Guide to moving house with Children!

As you might know, we are moving house at the end of this month and while we have moved house twice before, we have never had a child in tow when doing so. We are packing up and getting bits sorted already and Sienna seems to be dealing with the change quite well so far, although I have already realised that the whole ordeal is even more stressful with just having her around.

I found this infographic produced by Volition Removals London and it has really been helping me. I don't want Sienna to feel left out or too unsettled with the move so I have been trying to stick to these tips.

Step 1. We definitely got Sienna involved with the move early, we told her we were thinking of moving and asked if she liked the idea of a new house. She also came to visit the houses we viewed and we sat down with her after and asked her if she liked it and what she liked/didn't like about it. For only being nearly 3 years old she had some valid points about some of the houses!

Step 2. Although it is stressful sorting everything out, try to be as excited about it as you can around the kids so they pick up it is a good change. Sienna is excited about living in the same town as her Grandma, being closer to the park and having a new bedroom.

Step 3. We have started packing already with a few weeks to go.. it takes so much longer to pack when kids are around so starting early is key! The kitchen and living room have been first to be packed but I have made sure not to touch any of Sienna's toys/bedroom yet. I'm going to do it as late as possible and explain it's only so we can take them with us, they aren't being thrown away!

Step 4. Letting children help can help them feel they are involved on this journey as a family. Sienna has helped me pack a few bits into boxes as well as sanding and painting some of the walls that needed touching up.

Step 5. Getting a removals company to help out can help take some of the stress of you so you focus a bit more on the kids so they don't feel like you have no time for them during the move.

Step 6. When moving day comes, see if someone can watch the children while you do most of the moving. Not only is it safer for them, it's less stress for you and will be quicker, meaning they can get back into some kind of familiar routine quicker.

Step 7. Pack a bag of essentials for moving day. Even if you do get someone to watch the kids for the bulk of the day, you will still have them in the morning or evening when everything is mainly packed up. Having a bag of thins to keep them occupied as well as snacks will be so helpful!

Step 8. Saying goodbye to the old house will help them process the change better... younger children may not understand the concept of moving home, but will understand the significance of waving and saying goodbye. Older children are likely to have fond memories of the house, so having the opportunity to say goodbye will help with moving on. If you're moving long distance, give them time to say goodbye to family/friends.

Step 9. Unpack the children's room first.. not only will they feel more secure in that home, they will also have all their toys to play with while you get on with the rest of the house.

Step 10. Get back into the routine.. Try to unpack most things as quick as possible and then resume to your usually daily routine.  Cooking dinner instead of having takeaways and eating at the dining table instead of on the floor!


I hope these tips help you if you are moving, they will definitely be helping me over the next few weeks! I'm already dreaming of Step 10...!

*This is a PR collaboration

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