Moving can be both a good and a very stressful thing all at once under normal circumstances, but moving during a global pandemic is not something I ever thought I would live through. A few weeks ago, my husband and I moved from one part of Collin County to another. While the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak had already begun, I had no idea how much it would impact our move and settling into a new area.
It is also important to note that I am currently pregnant with our second child and we have a two-year-old; that coupled with moving was already very stressful, add in a pandemic and it seemed almost impossible to not have constant anxiety. My hope is by sharing some of my experiences and tips that if you find yourself in a similar situation, you will have a bit of an easier time.
What You’ll Have to Accept:
Not Being Able to Explore a New Area
We moved about 20 minutes away from where we had previously lived, and I knew the old area pretty well. I knew moving would mean having to find new parks, libraries, grocery stores, HomeGoods, etc. With the shelter-in-place orders and our general safety, my son and I have not been able to explore anything new. If you move, especially to an unfamiliar area, accept that you will not be able to explore it during this pandemic. I have only been to the closest Walmart once, which is not my favorite place by any means normally.
Not Having Childcare
Unpacking with kids is a challenge, it’s great if you have school or family to help out. My son normally goes to preschool one day a week and is with family another so that I can work and get various personal tasks accomplished. During this pandemic, we have not been sending him to preschool even though it is still open, or to see family, which has been painful in more ways than one. If you move during a pandemic, you have to accept that help from others will probably not be available. However, there are other ways you can help ensure your children are entertained!
Things Might Not All Be Unpacked and Pretty
This is just a good rule in general when moving with children. I have now moved three times in as many years and all have been with a child. I don’t really know life without having a child to entertain while you pack and unpack. During this unprecedented time, you are just going to have to accept that things probably won’t all be pretty in a few days and that’s okay; give yourself some grace.
Tips for Moving During a Pandemic:
Amazon/Target Pickup
This may seem like an obvious one when you move, but with social distancing and not being able to go to HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, etc., these has been a game changer. I have probably never ordered so much off of Amazon in a two-week time span before, even at Christmas! And obviously Target pickup is an amazing choice, anyway.
Screen Time
I know this is a controversial one, and I am just as much into limiting my kiddo’s screen time as the next person, but when you move during a global pandemic, you just have to accept that they’re going to watch more than usual and that is okay. Again, this is all about giving yourself some grace, mamas!
Take-out/Delivery
There is no better time to support local than now! So, fire up one of your favorite meal delivery apps and start ordering. This is a huge stress reliever and time saver while trying to move and unpack with kids.
New Fun Toy/Outdoor Item:
This tip is huge! I think our move would have been way less successful if I hadn’t ordered a sandbox for my son and some toys to go with it! Other great ideas include: water table, toy lawnmower, or trampoline.
Simple Activities
Right before our move, we went to Ikea and purchased the Flisat table. This has been a game-changer. You can find hundreds of easy, low-prep ideas for activities with it on Instagram and Pinterest. It has buckets that you can put things in which cuts down on the messes and is amazing when you already have a to-list out the door!
No one envisions that they will be moving or doing anything during a global pandemic, but here we all are. This will end. We do not know when, but we do know that it will. Until then, life goes on and we have to find a new normal. Give yourself a break with whatever is going on right now, you deserve it.
