Hello World! Welcome Friends! When moving, especially with a baby (and yes, your baby will be), it often feels like one of the most stressful and least anticipated tasks to face. Unpacking can feel as daunting as scaling Mount Everest. As a parent, you’ve got a baby who needs constant attention, while also trying to organize your new living space. For all the new or soon-to-be parents, here are 10 simple tips on how you can tackle unpacking in your new home with a little one, whether you’re doing it alone or with the help of New Jersey movers to ease the burden.
1. Prioritize the Nursery
Ask the movers to load up the truck with nursery items, i.e. crib, changing table and rocking chair after it is filled. So they can be quick with dropping all of your stuff off and next you up the nursery first before you arrive. Once inside your new house, have them set the crib up straight away This ensures your baby maximized their nap time which gives you some free time to also focus on the rest of the house.
2. Nap Time and After Bedtime Unpacking
If your postpartum baby is feeding every two hours or you’ve got a sitting/crawling/walking (gawd help ye) curious baby who follows you round, unpacking when the enemy is awake has its own set of challenges. Use baby nap times and bedtime to get anything you can done. If you live in close quarters and sounds of unpacking will bother your neighbors (keep those boxes), consider getting white noise machines to block/ drown out said sounds.
3. Try to Keep to the Baby’s Schedule
Both babies and parents benefit from routine. Take the time while unpacking (as much as you can) to keep within baby schedule. Sure, moving day can bring some chaos and might interrupt their nap or feed schedule a bit, but do your best to work on getting them back into the groove once you are settled. Having a regular routine to your day will also help to settle your baby into the new house and therefore assist with nighttime sleeping, of everyone.
4. Have Snacks and Meals Ready
Unpack the fridge and pantry basics early on in the moving process. Have a stash of baby snacks and easy meals on hand for when time is limited. If you can, set up the highchair or take a travel one. If you can get it a few days before the move, all the better — this will save you a lot of grief on moving day depending on when your move is, for at least another two.
5. Clean the house and replace some air filters
The health and safety of your baby comes first, therefore you must make sure that the new home is clean. Be sure to clean the air vents and filters too, which also collects dust and allergens. After tidying your place, you can start to unpack conveniently.
6. Ask for Help
Going through with a Baby is no small task, make sure you call in for help This can be anything from asking a relative, friend or babysitter to watch over your little one while you unpack some boxes. Why not have someone else focus on the baby while you keep unpacking?
7. Make a Safe Environment for Baby
But, secure a space for your babe as you tackle the task of unpacking. Create a play area for them to do their thing, while you get down to business. All potential hazards like open outlets or hard surfaces that a child might fall on should be addressed. For your the youngest babies, if you have them, this would be a great time to put them in a pack-and-play while they are safely confined and the rest of the house gets unpacked.
8. Prepare Some Areas Before the Move
Organizing key areas in advance of the move helps you dive straight into place when unpacking. Start moving food, clothes, and toiletries as soon as possible to focus on spaces like the pantry, fridge, closets and baths. If you already have these areas in place when the movers show up, it will streamline the process when most of your shit arrives and an infant just cry-shits itself on repeat as you wonder if this was all a giant fucking mistake.
9. Have Toys and Books Ready
Be sure to have plenty of toys and books on hand so that baby can be entertained while you unpack. With babies as young as yours, having a tummy time mat complete with toys or teething accessories that can be hung is likely all they will need to keep them entertained. An older baby could need an assortment of distractions like stuffed animals, blocks, light-up toys and interactive board books. A few fresh toys can also be a welcome change to help keep their attention for longer.
10. Babyproof the New Home ASAP
Regardless of the type of home you live in, babyproof before tackling the unpacking process. Outlet covers, baby gates, toilet lid locks and other childproofing tools will help ensure your home is safe right off the bat. While you finally have the chance to organize your new home, you can rest easy knowing your child is exploring in a babyproof environment.
11. Moving Day Essentials Bag
Having everything you need to unpack with a little baby is much more complicated if you do not have it in one quickly and efficient place. A first night boxes and bags will reduce the stress in the day of moving house. Must have items for your bag list:
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Diaper cream
- Portable changing pad
- Several onesies and pajamas
- White noise machine
- Monitor and charger
- Soothers and dummies for naps
- Swaddle or sleep sack
- Favorite toys and books
- Pack-and-play for easy naps
Hire Professional Movers
Professional movers make the heavy lifting easier, and unpacking with a baby will be a lot easier. It lets you focus on your baby and taking some of the stress out of moving. Thankfully, there are services you can use that have a network of licensed and insured movers to handle everything involved in moving day so that you can do what is really important. Good luck with your move and hope you love your new place.
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Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
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