How to Move with a Toddler

In the best of times, moving day can be a stressful and harried experience. And moving day with a toddler? Even more so.

Periods of change and transition can be tough on a toddler, which means that in addition to the normal concerns—you know, like keeping them away from permanent markers and packing tape—you might have someone cranky or upset on your hands. All of this can making moving day with a toddler extra difficult. But it doesn’t have to be!

The best thing that you can do for both yourself and your little one is to go in to the big day with a plan. And to help you do it, we’ve gathered some of our best advice for navigating moving day with a toddler—including some easy and creative ways to keep tiny hands occupied (and out of trouble).

Get a Sitter If You Can

The absolute easiest way to handle moving day with a toddler is to have someone else on babysitting duty. This will give you the freedom that you need to attend to your moving to-do list, and you won’t have to worry about things like leaving the door wide open as you load the truck or having a pair of scissors lying out on top of a box.

Work with a Moving Company Instead of Trying to DIY

If it’s in your moving budget, hire some pros for your move instead of attempting to do it all on your own. Not only will this make the whole process go a lot faster, you’ll also be able to focus on your toddler while your movers take care of all the heavy lifting and loading. Use our free online list of movers to easily search reputable moving companies in your area, and get quotes from at least three to ensure that you get the best price possible for your move.

Let Your Toddler Help with Their Room

Giving your toddler some simple moving-related tasks to do will keep them occupied and make something that could be sad (leaving their old room) into something fun (working alongside the grown-ups). Set aside an easy but “important” job for them on moving day, such as packing all of their stuffed animals into a box or collecting all of the empty hangers from their closet. It won’t necessarily be the most efficient way to get that particular task done, but it will help your child feel like part of the process.

Put Together a Moving Day Box of Fun

The more distractions the better when you’re tackling moving day with a toddler. While you should hopefully already have your child’s essentials bag packed and easily accessible, have another box on hand that just has fun and exciting things that can hold their interest. This can include non-messy art supplies like crayons and a coloring book, an iPad, a few favorite toys, and some special snacks (now is a great time to relax your candy rules). Pack and seal the box a few days in advance and let your toddler know they’ll be able to open it on moving day. It will feel like a present, even if it’s filled with things they already own.

Designate a Toddler Zone

The last thing that you need on moving day is your toddler roaming around from place to place, so pick a safe and central spot where they can hang out and use a baby gate to seal it off. Check in frequently, and stick a monitor in there too so that if your child needs you and you’re not in hearing distance they’ll be able to easily get your attention. If you’re tight on space or don’t have an area you can easily gate off, take out your playpen and set that up. It doesn’t offer a ton of room for your toddler to move around, but at least they’ll be contained.

Stick to Your Normal Routine as Much as You Can

Little kids thrive on routine, which is part of what can make moving day with a toddler so tough. As you plan ahead, try to stick to your usual schedule as much as possible, especially before you have to hit the road. Aim to wake up at the same time as normal and have a lazy morning—even if that means you have to work a bit harder the night before to get everything ready. Even something little—like sticking to their normal nap schedule—can offer some reliability to your toddler on an otherwise new and unpredictable type of day.

Make It an Adventure

Get your toddler excited about moving day in advance by treating it as an adventure. Your own attitude about moving can have a big impact on how your toddler reacts, so spin it as something fun and new and work in a few unexpected surprises throughout the day, too—such as a big cookie when you get into the car to head to your new home.

Give Your Child Time to Say Goodbye to Your Old Home…

Part of easing the transition of moving on a toddler is acknowledging that it’s hard for them and providing some opportunities for closure on their own terms. While you might be itching to leave for your new home, make sure to take some time with your toddler to walk through each room and say “goodbye.” Say goodbye to the stove and the oven, to the backyard and the front door, and to your child’s favorite spot in the living room. And of course, set aside some time for them to say a proper goodbye to their old bedroom.

… and Hello to Your New One

You’ll have a lot to do when you arrive at your new home. But before you start unpacking, walk your toddler through the house and show them what it’s like. Let them pick out their room (or have the illusion of picking out their room—since you don’t want to give up the master to a two year old) and show them any cool features that you didn’t have in your old home.

From there, just work backwards, doing many of the same things that you did while loading up the truck in your old home: bring out something fun or unexpected for them, set them up in a safe space, and keep a positive attitude. While they’re occupied, get to work doing a quick child-proofing of the space, including:

- Gating off and/or closing the door of spaces that aren’t safe for your toddler to access yet
- Keeping sharp objects like scissors and box cutters, as well as glass objects and other breakables, up on the counters and out of reach of little hands
- Plugging in outlet caps in any room that your toddler will have access to
- Making sure that all hazardous materials are out of reach, such as cleaning supplies and paint
Moving day with a toddler doesn’t have to be so stressful. So long as you go into it with a plan, both of you should have a much easier—and way more fun—go at it.

And remember: asking for help is okay! Moving day is an excellent time to enlist the help of grandma and grandpa or a trusted friend or family member. The more adult hands on deck, the better you’ll be able to manage all of your many moving day to-dos while also ensuring that your toddler is safe and well cared for. Even better if you can get someone to care for them at their own home, leaving you with time to focus on your many moving day tasks.