We moved house when my daughters were 19 months and 3 weeks respectively.  At that stage, our new baby was still rooming in with us, but I was very conscious we were coming up to the one month mark and I wanted her to be in her own room.  When we moved, we put her straight in her own room and it made the transition very smooth for all of us.

Her elder sister (who was closer in age to your little girl) had been in her own room for a while.  It was all a bit unfamiliar in the new place, but my brother had given her a floor rug with the Wiggles on it a few weeks earlier and we put that down for her in the new room and when she walked in she was so excited and recognised the rug as hers and that this was her room.

We talked up her new room and everything before we went.  That may be something you could do, telling her when you move to the new house she'll be a big girl and be able to have her own room because there's lot of space, or something similar.  The other thing we did was take the girls to my mum's house for moving day while their father and I coordinated the move.  By the time we picked the girls up, we had their rooms and most of the house set up (we had a lot of help from family and friends, otherwise we couldn't have done it so quickly!) and so we could introduced it as a new welcoming place, rather than as a bit of a bomb shelter (my own feelings - no criticism intended!).  Maybe if you start introducing her to elements - furniture, pictures, toys etc. - that will be in her room that if you then set up her room as such she will recognise that and it will make the transition smoother.

I would advise not to have her back in your room when you move.  It's a perfect time to change things and you'll be setting up a new habit if you start with her in your room then try to move her out.  Good luck with it all!

Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to all u guys that responded. I rekon we will just buy her the new bedroom suite now that she really should be out of the cot. All the moving tips were great, thanks heaps everyone, really appreciated!

 

I think you should set up her own room and let her sleep in there. Explain to her that this is her bed, and mummy and daddy have their own bed etc. Hope this helps.

Pre-pack everything you don't absolutely need to use (ornaments, books, that extra winter bedding, christmas stuff, etc.) a few weeks before, or even sooner.  As the time to move gets closer, start to pack things that you do use but not as often.  A few days before you move, pack up as much of your stuff as you can and use disposable plates and cutlery, etc; start seriously reducing what you are using from day to day.  24 hours before you move pack all of the kitchen stuff and everything else you can go without for one day, including all the kids toys but for a couple of easy to pack into a bag favourites.

Treat the couple of days before and the day or two after the move, like you are on a camping holiday for a weekend - absolute bare necessities, and be willing to live on fast food for 48 hours.  Doing this will mean that you can load up the very last stuff within an hour into a suitcase or two, and just load your stuff on the truck and go.  I've helped move that many people that don't start packing until I arrive to move them, and it's a full day and night of total shambles.  Doing this  pre-packing can make the moving time as short as one hour to load, one hour to unload, + travel time.  If the house is only an hour from where you currently live, the move then takes 3 hours at most.  Easy!  As you pack, label the boxes/bags with a number, and on a list, write the number of the box and what is in it, so when you get to the house and you are desperate to find something in a hurry, you can look on your list, find the box you want and get straight to what you are looking for.

Another hint is to save packing space by using one item you are packing to protect another.  For example, many people pack their fragile items wrapped in loads of newspaper or foam, then use more boxes for all their linen and clothes.  If the fragile items and the linen/clothes are all clean, wrap the fragiles in the linen/clothes and fit it all into the same space.

As for your daughter, when I moved with the kids I used it as an opportunity to start fresh and institute new rules and routines.  New house, new life.  At first it was a bit hair-raising with the kids, but by the time everyone had properly settled into the new environment, they had also settled into the new rules and routine as well.  Doing this is also a good time to break any of your old habits, like if you smoke, make getting to the new house a time to plan to quit.

Hiya darls,

Could it be that it may be the best time for Mooshy to go and "pick" out her new bed so that the transition is all over and done with.  The last thing you want is for you to finally get the ratbag settled in to her room, only for her then to start climbing out and then have to deal with a new bed as a new drama.  Why not get it all over and done with.  Big hugs to my "little sister" and clan!!!!!

Ursh

hey there, instead of putting the porta cot in your room when you move, place a makeshift mattress for yourself on the floor in her new room, that way she can see that you are comfortable enough with the new room to want to sleep in there too, the first cpl of nights will be hard but if you can manage to get past them and be strong you will find yourself back in your bed permantly with a happy child sleeping in her own bed and her own special room.. Talk about everything before the move as suggested this does make a big difference,  If it is possible let her pick her own bedroom and get her ideas on where her bed should go, where her fav teddy should sit..  Moving into a new place is alot of fun

That is a great idea. Just start telling her that she will be getting her own room and bed as she is now a big girl and thats what big girls do. Don't let her back in your bed, be strong. As for moving throw away everything you dont want as you get charged per hour plus how many men it takes to move you. The less you have the cheaper it will be. Good luck. Hope this helps.