Moving House With Babies and Young Children: Plan the Day Around Them

The truck is half loaded, the baby has just woken up hungry, and the three-year-old has quietly taken apart the labelled box with all her toys in it. Nobody can find the feeding bottle. This is how a normal family move goes when the children are not part of the plan.

You cannot stop children from being children. You can arrange the day so they have a safe place, a familiar routine and somebody who is only watching them.

Pick one adult whose only job is the children

On moving day, the person supervising the truck cannot also supervise a toddler. Decide in advance:

• One adult looks after the children all day and does nothing else.
• If you cannot spare an adult, ask a relative, a neighbour or a trusted helper to come for the day.
• If the children are old enough, give them a small, real job: carrying a light bag of their own toys to the car.

Keep this person away from the loading area. A truck, a trolley and a doorway are a bad place for a small child.

Pack in two sets: the children's day bag and the children's boxes

The first set is the day bag, and it travels with you in the car, not on the truck.

1. Feeding things: bottles, formula, snacks, a cup, wet wipes, a small flask.
2. Nappies, a change of clothes, a light blanket and a favourite soft toy.
3. Medicine, a thermometer and any prescription.
4. A few quiet toys and a picture story.
5. Birth certificates, clinic cards and school papers, in a folder.

The second set is the children's boxes, which go on the truck. Pack them last and load them last, so they are the first to come off at the new house. Label them with the child's name and the room. A child's bed made first in the new room is worth more than a hot meal.

The week before

• Start packing the children's room last, and only after the rest of the house is done. Their things are their comfort.
• Explain what is happening. Tell older children, in plain words, where you are going and what will be the same.
• If the new place is in a different part of town, drive past once so they recognise it.
• Check the new house for hazards: open sockets, loose wiring, steep steps, gates that do not close, wet floors. Fix or block them before the children arrive.

For a full checklist for the day before, see the final 24 hours before your move.

Moving day itself

Keep the routine as normal as you can. Feed the children at the usual times and give them a nap in a quiet room, even if it is the only room not packed yet.

Pack up their room last in the morning, and take the children out while the heavy items come out. A trip to a relative or a quiet park, with the day bag and one adult, is often the best way to keep them clear of the carry.

Do not let children sit in the cab or ride in the truck bed. Children travel in your car, in the usual seats, and with a seatbelt as the manufacturer's guidance states for car seats.

Keep the doors and gate closed while the truck is loading, and tell the helpers that children are around. Doorways with a child behind are where most accidents happen.

At the new house

1. Set up the children's room first: bed, a lamp, familiar toys and a night light.
2. Unpack the day bag items to the kitchen and bathroom first.
3. Check the water, the power and the gas before you try to cook or bathe a baby.
4. Walk the home with the children so they see the new rooms with you present.

Give yourself a slow day after the move. Do not plan visitors.

Help from the truck side

A driver cannot babysit, so be clear about what you need: a straightforward load, a clear route to the door and time to unload without shouting. If the move is a whole house with a lot of items, agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer, so you are not lifting while the children watch. Our guide on moving a four-bedroom family house in Lagos lays out the order of work for a full house.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the app, pick a truck or a pickup van to match the size of the home, and add the pickup and drop-off. In the description, list the main items and mention any stairs or access limits. Propose a price and let nearby verified drivers accept or counter. Choose the offer that works with your timing, ideally a morning start so the children are settled by evening. See house moving in Lagos for more help.