It’s true what they say, babies don’t come with handbooks. And they certainly come with handbooks about what you’re supposed to do with them when you’re planning and packing for a long-distance move. Never fear, if you can survive motherhood, you can survive long distance moving with a baby as well- with a little help from Colonial Van Lines.
When you’re moving, timing is everything; when you’re a mother, timing is everything too. At Colonial Van Lines, we understand the importance of keeping to a schedule; it’s how we built our reputation. As such, we work around your schedule, and your baby’s, to make your moving experience as tear-free (and stress-free) as possible. However, mom’s we’re not. That’s why we dug into the roots of the Colonial Van Lines family tree to find some mommies who’ve been there and done that to tell you their most moving secrets.
Moving with A Baby
The last thing a mom wants to do is pack her baby’s go-to bestie. Be it binkie, blankie, stuffed animal or stuffed vegetable, a best friend means forever. As in, not box, nor bag nor plastic organizer shall ever come between. Not surprisingly, a baby’s favorite toy(s) are among the list of essentials you want to keep nearest to you at all times, if you want to peacefully survive the trip. As such, non-essentials should be packed first.
Non- essentials
The nonessentials are those items that you won’t need on the day of the move, such as extra clothes, blankets, nursery furniture, and décor. The smart thing to do is to pack them in neatly marked boxes labeled “Nursery.” The tired motherly thing to do is to stuff them into unlabeled boxes and hope you can find them when you get to your new house. But, if you can try and make the extra effort, it will pay off. These boxes should be the first you unpack when you move into your home. Setting up their nursery will give your child a consistent space to help him adjust to his new surroundings.
Essentials
Now, we move to the important stuff. Those are the things that you’ll need to continue to satisfy your babies basic needs while you’re on the road. And yes, when you’re young enough to ride in a car seat, favorite toys are basic needs. After you get the nonessentials in order, collect the essentials in one or two boxes or bags. These may include:
- Diapers and wipes
- Clothing and Pajamas
- Breast Pump or Breast-Feeding Pillow
- Favorite Toys and Security Blanket
- Extra pacifiers
- Formula, juice, and food
- Bottles and sippy cups
- Any medications, first aid kits, or thermometers
Get Baby on Board
Most of our Colonial family moms agree, if your child is old enough to talk, he or she is old enough to express anxiety about the moving. No matter how distracted they sometimes appear, toddlers can be pretty in tune when a big change is in the works. If you’re prepping for a move, your toddlers are really your most valuable possessions. Proper handling is advised.
To ease anxiety, give it to them straight. Let them know the where’s and when’s and the how’s it’s going to go down. The more they know, the less apprehensive they’ll be. Talk to them about the move as if it’s an adventure. You can read them some moving themed children’s books beforehand to model behavior and build confidence. Goodreads is an excellent source for children’s moving book recommendations. Check it out to see if there are any books that you think your child might benefit from.
Consistency
Babies don’t come with a set of instructions, but if they did, maintaining consistency would be somewhere near the top of the list. And that doesn’t change even when mommy is trying to declutter. In fact, when things are in turmoil, babies need regularity more than ever. Even though you’re up to your neck in boxes, crawl out in time to maintain consistent feeding and nap times. Babies feel more secure and comfortable when they have a sense of structure than when they don’t.
Seek Help
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes one to move with a babyas well. When you’re moving with a baby, a babysitter is a mom’s best friend, whether she be your best friend, family member or otherwise. Curious toddlers can be quite a handful especially when you’ve already got your hands full of packing materials.
Another way to seek help is to find some people who will assist with the moving process. Besides your friends and family members, a reliable moving company can be a great resource. Colonial Van Lines, will pack and move as many items as you need, so you can spend extra tummy time with your bundle of joy, while we take extra care to make sure all your nonessentials and essentials are packed and labeled properly. We’ll even bring packing materials.
Affordable Packages and Free Rate Quote
At Colonial Van Lines we also know that babies cost money, and so does moving. Chances are you’re looking to tighten your purse strings when you’ve got diapers, formula, and onesies on the shopping list and moving on the to-do list. At Colonial, we offer flexible packages and affordable pricing to work within your budget and according to your needs. If you have special requests, we’ll honor them. If you only want partial service, we’ll help you identify the most important parts of the house and pack them for you.
Playing games might be great for babies, but definitely not for moving contracts. At Colonial, our contracts have no hide and seek fine print, added costs, or extra services tacked on. Before you move, call us for our long distance moving free estimate. You tell us about your move, and we’ll give you a detailed breakdown of your expenses, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. You approve all services up front and we don’t ask you to sign anything until you’ve had a good chance to look our contract over.
If you want to hear more from our mommies who move with babies, check out our reviews. You’ll see why Colonial move ends with a toothless smile and a mother’s stamp of approval.
