Picture this! A crying baby on a stroller as you shuffle boxes, ensuring everything on the moving checklist is packed and ready for the movers. In comes Bob, the elder child. He wants to know where his toy is, but you can’t remember which box you put it in. The movers will be here in a short while, and you want to pack some particular items yourself, and you’re just getting started. Parenting is an exciting journey, but a move with children is not for the faint-hearted. However, like millions of other parents, you can do it and still have your wits intact. Here are six tips to help you along.

1. Negotiate the Lease

If you’re being forced to move by your current landlord, buy yourself as much time as possible to hunt for a new home and negotiate the lease. According to Caton Commercial, one needs between 12 and 15 months to negotiate a lease renewal, especially if you’re reluctant to move. This may sound stubborn on your part, but the last thing you want is to move with children when you’re not ready.

2. Ensure Your New Home Is Move-in Ready

This may sound like an unnecessary precaution, but confirming the house you’re moving into is live-in ready is essential. For instance, have you set up utilities such as water, gas, heat, and electricity? The last thing you need at the close of a hectic moving day is to arrive at your new home only to find you forgot to set up the utilities. How about your cable, phone connection, and Wi-Fi? Without the internet, you can expect incessant disturbances from the kids. You want to arrive at a well-lit room with all the utilities set up. You also want to be welcomed by a beautiful ambiance and appropriately painted rooms. According to House Grail, painting an interior room motivates most people (88%) to stay home. Trust me, you’ll need all the motivation you can get at the end of a move with children.

3. Talk to your Children About the Move

Children are more understanding than they are given credit for. By talking to them about the impending move, you’ll prepare them for what’s ahead. Communicate with them about the move using simple words and aim to make it sound fun and adventurous (at least for them).

If the children aren’t old enough to understand, ensure they remain calm by being calm yourself. As difficult as this may be, it’s essential to be calm since babies pick up their parents’ stress emotions.

4. Pack the Baby Items in a Diaper Bag

You need the baby essentials within your reach throughout the move. These are items your baby needs to use during the activity. Among the baby items you should bring with you include diapers, a car seat, bath items, a stroller and carrier, a blanket, pacifiers, and many others.

Bring plenty of snacks and bottles, and ensure your child has whatever they need to be distracted. Give them an iPad loaded with their favorite cartoons, a new toy, or whatever works! After arriving in your new home, set up the child’s room first to return them to normalcy as soon as possible. This is an excellent way of gently getting them acclimatized to their new environment.

5. Fill the New Home With Familiar Stuff

To make your children feel comfortable after a move, quickly fill your new home with familiar objects, especially their rooms. This is essential, especially if it’s one of the many interstate moves in the U.S. You’ll be in good company since, every year, about three million U.S. citizens move from one state to another.

6. Get Help

When moving, you’ll need all the help you can get. One of the things you should do is to hire a babysitter or request a friend or a family member to babysit for you during the move. Consider hiring a mover or asking family and friends to help you move as you care for the children.

Moving with children isn’t easy, but it is doable. If you follow the above tips and many more that aren’t on this list, a move with children is possible. Hopefully, it could end up being an adventurous, fun, parenting experience.