Babies are simple yet complex creatures where they feel things that they cannot put into words. Or they put into words that only they fully understand. This is why moving with a baby from house to house, country to country can be a real challenge. However, it does not have to be if you prepare in advance. You just have to plan well, prepare with them in mind (obviously), and follow this guide for moving house with a baby. But also speak to a professional, this article is merely a little guideline.
Regardless of if you are moving with a baby to a new house across the street or moving across the country with a baby, it is important that you get their papers in order. This can mean their birth certificate, medical papers, passport if it is an overseas move etc.
You should research what is needed when moving with a baby as well as speak to other people who have moved recently. It is best to be as prepared as you can as soon as you can. Starting with the baby’s paperwork (since you may not want them to do it themselves) is the first tip for creating a smooth move with a baby. This can also apply to moving overseas with your baby, obviously. Plus, these upcoming tips can work for all types of moves with babies.
Regardless of the age of the baby from a newborn to a toddler, it is a wise move to talk to them about the move. It can help put them at ease as well as understand what is happening. Certainly so for a toddler. A newborn is a different story. Newborns may not understand you, but they can pick up on your emotions. If a move is stress-free for you it is stress-free for the baby, too.
Therefore, your communication with your newborn is shown through your body language instead of your words. You would want to do a lot of breathing to keep yourself calm. If you are calm, they will be calm too. Or at least less stressed and crying.
Schedules are important not only in terms of moving but also raising another human being. Sticking to your baby’s schedule while implementing a moving one can be a touch tricky. However, if you plan out then moving with kids can work out.
You know your baby’s schedule by now such as when they sleep, eat, stay awake, play, learn, etc. Therefore, you can work your moving schedule around theirs. You should begin this moving process as soon as possible since you may need a bit longer time to move around the baby’s schedule. Remember to give yourself enough time to make the move smooth while sticking with the predetermined schedule that has already been set by the little one.
When they are asleep you can pack a bit. Plus, when they are awake they can feel like they are helping. Just make it fun for them. When they eat, you feed them, eat as well, and even take a tiny break. Once your moving routine gets going it will be easier to handle. However, remember to include breaks for yourself from both routines. You too need rest.
Part of your moving schedule while moving house with a baby is packing so you would want to plan that out to the “T.” When do you pack what? How do you pack it? Do you pack it or hire someone else to pack? If it is the latter then you would want to make sure your baby is safe during that process and is with a family member, friend, or babysitter to keep them calm and happy. While you are making sure the packing is going as it should. Or you can leave it up to the professionals and spend time with your baby.
If you plan to do the packing yourself when you would want to start with the items that are rarely used and work down to the regularly used ones. Pack room by room leaving the baby’s room for last. Label the boxes clearly and plan out your days accordingly. Also, remember to get the correct packing materials as well as tape. And then more tape. And another round of tape. There is a lot that can go into packing but making a schedule will help with it.
On the day of the move, or a day before, you would want to have a bag of baby’s essentials with you. You would have packed up the baby’s room already but remember to keep out items that you will need during the trip. Such as:
You can also use a tablet for them to watch age-appropriate cartoons as well as to play games if they can. Anything to keep them busy is worthwhile during an especially long trip. Or you can get them a new toy that they will be enchanted with throughout the whole trip. If you are lucky.
Asking for help is key when you have a baby on hand, same for moving with a baby. You can ask family and friends to help with the packing, loading, and unloading, or to babysit. Or you can also hire professionals to take on the load of loading and packing. Also, there are people that you can hire to organize your whole move for you (more on that later).
You would want to ask for help before the day off so that you can get help on the day of the move.
Another thing to note is safety while moving with a baby. This is logical since you do have a little one crawling around and has not yet registered that they can get hurt (maybe even again). Therefore, you would want to make safety preparations for your baby. This can be to make sure they have a sitter on the day of the move. As well as to give them a room for their own place to play with their favorite toys while the boxes are moving out of the house. A baby gate can be useful to keep them in one place. Just check their diapers for any screwdrivers (see Rugrats if you are too young to get the reference).
One of the best ways you can plan the move with a baby is by letting someone else do it. You can focus on the important stuff while Shyft gets your move up and running. Shyft is the world’s first tech-driven moving platform where we organize your move for you and make sure it is smooth. Get in touch with Shyft to get the smooth moving process started. All you have to do is fill out the short form on our site letting us know when you want to meet. And, download the Shyft Next on your mobile. Alternatively, you can download the app and book the meeting through it. The app is secure and works on both Apple and Android devices.
This meeting is a video call done through the Shyft Next app. You will get to speak to your Move Coach who is there to organize your moving experience and help you along the way. It happens at the time that you say and usually lasts about half an hour to an hour depending on the size of your current home. This latter is important because you will give your Move Coach a virtual tour of your location so that they can create your inventory list for you. Half an hour after the end of this call this inventory list will be sent your way.
The list is 95% accurate and you can make it 100% through the app. You can add stuff, remove stuff, and leave notes. When you have made the list 100% accurate you send it to your Move Coach. They will take this new list and only your moving information to Shyft’s secure moving board. Your personal information is excluded.
The moving board is where local and international moving companies gather to bid on projects. Yours can join this list. It is through this bidding process that we collect three or more moving quotes. Each quote is from a different moving company. What is more, is that we also collect information about the companies. This and the moving quotes are sent your way so that you can decide which mover to work with. When you do, you let us know, and we lock down the moving company without a second thought.
Furthermore, the moving quotes are fixed and there are no hidden costs even if you change something on your inventory list. The cost will remain the same. And Shyft is there for you to make sure your moving process goes smoothly with your baby on board. We are on call to you seven days a week whenever you have a question, or need advice regarding the move as well to check in on the Shyft moving process.
What is more, is that you can also visit our online marketplace, Home & Lifestyle. Here is where you will see a range of products that can be delivered directly to your new home. Therefore, saving you money as well as time. Also, there are several services on the marketplace from dog walking to getting your utilities set up for free. The latter is handy with a baby around since you would not have to worry or do it yourself.
Everything on the site also comes with a discount. This includes the services and products. Save money today with the Home & Lifestyle marketplace. Also, save money, your time, nerves, and your baby’s nerves by reaching out to Shyft. We will handle your moving experience to make it a smooth move with a baby so that you focus on the important aspects of life like your kids.
