Photo credit: The Parlr
Moving is stressful enough and when you throw small kids who won't sleep in the mix your stress levels can go through the roof! I teamed up with Emily McDonald from Expect to Sleep Again to give you some tips on making a smooth transition.
Erica: How did you get into sleep consulting?
Emily: My daughter was 7 months old, I was working 2 jobs as a paramedic, my husband was working for the fire dept and she wouldn’t sleep when I wasn’t home. My husband and I were always tired, fighting, and miserable.
We also disagreed on the methods of getting our daughter to sleep so we decided to get outside help. We hired a sleep consultant and after a couple nights of hell it was like a switch was flipped. Once we knew how to get her on an appropriate schedule and get her in her own room things got so much better.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room sharing until 12 months but that doesn’t work for all families. We wanted to do everything the AAP recommends because we thought that’s the only way she’ll survive past 12 months.
But then we found what works for our family. When we added to our family is when I really took interest into the science of sleep and I didn’t want to go through with our son what we went through with our daughter. Before he was born we worked out how long we were going to room share and what sleep would look like when I went back to work. That’s when ETSA started their dream school and I decided to take my career in that direction.
Erica: How do you prepare children for a move?
Emily: Start talking about the move with older children before you start packing. Drive past the new house once you sign the purchase and sale and visit prior to moving day. Give them a chance to say goodbye to the old house or anything they’re attached to so they have a sense of closure.
Erica: How do you deal with fears about moving?
Emily: Talk through them and take them seriously. For example: What if there are monsters in the new house? Tell them the new house is safe. You can even make monster or happy spray to give them a sense of control. Reading books about moving and specific fears can also help them process their feelings.
As for after the move fears; take them seriously, don’t just tell them not to fear it. Check under the bed, reassure them that this house is just as safe as the last house.
Erica: How do you establish good sleep habits in the new house?
Emily: Make their sleep space the last place you pack and the first place you set up in the new house. Use dirty sheets, don’t wash the sheets and make them unfamiliar. Or make sure they have their sleep sac or lovely and put it in your shirt for a few hours so they have a familiar smell.
Cancel out strange sounds with a white noise machine. Keep the room layout the same if possible and keep the night light and white noise machine in the same location. Keep their schedule the same, if Monday is playgroup day make sure they get to their playgroup. The day of the move don’t stay up and watch a movie or alter their normal bedtime routine.
Erica: What’s your biggest piece of advice for moving with a toddler:
Emily: Keep things as normal as possible. Avoid exposing them to the stress of the move. Address and communicate any hiccups.
Erica: What’s your biggest piece of advice for moving with an older kid?
Emily: It’s a little bit easier because they can voice their concerns. ie: mad that they left their previous house or friends. Let them voice their concerns and compromise on how you’ll cope with them such as scheduling a play date with friends from their old neighborhood.
Erica: Thank you so much for doing this interview, that was excellent advice! Where can people connect with you?
Emily: I offer daily sleep tips on Instagram @expecttosleepagain_emily and Facebook Expecttosleepagainemily You can email me if you’re interested in one on one consultations. emily@expecttosleep.com
My main package for children is a two week package that offers a free 15 min intro call, individualized sleep plan and two weeks of email support.
I also offer a newborn package which includes the two week package and an additional plan. I don’t recommend sleep training newborns until 4 months but you can help shape their sleep, day/night confusion and sleep consolidation.
