Moving house with young children: how to manage it

Moving with young children: preparing well in advance

Moving house with young children doesn't come unstuck over boxes, but over routine. A child isn't interested in the plan; they're interested in where they'll sleep and where their favourite toy is. If you keep those two things under control, the rest is manageable.

Tell them in good time and in concrete terms

Talk about the move before things start disappearing from the shelves. Empty shelves with no explanation frighten children more than the news of the change itself. For pre-schoolers it helps to show them the new home in photos or go and have a look at it.

Be specific. Instead of a vague "we're moving soon", tell them that after the last sleep in this room a van will come and we'll go to the new flat, where their bed will already be waiting. Children orient themselves by events, not by dates on a calendar.

Let them decide something. The colour of a box, where the bed will go, which toy they'll take with them in their backpack. A sense of having a say reduces resistance more reliably than persuasion.

Pack the children's room last

Clear the child's room right at the very end. As long as the bed and the toy shelves are still there, the child has somewhere to escape the chaos. In the new flat, on the other hand, set up the children's room first.

Never put the three favourite toys in a box. They travel in the backpack with the child. A bedtime cuddly toy lost in an anonymous box can ruin the whole first night.

Say goodbye to the old flat

Make leaving an event rather than a disappearance. Take a photo of your child in their room, walk round the playground and the shop you used to go to with them, and say goodbye to friends. A closed chapter is easier to leave than one that ended overnight.

Talk to the nursery or school well in advance. Teachers can prepare a child for the change and often help with the transfer. Take contact details for two or three friends with you; a visit a month later means more to a child than any amount of explaining.

Get them involved in packing

Give the children their own box and felt-tip pens. Let them decorate it and draw what's inside. They'll mostly pack stones and scraps of paper, but they'll stay with you and have something to do.

Older children can handle a real task. Packing books, pairing socks, keeping an eye on a younger sibling for ten minutes. Appreciation helps more than a reward.

Moving day with children

Childcare is the best option

Arrange for a grandmother, a friend or the nursery to look after them on moving day. It sounds harsh, but it's best for everyone. Open doors, heavy loads, scissors and a box cutter make a dangerous environment for a toddler, and you can't give your full attention to either.

If there's no childcare, set aside one safe room. Equip it with a blanket, toys, drinks and a snack, and have one adult in it. Keep the door to the hallway closed; furniture is being carried down the stairs.

A bag of essentials to hand

Pack one bag for the whole day separately. Nappies, spare clothes, food, drinks, medicines, wet wipes and a charger. Put the bag in the cab, not in the cargo area among the furniture.

Use the van for your things, not for the children. Transport the family by car, where you have child seats and a calmer environment. You can park your own car at our location free of charge for the duration of the rental, so the two fit together without any complications.

Keep the basic rhythm

Meals and naps don't get moved. A skipped lunch and afternoon nap will cause more problems in the evening than you saved in the afternoon. Plan a short break for yourself too.

Make the new flat safe on the very first day

Put dangerous things away before you let your child in. On moving day, box cutters, scissors, screws and medicines tend to end up lying everywhere. Go room by room and collect them into one box on a high shelf.

Deal with sockets, stairs and windows straight away. Socket covers, a stair gate and window locks belong in the bag of things for the first evening, not in a box somewhere at the bottom.

The first night and the first week

Put your child's bed together first. Even before the kitchen and your own bedroom. Use the same bedding they're used to; a familiar smell is more reliably soothing than a freshly washed new duvet.

Arrange things in a similar way to the old room. A familiar layout helps them find their bearings more quickly. Leave big changes until your child has settled in.

Expect a step backwards. Waking at night or sudden shyness are common after a move and usually pass within a few weeks. You'll find a suitable van for a family move in our fleet, and customers' experiences in our reviews.