I’m probably crazy but I enjoy moving. I don’t love the actual moving part (especially now that we are moving with toddlers). But I love living in different places and getting decorate each place a little bit differently.
But before we get to the fun decorating part we have to actually move all of our stuff. In our 5 years of marriage, Jared and I have moved 6+ times. We have moved four times since having the little man and this is our second move since Sister joined the party!
Moving with toddlers is fun, said no one ever! Haha no really moving with toddlers does create a few challenges but it’s not that bad.Today I’m going to share a few tips that have made our moves with toddlers as easy as possible with little people.
5 Tips to Make Moving with Toddlers Easier
1. Get ALL the Snacks!
In my opinion, snacks/treats are a must when moving with kids. I recommend getting a variety of different treats that your kids will enjoy eating when you need to buy a few more minutes. It works especially well if they are snacks your kids’ love but you don’t buy often.
Treats are my secret parenting weapon. Here are 6 ways having treats makes moving easier and some of our favorite treats!
2. Plan Extra Time
If you’re a parent you probably already understand that everything with toddlers takes more time. But here is a little reminder, PLAN EXTRA TIME!! If you finish early, awesome! But how often does that really happen?
3. Ask for Help
Asking for help is something I have a really hard time doing but it can make all of the difference. If you have friends or family that offer to help, ask if they will play with your kids. Having a trusted family member or friend play with your kids takes something off your plate for a little while and your kids will be happily entertained.
If they are also willing to help box, vacuum and scrub pen/crayon/marker off your walls you are extremely lucky!
4. Make Time to Play
Making time to play when I have a lot to get done is really hard for me, but it’s so worth it. When I take even just a few minutes to sit down and play with my kids they are happier and I’m happier.
After a few minutes playing my kids are happy to play on their own or help me as I get back to cleaning and packing.
5. Use Technology
Technology is an awesome tool. I try to keep the amount of screen time we have under control but sometimes we need to have a little more screen time.
When I let me kids watch a show, it means it’s time for me to work like crazy and get as much done as possible during that hour.
My littles also love it when we let them play on the iPad. ABCmouse is one of our favorite apps. The little man loves to feed and play with his monsters (hampsters). He also loves all the games that have animals in them and I love the fact that he is learning his letters, numbers and more.
6. Let them Help
Yes, it takes twice as long to get anything done when you let the kids help. But they love it! Letting them help keeps them entertained and you can get things done (Slowly). Plus as a bonus, your kids are learning. Sounds like a win, win situation to me, just remember to plan extra time. Also, this only works for short amounts of time, before the kids get bored and are ready to move onto more exciting activities.
What tips do you have for moving with toddlers that we should add to the list?