It has been exactly 20 days since my family uprooted ourselves from our home of four years and moved from our beloved Richardson to the wilderness of Plano. Four children (including an 8 month old baby!), one dog, and two adults. Here is everything I’ve learned about moving with children:
1. Don’t do it.
No, seriously. Don’t do it. Wait, I’m only kidding! When you do move; however, move with as few young children as possible. Having moved homes twice while pregnant and twice while having crawling children, I can unequivocally state that moving pregnant is by far the easier of the two. (Note I said easier, not easy!) Yes, you’re tired. Yes, you have many physical limitations. But when you consider how much hands on time a baby needs, and that by moving with a small one you. will be missing out on so much while unpacking, it’s best to avoid unless absolutely necessary.
2. Scout your new neighborhood well.
Drive by it during the day to see if any new mothers are walking their babies in strollers. Drive by it after school gets out to see how many children are walking home in the neighborhood and how safe the streets are. Drive by it at night to see if it’s a quiet street or if there’s a bunch of frat guys living two doors down throwing parties after dark. Look for sidewalks, trees for climbing, and close parks, and most of all look for a place you can see yourself in five or ten years from now.
3. Get yourself packed (even just a little!).
Packing is hard work. Partly because you’re trying to clean out everything before you move, and partly because it’s terribly hard to figure out just how much you can live without before the big moving day. In an ideal world you should scrimp, save, and do whatever is necessary to have a company come in and pack you the day before the move. No fuss, no muss, and it’s all done for you. For us that was not financially possible, so we compromised: I packed up the majority of the house that was unnecessary over the course of a few weeks. The day before the move I had packers come in and take care of the children’s room and the kitchen, which only took two to three hours of their time. It cost much less, and I was able to use my kitchen AND keep the kids happy with their toys until the very end.
4. Be flexible.
The first night in our new home, which is considerably larger than our old home, all of our girls wanted to sleep in our room. The second night was just the same. By the third night our two eldest decided to “camp out” in their new rooms while our 3 year old dug in her heels and stated she did not want to leave. Rather than force the issue we have opted to let her sleep in a sleeping bag next to our bed until she’s ready to move back to her own room (or she turns 18…whichever happens sooner).
5. Find quality take-out.
It’s no surprise that moving will be disruptive, and while you and your family are getting settled in. Those first few days I recommend planning ahead and finding restaurants near your new home that will be better than fast food. Cowboy Chicken, Jason’s Deli and Zoe’s Kitchen are just a few Dallas restaurants that offer wholesome, nutritious food that you can eat in the comfort of your new home.
That’s it! 20 days in to our new home we are finally crossing into the land of “less boxes” and everyone is settling in happily to the new home. And as for moving again? I’m giving it at least 10 years.
What is the one thing YOU would recommend to somebody moving with children?
Tell them how you feel about the move. Encourage them to express their feelings and concerns. If this is their first time moving, it could be particularly difficult because they’re leaving their family home. Share with them your first-move experience. Let them know you’ll be depending on them to help out during the move, from packing to settling in to the new place.