things" before we put her in her crib; nad she slept muich better. While the rest of the unpacking suffered; getting her room to be "hers" right away really helped her adjust.
I also let her "help" pack. Gave her washable markers and let her scribble all over the boxes as I packed and labeled them. That helped her be a part of the process.
Good luck,
J. (full time working mom to a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son)
It sounds to me like you have a good plan laid out. There isnt a real way to prepare him for a big change like that, because he will react in some way. Talk to him about things really does work. And I dont mean in his "terms". I dont treat my kids like adults, but I talk to them in similar manners. When we moved, my 2 yr old did just fine, my son on the other hand, who was older, wasnt happy with the move and asked to move back. They did adjust and now are happy and great with it all, even when we moved them down stairs together because we need the upstairs bedroom for 2 more babies. Good Luck!
Moving with a toddler can be a challenge. I strongley recommend keeping him in his daily routine at home as much as possible. 2 years ago we moved from california to Wisconsin, my daughter was 3 and my middle son was 1. It was a huge change but the thing I found that gave them the most comfort was keeping our routines. I made sure we ate dinner at the same time, bath time, story time etc. Talk to him about your new home and how great his new room is, let him pick where things go and if you are going to paint have him pick the color out aswell. It sounds like you will be having a lot of change with moving and daycare, make extra time for extra cuddles and prepare yourself he may act out, be patient and constitent. I wish you the best, I hope you and your family enjoy your new home.
Hi M.-
We moved about a month and a half ago with a 3 1/2 year old boy. He was so excited to be moving to a bigger house with a bigger yard and all that that entailed, however, when it came time to move that wasn't the case. The first week he kept saying he wanted to go back to the old house and he didn't like our new house. The biggest issue for him was sleeping in a new place. He would cry and was scared being in a bigger place. I made him a bedtime chart with 10 squares on it. I sat with him the first few nights until he was asleep and then I told him every night he went to sleep in his cool new room he got to put a sticker on the chart and on the tenth day he got to pick out a new toy. That worked wonders for us and he has now adjusted and never mentions the old house anymore.
This biggest thing as someone said before is keep the same routine as much as possible. I also found that it worked better if I saved the unpacking for after he went to bed. He would get very upset when I unpacked around him!
Just give him lots of love and be patient with him. Let him know that the new house is a positive change. It will take time but he will adjust and be happy in no time.
Good luck!
We have moved a few time and my son is almost 2 1/2.
Try and keep his exposure to chaos at a min- planning conversations/organizing&packing stuff.
Come up with 2 rituals- how to say goodbye to the old house (one last walk through each room and blow kisses, thank you house we love you and we will miss you, but now we are moving because...) and how to say Hello to a new house (walk through each room and talk to it about what you are excited to do in it).
Pick a few key items that will follow him on his journey (blanket, pillow, book) and talk about the journey they will all be going on in: now, first and then. now we live here, first we are going to stay at grammas and then we are going to go to our new house.
Strike his curiosity on a few key items- I like our sink, it's white, I wonder what our new sink will look like at our new house? and then play an imagination game, what color will it be, what will be in it. I like our back yard, I wonder what our new back yard will be like? They are so into imagination and you can utilize their power to visualize to your advantage.
In doing daycare transition- I highly recommend having the days together- day's in-between get confusing because they don't have a sense of bigger timelines. Also being very very clear about the fact that this is your practice time! practicing to be a big boy and stay all day so he doesn't feel betrayed when suddenly he's there for a full day. I don't know if he's been in daycare before, but when we transitioned into daycare it helped my son to know that this is where kids go who's mommies and daddies go to work- so he didn't feel so alone, that all these kids were like him! that is a bonding thing for them.
cheers! Good luck packing.
