Advice,tips for moving with a 2 yr old????

Like you, we did a slow, remodeling move when dd was 2. I htink it probably really helped that we owned and worked on the house for a year before we moved in. There are some books that acknowledge it can be sad to leave the old house, etc., and I would have used them if dd seemed like the issue was a big one for her, but it was not. We constantly talked aobut how positive the move was going to be--we would have a large yard to run and play in, she and her bro would have a nice playroom, we would have a front and side porch to watch the rain, we would be in a neighborhood with children, the laundry would be inside instead of outside. And, we never made it seem sad to leave the old house. I am sure I could have made her sad about it all if I would have focused on the sad/leaving aspect. We talked aobut how nice it would be for the new family who moved in and that we would come back by which we did when we were trying to sell it. Especially with the reassurance and continuity of co-sleeping, I think a transition to the new house can be very positive without the insecurity that can come with change.

I think you are doing a great job so far. Keep it up. Cosleepign and nursing will definitely help ease the transition. A nice slow move with the remodeling will help also. My daughter and I just moved into a new apartment about a month ago and it helped that we coslept and talked about it(though it was a VERY fast move, notified of the spot on Friday, moved in on Saturday and Sunday) as much as possible. I let her pick her room(she has her own room though she hasn't slept in it yet) out of the two bedrooms and my mother stenciled it to make it special. She got to pick out new bedsheets and a few new accessories for her room. I kept her routines as much as humanly possible to help her realize that it was just a new location but the same lifestyle. I definitely could NOT have made the move without my parents though. My dad and I moved furniture while my mom played with M in her room and told her all about how special her new house was. I think the thing that finally clinched it was about 2 weeks ago when we were driving back to our house from the Y(swimming class) and she said, "mummy, look! It's my new house!" She finally realized that it was our own space. We were a family just the two of us and our house was here to stay! It just melted my heart. Our transition from living with my parents for 3 years to having our own place is finally complete now that she feels settled and man it was NOT easy!
Meg

We just moved this summer with a 22 month old. We didn't talk much about the move directly to him, and although dh & I were a little misty at the leave-taking (ds learned to walk in the living room of the old place, etc) ds showed not much interest (we moved about 200 miles away, to a big city from a tiny weeny town).

We did notice some regression in ds after the move - more night-waking & nursing (we cosleep), and he stopped using utensils for a while, although he would still feed himself with his fingers. We just went along with all of that and supported him as much as we could. Now at 26 months he is doing great, eats w/ a fork (and is night-weaned - YAY!).

We could NOT have managed the move w/out my MIL, who kept ds out of harm's way while we loaded & unloaded (grand piano and all : ). Definitely I second the recommendation to have one adult completely in charge of your dc.

Good luck!

Thanks ladies!!

I am going to continue to keep things positive surrounding the move. Actually,
I cannot stand our current house, and so it is pretty easy to focus on the move being a good thing.:LOL I kinda feel like I am pregnant-and only able to concentrate on one thing-only instead of it being a baby,it's a house!! I am starting to realize how important dd will be in helping ds to adjust to the changed home environment. He simply admires/goes along with-everything she says and does. The fact that she is so looking forward to moving will carry him right along. That as well as nursing and cosleeping! Ds is cutting his 2yo molars, and I've always had it in my head that *surely* he would be done-and therefore nightweaned- by the holidays! HA!! Teeth or no teeth, I wouldn't dream of pushing the nightweaning on him after moving. Ah well, another lesson in letting go-yk? I think the week we are set to actually move in I will check out some picture books on the subject.
oh-and I like the idea of having an adult to just focus on the kiddos the day of the big move. I think I will call my sis who lives an hour away, and see if she could come to help us. That would be great!!

Must go.....

mp