Relocating with a toddler

One thing I think gets over looked when people make huge life changing moves is how it will affect their children, especially toddlers. I know I did. I was very caught up with getting things completed and "move in ready" at the homestead and I was overwhelmed with packing up our place in Minneapolis and sorting our belongings into 3 piles  a) KEEP b) DONATE c) TRASH. I never really paid any attention or researched moving with a toddler. From what I have read since toddlers do not tell time they know what to do based on their routine. Moving upsets their routine! When we moved my son was 2.5, still in a crib and mostly potty trained. We had a routine of my husband working full time 40-50 hours/week and me staying home and working 16 hours per week (2 weeknights and 1 weekend shift.) When we moved everything got flipped upside down for our son. A brand new place to live, no parks near by, no play dates, we got rid of his crib for a toddler bed, Papa's work went down to 25 hours and my job went away all together. Not to mention boxes everywhere everything out of sorts. Oh and the two cats ran away into the woods. We did not have running water at the time of our move, so our routine of bath before bed went away too. My son flipped out, I mean really flipped out. He started biting more, he was throwing terrible tantrums and waking up a lot at night. I would just have to pile us in the car and drive with classical music on in order for him to calm down. I could not figure out what was going on. Then it dawned on me, oh yeah he has no idea what to do. I started to research what we have available in this local area and in our small town. The library has a story hour, the family resource center does weekly play dates and the homeschool moms do weekly meet ups with the kids. My son was also missing his Papa only time. I started taking a weekly morning off on Thursdays (for my sanity and their father/ son time). I'm very strict with the routine now. Breakfast, tv show or free play, an outing to one of the places listed above or weather permitting outside play, snack, books or tv show, nap, snack, free play, dinner, bath, books and bed. (my husband does bath, books & bed). It took a full month but his tantrums and sleep improved.

Here are some resources if you are planning to relocate with children:

http://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/how-moving-homes-affect-baby-toddler-child-sleep/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/move.html#
http://parentingsquad.com/tips-for-moving-with-young-children