we are moving into a new house in a couple weeks. i have a 1 yr old and a 3 yr old. my 3 yr old is a great sleeper, her own big bed, her own room. she isn't the biggest fan of being in the dark right now, so we keep the bathroom light on near her room and she's good. we sleep trained our 1 yr old a couple months ago and she goes down easy, sleeps through the night...occasionally waking up but complaining herself back to sleep. we do not go to her if she wakes up crying...only to check that she is ok but she is left to mostly soothe herself, which she does, sooner or later. i fully understand that i will prob have to go through all this again once we are in the new house, but i don't want to be too insensitive. after all, this will be a brand new space for both of them. i don't just want to shut their doors and leave them to work it out until morning in an unfamiliar place. i figure either my husband or i can lay down in my 3 yr old's bed for a few nights with her. i was thinking of letting the baby sleep in a pack and play in our room for a couple nights and have her nap in her crib during the day to get used to the new sights, smells, sounds, etc. for those of you who have had similar transitions, is it best to go gradually or all at once? many thanks!!
Ditto Jo W.
I would stay positive and make it as exciting as possible! Leave there routines as in tact as possible.
I would not go in assuming trouble. My kids were 2 and 4 when we moved here. I didn't even occur to me that they would have any issues and as it was they didn't.
A frightening new place would be a new place without mom and dad. Moving to a new home is exciting, not scary.
I guess I am saying you are probably creating a self fulfilling prophecy here. You are actually instilling a sense of fear because you are bracing for fear where the transition is usually without event. When they get to the new home they are going to be looking for what it is that made you afraid and when it doesn't exist creating something to fear.
What I mean is have you ever been excited about trying something. Then you go to do it or haven't even got there and people start saying oh you are??!! Oh I could never do that, too scary, too hard, too whatever and by the time you get to do it you are afraid to try, afraid you are going to fail? That is what you are doing by changing things to get them used to it. What you will be doing by watching them like hawks for changes in their behavior. You will be implicitly telling them there is something to be afraid of and they will look for something to be afraid of.
Best thing to do is pack there stuff last and unpack it first. put the rooms as much as possible in the same configuration as the old rooms. Do not sleep in their rooms. that sets you up for a month of trying to get them settled back into their old routines.
Stick to your current routine as much as is possible. Set up their rooms FIRST. THE first thing you do in the new place. That way, the kids can be in "their space" while you are doing the rest. And they will be accustomed to being in their space (having been there a large part of the day)...
And do not expect things to be dramatic. They won't be. The 3 yr old will have a blast. The baby won't care.
As long as they have their bed and their blanket or lovey or whatever the main items are that make it THEIR bedtime place, they will be just fine.
Don't change up linens or decor until later. (Obviously you don't want to paint the walls to match something you will be changing, but use the same bed spread or blankets or whatever, the same everything that you can bring with you).
Hi! We JUST moved ourselves and we have an almost 2 year old and a 4 1/2 year old. I just went with the expectation that it was all super exciting and an adventure! The positivity transfers to them. We all together set up the kids rooms first and kept them EXACTLY the same...or as close as we possibly could to what they were before in our old house. I let them pick what to put where and then we all played in their rooms for a while to get them used to it and have a fun positive time in their new rooms. (The un-packing will all get done, I just wanted to focus on them and like you...sleeping.) We had absolutley NO problems. They went right to sleep and we are all so happy in our new home. I'm sure it will go great for you too! Good luck!
-have the 3yr old "set up her room". Get her excited.
-maybe pick out some new inexpensive bedding, pretty colored lamp
-have a nightlight in 3 yr old's room
-take turns laying in her room w/her at night for a few nights if a problem
starts the first night
-set up crib for baby in other room w/nightligh & her fave toys in her room
to get her to feel comfortable.
-keep doors open etc
Should be okay. Try not to anticipate a problem, However, be ready for it
Never was a problem. Neither in my (large) militelary family moving all the time, nor with my son.
Sherry has the same idea I have. Dont expect this to be a problem. Make their rooms up the first day with the same blankets covers, dolls, or whatever they have now. Even if you have the dream of a whole new decor, that can wait for a few weeks and you can make their rooms look as much the same as possible. Give them a night light in the room and walk out just as you do now. It only takes ONE TIME to start a bad habit so dont lay down with them or put the kids in your room. Even if they are a bit upset by the new surroundings, it will take a couple nights and they will be over it. Kids adapt so much easier than we give them credit for. Have fun with the move!
We moved three years ago when our kids were five and seven and one of the things they insisted on was being able to see each other when they go to sleep, so we set their rooms up so that at bedtime the can lie in thier beds and face each other. I know your kids are younger, but maybe seeing each other at night might help them. Good luck!
