Moving house with a babe

[mamacolleen]

Not sure if I should post this here or in the toddler forum since my LO will be just shy of 1 year when we move.. so mods feel free to move if needed.

We have recently bought our first home and take possession at the beginning of June. We need to update the electrical and plan a few other small reno's and are planning to move in July 1. I've moved lots before but my baby never has and I want to make as smooth a transition as possible for her. So what should/can I do to help her out?

She is a very intense and sensitive baby (sensitive mostly to loud noises and smells) but also very happy and playful. She's been in the new house a few times but that was awhile ago when we were first looking at it. I do plan to set up our sleeping arrangements the same way right off the bat so there's something familiar for her. I did want to move in gradually so a lot could be set up before we move in but there's going to be reno dust, etc. so I don't know how feasible that is.

I do anticipate there to be stress in her life and for her to react to that but I'd love ideas on how to minimize that as much as possible.

TIA!

[maptome]

We're thinking of moving, but I'm scared to with baby. =)

[Llyra]

My DD1 was older when we moved-- she was 23 months old then, so a month away from turning two. What I found helpful were the things you mentioned-- setting up her own things and her sleeping arrangements as close as possible to the old way, and letting her have a good look around the new house before you move in to it.

I also found it helpful to have lots of help on hand while the actual packing and moving was happening, so that DD didn't feel like she was losing out on my attention. The day we actually moved the big stuff, she spent the whole day with my mom, out and about doing fun stuff, and my mom only brought her back when things were more settled down in the new house. I made an effort to set up her things first, so that she could see right away how the new house was going to be "okay" for her.

I also think it helped that once the old place was entirely cleared out and clean, I took her back there, to see that it was empty, so that she could understand that we weren't going back there.

We wound up having some sleep disturbances in the new house, and returned to cosleeping for awhile, because the new house had new sounds and new "scary" things (our old place was really far away from any roads, but the new house she could hear cars going past sometimes, and there were streetlights that made strange shadows at night.)

Honestly, other than having a bit of trouble sleeping for a week or two, she settled in really easily, and seemed to understand what was happening with very little trouble. I would think with a younger LO, the transition will happen even more easily. For them, at this age, "home" is wherever you are.