Books about moving for toddlers?
March 1, 2011 7:19 AM Subscribe
Can you recommend any good books (and other resources) about moving that would be appropriate for a 2 year old?
We have decided to move back to my hometown (we being myself, my husband, our 2yo daughter [and the cats, of course]). It's going to be great: surrounded by family, less financial burden, better job for me, etc. etc.
I'd like to start approaching the topic with our daughter. She is extremely verbal and aware of her surroundings and I'd like to be able to explain things to her as much as possible and perhaps have some examples of kids in books or on shows that have moved that she can relate to.
We are going to be moving into my grandparents' now-vacant house (grandma died a few years ago, gramp in January), so it's a place that she is familiar with. In my mind, that's both a good thing and a complicating thing. She didn't really have a lot of experience in the house with my grandfather, but she associates it with my aunt and uncle who live right next door. So to her, it's "their" house. I imagine that once all of our stuff is in the house, it will be different.
Obviously, we will also be changing care situations. I'm not sure yet what we will be doing when we move, but we all love her current daycare, so that will be tough.
Any recommendations for books, etc. would be great and if you have any advice/anecdotes about moving with your own young kids (especially into other family member's houses!), that would also be helpful!
We have decided to move back to my hometown (we being myself, my husband, our 2yo daughter [and the cats, of course]). It's going to be great: surrounded by family, less financial burden, better job for me, etc. etc.
I'd like to start approaching the topic with our daughter. She is extremely verbal and aware of her surroundings and I'd like to be able to explain things to her as much as possible and perhaps have some examples of kids in books or on shows that have moved that she can relate to.
We are going to be moving into my grandparents' now-vacant house (grandma died a few years ago, gramp in January), so it's a place that she is familiar with. In my mind, that's both a good thing and a complicating thing. She didn't really have a lot of experience in the house with my grandfather, but she associates it with my aunt and uncle who live right next door. So to her, it's "their" house. I imagine that once all of our stuff is in the house, it will be different.
Obviously, we will also be changing care situations. I'm not sure yet what we will be doing when we move, but we all love her current daycare, so that will be tough.
Any recommendations for books, etc. would be great and if you have any advice/anecdotes about moving with your own young kids (especially into other family member's houses!), that would also be helpful!
Best answer: I don't have a book, but I do have 3 pieces of advice.
First: If you haven't already told her, don't give too much lead time on this info. A month should be enough time for her to process the upcoming change without having it turn into something anxious and unknown for too long.
Second: Never forget how incredibly ripe for mistranslation conversations with two year olds can be. You might think she knows what you're talking about, and she'll be imagining something else completely. Saying "we're going to be moving" might suggest that you're going to be movin' and shakin' your bodies, seriously. Or --- mooing. After my friend told her two year old that their dog died and went to heaven recently, the child confided in me that their dog "went to Kevin's." Be as concrete as you can about what moving means: We're going to live close to Auntie and Uncle, yay!.
Third: She will probably worry what's going to happen to her current house/room. Either she will want it to remain empty or be comforted by another child living there. You should suss her out to figure out which probability to emphasize.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2011
First: If you haven't already told her, don't give too much lead time on this info. A month should be enough time for her to process the upcoming change without having it turn into something anxious and unknown for too long.
Second: Never forget how incredibly ripe for mistranslation conversations with two year olds can be. You might think she knows what you're talking about, and she'll be imagining something else completely. Saying "we're going to be moving" might suggest that you're going to be movin' and shakin' your bodies, seriously. Or --- mooing. After my friend told her two year old that their dog died and went to heaven recently, the child confided in me that their dog "went to Kevin's." Be as concrete as you can about what moving means: We're going to live close to Auntie and Uncle, yay!.
Third: She will probably worry what's going to happen to her current house/room. Either she will want it to remain empty or be comforted by another child living there. You should suss her out to figure out which probability to emphasize.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:43 AM on March 1, 2011
Best answer: Oh and also: it freaks out toddlers to see all the family stuff vanish into boxes. Let her help put things into boxes and take them out again.
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:46 AM on March 1, 2011
posted by Tylwyth Teg at 8:46 AM on March 1, 2011
Best answer: I think it was one of those Supernanny-type shows that I was watching, but I saw something on TV once that recommended making a calendar of tasks for parent(s) and kid(s) to do together for the weeks going up to the move -- drawing pictures of the old house to remember it (this might be too much for a two-year-old? I don't really know much about developmental milestones), packing certain things together, carrying boxes out to the car together. Turn as many things into games as you can, and stay positive about the move and how it's an exciting new thing and you'll be close to family and things.
Also, my family moved twice when I was around 5 (not 2, I know), and something that I really liked was that I had a new stuffed animal waiting in my new room when I got there. I think in one of the houses, my parents said it was from the people who lived there before, but that isn't applicable to your situation.
posted by naturalog at 3:32 AM on March 2, 2011
Also, my family moved twice when I was around 5 (not 2, I know), and something that I really liked was that I had a new stuffed animal waiting in my new room when I got there. I think in one of the houses, my parents said it was from the people who lived there before, but that isn't applicable to your situation.
posted by naturalog at 3:32 AM on March 2, 2011
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posted by BurntHombre at 8:15 AM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]