But does anyone have any tips on how to handle a move with a just-turned-two toddler? I’ve tried having a couple of "conversations" (I’m laughing hysterically inside as I say that) with Chance… or rather I’ve talked about "our new house" and "you’ll have a new room", blah blah blah… and he’s ignored me. That’s his big thing right now… utterly ignoring everything I say.
So… In…Fruriating!!
Actually, I think it’s more like he wants to control the conversation. Even topics of interest to him are subject to a little toddler-control dance. For example…
ME: "Hey Chance, want to brush your teeth?"
Chance hears "teeth" (he loves brushing his teeth) and hurtles into the bathroom. He then proceeds to pull out all his bath-time foam alphabet letters to practice his sounds.
ME, holding out his toothbrush: "Chance want to brush your teeth?"
CHANCE (holding various letters): "P! puh puh puh… D! duh duh…"
ME: "Chance? Want your toothbrush?"
CHANCE (doesn’t even look at me): "A!… B!"
ME: "Chance want to brush your teeth?" (repeat, like, ten more times)
CHANCE, plays with letters. Knocks something painful into my ankle.
ME: "CHANCE! Want… to… brush… OK, forget it, out of the bathroom!"
And then the wailing.
Oy.
So anyway, given that we are not having real, two-way, interactive conversations at the moment I’m at a bit of a loss on how to make the transition go smoothly. (Smoothly is probably too much to hope for anyway, huh?) I know he understands loads and his vocabulary is improving quite a bit and often he’ll talk to me lengthily in babble-speak… but he’s keeping the initiation of such conversations firmly in his court. I can keep talking (as he ignores me) but I’m not sure I’m saying the right things. You know?
I also don’t know how long these transitions can take for a kid to get adjusted. And I admit, I’ve been so busy with everything else I haven’t done any research. (Bad mommy!)
As for actually coordinating the move, we’re going to try to get all the big furniture both moved and set up in a day(!), we’re planning on Chance sleeping with us a few nights, and I figure it will be wise to set up his room with all his toys first.
Any other suggestions? Experiences? Good bribing advice?
Our move is scheduled to begin this Monday, with all the big furniture moving on Wednesday. I’m hoping to have Chance’s room set up that night. Then on the following Saturday Keen is bailing town to go to race car school.
How does fate keep handing him these cush schedules? – wg
Moving is stressful even for adults. I would let him help pack his toys that way he knows all his stuff is safe.
Benedryl baby!!
Can I still be his Godmother?
I just did this, moving halfway across the country, no less. Here are my suggestions:
Talk to him in a general way about the move. Tell him that he’s going to live in a new house and will have a new (bigger?) room. Be sure to stress that it’ll be a new house, and that Mommy, Daddy, and Chance will all live there together. Jack was upset about the idea until he got that it would be all three of us us plus his stuffed tiger.
Don’t have him around when the moving truck comes, as he’ll get upset watching all of his stuff go into the truck and go away. But, when the truck arrives with his stuff, that’s super cool and he’ll love it. Unpack all of his stuff first and have his room set up so he’s comfortable right away. It’s amazing how much of a difference it will make having his toys there.
When you first move in, take him all around the house, the yard, and so on, telling him that all of it is Chance’s new room, Chance’s new house, and so on. He will get it.
Expect some touchiness, sensitivity, and tantrums for a while, but be assured it won’t last… as least, no more than his usual tantrum level.
Good luck, and email me if you need any help. Like I said, I JUST went through this.
No advice for you. absolutely none. sorry
Thanks Betsy! Those are good tips.
I just noticed that I can’t spell “infuriating”. How sad is that? That’s what I get for being all fancy with spacing.
WJ was much younger when we moved (twice in one year) so not much help from here other than suggesting that no matter how stressed you are, or how much you have to do, just remember Chance will still need Mommy time, so try to stop for 5 or 10 minutes every hour to just do something with him.
Good luck!
I wouldn’t worry too much about the transition. As long as he still has his stuff and he knows his parents are with him, he’ll be OK.
He might have trouble falling asleep for a little bit in his new place.
But the new house is a new adventure – a new place to explore. So it’ll be fun too.