Moving House With a Toddler in the UK: A Stay-at-Home Dad’s Survival Guide
Moving house with a toddler is basically trying to run a small festival while someone moves all your toilets. It’s messy, emotional and weirdly expensive. But it’s also doable, even if you’re the stay-at-home parent holding most of the day-to-day. This is what I wish I’d known before our first move with a 2–3-year-old, the simple “open-first” box system that saved us, and how we got through the first 72 hours without completely losing the plot.
Moving house with a toddler: the real bit no one posts
I’m a stay-at-home dad in the UK, and we’ve just moved house for the first time as a family. I thought the hard part would be the moving day itself.
Turns out the hard part is everything around it:
packing while keeping a toddler alive and vaguely happy
trying to keep routines when your home looks like a storage unit
dealing with tiredness, tears, and the “where is my…?” game 400 times a day
and then landing in a new house where nothing makes sense yet
If you’re about to do this, here’s the good news: you don’t need to be super organised. You just need a few smart systems and permission to keep things simple for a couple of weeks.
The week before: decluttering with a toddler under your feet
The week before the move is where you can win (or lose) a lot of sanity.
The mindset that helped me
Instead of thinking, “We need to pack the house,” think:
“We need to pack our life in the least annoying way possible.”
That means:
pack by zones, not by rooms
prioritise the things you need to function, not the things you own
accept that you won’t do a perfect declutter, you’re aiming for less stuff and fewer decisions
A realistic declutter method (that works with a toddler)
If you’ve got a toddler running around, “deep decluttering” is fantasy. Try this instead:
The Three-Bag Blitz (15 minutes at a time):
Bin bag – broken, stained, pointless
Charity bag – good condition, not used
“Not this week” box – things you want to keep but don’t need pre-move
Do one small area per day:
one kitchen drawer
one shelf
one toy basket
one bathroom cupboard
If your toddler “helps” by emptying everything: congratulations- you’ve accidentally started.
The toddler trick that actually worked
Give them a “job” that doesn’t matter:
sticker labels to put on boxes
a special small box for “my things”
a cloth to “wipe” furniture
a mini recycling bag to fill
Toddlers don’t need to be helpful. They just need to feel involved so they don’t go full chaos goblin.
The packing strategy that saved us: “open-first” boxes
This is the big one. This is the thing I wish someone had drilled into me.
When you arrive at the new house, you do not need every box.
You need the right boxes.
The “open-first” boxes you want ready
Pack these separately, label them clearly, and keep them accessible (ideally in your own car, not the van):
✅ Bedtime Kit (toddler + adults)
pyjamas
sleep sacks / comfort items
toothbrushes
bedtime books
night light / white noise if you use it
nappies/pull-ups for night
wipes
any bedtime meds
a spare set of sheets
Why it matters: toddler routine after moving lives and dies on bedtime.
✅ Snack Kit
toddler snacks you know they’ll eat
fruit pouches / crackers / raisins
water bottles / cups
a couple of “bribery snacks” (no shame)
kitchen roll / wipes
Why it matters: hunger turns everything into a meltdown.
✅ Nappy/Changing Kit (even if potty training)
nappies/pull-ups
wipes
nappy bags
change of clothes x2
cream
muslins (useful for everything)
Why it matters: you will not know where anything is. This removes panic.
✅ Kettle Kit (UK essential)
kettle
tea/coffee
sugar
mugs
teaspoons
biscuits (obviously)
bin bags
Why it matters: when you can have a hot drink, you can cope.
✅ “Front Door” Kit
scissors
box cutter
tape
phone chargers
extension lead
light bulbs
basic tools
important paperwork folder
Why it matters: you need power, access, and the ability to open boxes without rage.
Bonus: label boxes like a tired person
Don’t write “Kitchen – misc”. Future you will hate you.
Write:
“Kitchen – plates + mugs”
“Toddler – books + bedtime”
“Bathroom – towels + soap”
Be kind to the version of you who’ll be unpacking at 9pm.
Moving day with kids: toddler-safe zones + tag-team plan
Moving day with kids isn’t about making it calm. It’s about making it safe and predictable.
Create a toddler-safe zone (in both houses)
In the old house: one room that stays mostly empty and safe.
In the new house: one room you set up first.
Stock it with:
a few familiar toys
books
snacks
blanket
tablet (if you use it)
their “special box” of favourite things
Even if they ignore it and run off you’ve created a base you can return to.
The tag-team plan (even if you’re solo most days)
If you have a partner, friend, parent, anyone at all — plan simple shifts:
one adult on toddler duty
one adult on movers/boxes
swap every 60–90 minutes
If it’s just you:
accept that it’ll take longer
prioritise safety and essentials
let the “perfect organisation” dream die early
Prepare for the emotional whiplash
Toddlers can flip between:
excited
clingy
feral
silent (the scariest one)
It’s normal. They don’t understand “we’re moving house”. They understand:
“Everything looks wrong and I don’t know where my stuff is.”
The first 72 hours: how to stop the chaos spiralling
The first three days are where things can feel bleak. You’re tired, the house is unfamiliar, and your toddler might be unsettled.
Here’s what helped us.
Day 1 goal: function, not unpack
Your only jobs:
make beds
get food sorted (even if it’s beige)
get toiletries accessible
get toddler bedtime as normal as possible
That’s it.
If you do those things, you’ve already won.
Food: go simple on purpose
This isn’t the week for “balanced meals”.
Think:
freezer food
sandwiches
pasta
toddler favourites
takeaway once if you need it
Fed is best, for adults too.
Keep toddler routine after moving “close enough”
Aim for:
same nap window (even if it’s shorter)
same bedtime routine (even if it’s quicker)
familiar book, familiar cuddles, familiar phrase
Toddlers settle through repetition. The house can be new, but the rhythm stays familiar.
The 15-minute unpack rule
Unpacking feels endless because it is. So make it small.
Set a timer:
15 minutes unpack
10 minutes stop
repeat when you can
You’re building momentum, not chasing perfection.
What I’d do differently next time
If we ever do this again (questionable), here’s what I’d change:
Pack fewer toys. Toddlers don’t need 74 options. They need 6 good ones.
Label boxes properly. Future me deserves better.
Plan childcare for moving day if possible. Even half a day is gold.
Accept the “mess phase”. You’ll feel better once you stop fighting reality.
Make the toddler’s room feel familiar first. It calms everything down faster.
A quick word for stay-at-home dads doing the heavy lifting
If you’re the stay-at-home dad, you’re probably carrying a lot of the mental load:
keeping routines
managing snacks, naps, emotions
while also trying to “get stuff done”
It’s a lot. And moving house magnifies everything.
So here’s permission to do it imperfectly.
A safe toddler and a semi-functioning family is a win.
You can sort the cupboards later.
