When my son, Noa, was ten days old, we moved houses for the first time since coming to Beijing. My mom traveled across the globe to come and help with the move and with her and my husband both doing the heavy lifting, I had it quite easy. I did help pack a box or two while my baby was sleeping, but other than that, they did all the work. By the time the movers came to load our stuff onto the truck, everything was packed and labeled.
The unpacking part was the one that stressed the hell out of me because I had to navigate my way in our new home with boxes lying around and a baby in my arms. Seriously, I had all the help in the world and I didn’t have to lift a finger, but just looking at the mess made me tired.
But last year we moved for the second time. Now, this time my mom couldn’t come. Noa was already three and I had Noel, who was six months old at the time. I was so worried about how it will affect Noa – I remember thinking that it was the only home he had known in his short life and now, there we were, taking him away from all the familiar things. But it had to be done. And we did it.
The best and the worst thing about being an expat is moving homes. And with kids, it gets complicated times a million. Because how on earth can you possibly pack, move and unpack an entire home of possessions with young kids running about? Well, there are ways to make it easier, and here are our tips for coping with a house move whatever your kids’ age:
Moving with babies
Moving houses with kids this young actually shouldn’t be much more complicated than moving without kids. All babies care about is being loved, fed, and kept clean so as long as you provide them with these three things, they will be grateful.
You can put your baby in a swing, a cot, or in a playpen if you have a crawler, and keep talking to him/her while packing. However, as babies thrive on a predictable routine, try sticking to yours even if you feel overtired and not in the mood. It will impose some order on the chaos of moving. Especially for you.
Moving with toddlers
Moving with young, mobile toddlers is the worst so if you can, avoid it. But if you do have to move, ask for help. See if any of your friends could baby-sit for a day. If that’s not an option, set up a playpen, buy or borrow lots of new toys and let your toddler get busy.
Don’t be afraid to use your laptop or phone to play something that will keep them entertained. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Moving with preschoolers
Kids at this age are curious and want to be involved in everyone’s business, so use this. Get them involved. Give them a box, stickers, crayons, and let them decorate it. When they’re done decorating, tell them to gather their favorite toys and pack them in the box. This will keep them busy and they will be actually helping you. Also, all kids love boxes, so make sure to buy a few extra and if nothing else works, just let them play.
Moving with school-aged children
With older kids it’s not so much about trying to keep them out of your hair while you’re packing/unpacking, but it’s more about making sure they feel comfortable and safe. Your job is to make the transition as easy as possible for them. Kids at this age might find it frightening to leave their home and all the familiarity that comes with it – their street, their school, friends, neighbors.
You could ask them to make a painting of the old house or make a “first night bag” in which they could put everything they think they would need on the first night at the new house. Let their friends come over and help pack up the room, help with the boxes or just play in the chaos.
Whatever your kid’s age is, the one thing I definitely recommend is to pack your kid’s bedroom last and unpack it first.
This is what we did to make the transition easier and I think it worked. Even if you have to start packing their room before the actual moving day, don’t pack up toys, books, and other things your child often plays with. Prepare an extra box for that stuff and just throw them in once the movers arrive and you’re ready to go. Make sure to explain to your kids that their toys are coming with you so they won’t have the feeling that they’re leaving both their home and their favorite toys behind.
Once you’re in your new home, grab the boxes with your kids’ stuff and set up their new bedroom/playroom. This way your kids will have a new environment to explore, but with all the comfort of their old things and favorite toys. As soon as they’re settled in and busy playing with their toys or reading books in the comfort of their own bed sheets, you’ll be able to start unpacking and decluttering.
In case you’re looking to hire moving services, here are a few options for you that can help you with packing and transportation:
Huo la la – A common sight on streets of Beijing, Huo la la offers moving services at a very affordable price. Whether you only need to hire a van or you need the full moving service, there are add-ons offered that you can simply choose through their mini-program. They do not offer packing services.
Beijing Brother – In case you need packing services, here’s an option for you. Beijing brother offers a wide variety of moving services, including packing/unpacking and assembling/disassembling furniture. Their price starts from RMB 7/km for transportation over 10km. The exact transportation costs will be calculated based on the delivery address, weight, and dimensions of the items.
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