A cranky baby would be the last thing you might want to deal with while unpacking your items after your move. There are multiple things that you need to do for a newborn baby which will make it even more difficult for you to unpack your belongings properly. However, moving is an important part of our life and we will go through it at some point in our life.
With a good plan, preparation, and organization you can make the unpacking process smoother and easier, even though you have a baby around you.
Why is unpacking with a baby difficult?
Unpacking after relocating can be both exhausting and exciting. You must have plans to set up your new home and create your dream house for a perfect living. However, you must be too tired to deal with all these but again you can't completely relax and enjoy your new house until you have unpacked all your boxes and made your living space comfortable as well as functional.
What if you have children? Perhaps, your unpacking will become more urgent as you might want to ensure the happiness and comfort of your newborn in the new space. Small children are adorable, but they might get fussy if you don't meet their needs immediately. With the stress and tiredness of the relocation, they might become even more cranky.
You must make your new home ready and organized for them as fast as you can. Moreover, your baby will demand constant care and attention from you, they are so curious and unpredictable that you can't just leave them alone and concentrate on unpacking your belongings.
Regardless, of how you look at it, unpacking with small kids is indeed challenging. You must find a way out to unpack your items smoothly and quickly, while your child is safe and happy.
Declutter your belongings
Consider getting rid of those items that you don't need anymore. It would be best to move with the least possible items when you have a baby. If you are taking fewer items with you, there would be fewer moving boxes for you to unpack. This would make things easier and smoother for you and you don’t have to put much pressure on your unpacking schedule as well as on your baby.
Pack systematically
We recommend you spend a considerable time doing a detailed packing of your belongings and make your unpacking with a baby simpler and quicker.
- Pack your clothes separately based on the season in which you will use them.
- Pack items of each room in different boxes without creating a mess at the time of unpacking.
- In case of small items, ensure packing them first in a zip lock bag and then put them in moving boxes.
- Make sure you label each of the boxes according to its content. This will help you identify which items are baby safe and you can consider unpacking them while your baby is awake. Any item which can pose a threat to your baby should be packed while your baby is sleeping or with the babysitter.
Hire professional movers
It would be a worthwhile idea to hire a moving company as soon as possible, especially if you are moving with a baby. A new parent would be reluctant to hire movers as they may want to save money in the first year of having a baby. Here’s how hiring a moving company would bring you benefits:
The professional movers will help you pack, load your belongings into the rental truck, move heavy furniture as well as unpack your belongings. In short, they would take a major responsibility off your shoulder.
- You will get quality time to spend with your newborn baby.
- You will reduce your stress by hiring professionals, however, you don’t know how beneficial it would be for those parents who have a baby, while they are relocating.
Unpack the nursery first
You must consider unpacking the nursery first as soon as you reach the new house. With this, your baby can enjoy the same comfort as they did in your old house. Also, if you unpack the nursery first, you can put your baby in the crib and continue unpacking other boxes. By unpacking the nursery, you will set up entertainment for your baby. Your baby will feel the same as he felt yesterday without noticing a change in his routine.
The nursery will have every item that your baby might need, after unpacking it your focus should be specifically on babyproofing your home and organizing your home from that viewpoint itself.
Properly clean your new house before the arrival of your baby
It would be a good idea to deeply clean the house before your baby reaches there. A clean house and clean air are essential for the good health of your baby. You may either hire a professional cleaner to clean your house before you move there, or you may clean by yourself keeping your baby safe with a babysitter or a family member. Here are a few cleaning tips for your new house:
- Make sure you clean the air vents and change the air filter as this might have accumulated a lot of specks of dust or dirt over time.
- Mop and sweep the floors as well as clean all the surfaces.
- Clean all appliances and cabinets.
Mix your break with baby time
It is certain that you will not get time to relax, pay attention to your baby and unpack your boxes simultaneously. However, doing both these tasks together will take you too long to finish unpacking your belongings, thus you need to compromise. Moving can be one of the toughest phases of your life, but if you work hard and push through it, you will get sufficient time to relax later.
Of course, you will get sufficient time to take a rest, and whatever time you have we recommend you spend with your baby. This will not let your baby be deprived of your love and attention, perhaps they will do their things once you return to your work.
Make maximum use of your baby’s nap time
You will be completely free when your baby is taking a nap or sleeping, utilize it for unpacking and organizing your new house. Here’s what you can do:
- Consider unpacking your boxes, whether your baby is sleeping or not at home.
- Alternatively, you can temporarily hire a babysitter to take care of your baby, while you can use that time to clear as many of your chores as possible.
You may expect to take some rest while your baby is asleep, however, if you are relocating consider doing this only after you get 100% settled in your new house. In a nutshell, the nap time of your baby can be a golden period for you to complete unpacking your possessions.
Tip: If you are worried about the packing noise, we suggest you buy a white noise machine that will make the noise of packing, or the noise of moving furniture fade away.
Pack food and beverages for your baby
Soon after you reach your new house, consider unpacking any fridge or pantry items you have brought with you. Here are a few tricks:
- Make sure you keep your favorite munchies or easy-to-make finger food for your baby.
- Consider using a highchair or any other portable chair to easily feed your baby or help him relax on a moving day.
- If you can manage cooking, you can make your baby’s favorite food that can even be reheated to feed him later.
Pack an essential bag for your baby
It's advisable to pack your essentials bag last and unpack it first. Here is a list of items that you must put inside an essential box:
- Bottles
- Wipes
- Diaper
- Formula milk
- Clothes
Tips to keep your baby busy and occupied
It wouldn't be easy for you to unpack your belongings until your baby is occupied with something. There might be a few toys with which your baby would be obsessed, don’t forget to keep a few good ones with you.
Babyproofing your new house
Before you start unpacking your belongings make sure to babyproof your home by identifying a suitable place to keep all the hazardous items and a place where you can keep your baby away from all hazards.
Here are a few ways in which you easily babyproof your new home before unpacking:
- Put away the packing materials and moving boxes.
- Secure your dresser, television set, or other furniture and prevent them from getting dragged.
- Make use of safety gates to block the dangerous areas.
- Apply a child lock on your cabinets or cupboards.
- Hide all electrical outlets.
- If you have a swimming pool, make sure it’s fenced.
- Make sure the main door of your house isn’t easy to open.
- Implement a security system or a baby monitor in your new house.
Need Assistance
Overall, the various strategies we have discussed in this guide will help you unpack your belongings easily with your baby. However, we suggest you have someone to take care of your little munchkin while you complete your work. If you can't afford to hire a babysitter, perhaps you can leave your baby with a responsible family member or grandparents. This would be an ideal option to keep your baby safe and free from potential hazards.
Though it doesn’t seem possible always, however, you need to try following your baby’s regular schedule as much as possible and take breaks. If you do this, you can successfully unpack your belongings in a short time.