subject: Moving House With A Baby In Tow [print this page] Moving house when you have a baby requires plenty of planning and attention to detail. Furniture removal is one thing, but the stress involved in relocation can affect a baby and young children in ways you may not imagine. Psychologists warn that moving house can be one of the most stressful events in your life, and it is easy to underestimate the impact it has upon you, not to mention your family.
The important thing to remember is that with plenty of planning and discussion amongst the family members it is possible to minimise the impact and, in the most ideal situation, even make it an exciting event.
In fact, discussing the move with the family is one of the most important things you should do after making the decision to move. When you have this discussion, make sure you cover all the reasons for making the move and allow all family members to contribute to the discussion and talk about things that concern them.
Discussing concerns in an open forum is the best way to handle objections and to allay fears if there are any. Try to describe the move in as exciting way as possible and point out all the positives.
Show them pictures of their new house, and if you are moving town, show them pictures of the new neighbourhood including the most exciting things like playgrounds, schools and any other thing which might be important to them.
After you have overcome the important objections it's time to start planning for the move. If you are using an interstate removalist company, make sure you obtain plenty of boxes and packing material at least two weeks in advance of the move so you can pack in an orderly fashion with enough time to spare to get everything done on time. After all, there is nothing worse than hastily putting things together the night before the removal van arrives the next morning.
On the day of the move make sure you have someone ready to look after the children. In fact, the night before the move you should remind the children of what will be happening the following day and how they will be spending their time and who they will be with. Make them as prepared as possible and don't forget to plan some playtime for them during the day and make sure they have their favourite toys ready.
Older children should be allowed to play their part in a move by helping to pack and maybe even look after the younger children if appropriate.
Once the furniture removal is complete and you are settling into a new house one of the first things you should do is settle the children into their individual bedrooms and help the unpack first. This allows them to settle into their new environment as quickly as possible and will give them extra time to explore the area around the house whilst other unpacking is being done. Don't forget to supervise them just the same!
