Part of the reason things have been so quiet around here is that the Family-in-Training —  Daddy-in-Training, Mommy-in-Training, Miles, Emmett, a bullmastiff, a pug, and a Lynx Point Siamese cat — recently moved from Central Virginia to West Central Florida. It was a 14-hour drive with two babies, two dogs, and a cat that literally meowed. the. whole. time. I’ve never had a big move in my life, so I was terrified going into it and stressed throughout. Which is fortunate for you, because I learned some valuable lessons along the way.

10 Tips for Moving With Small Children

1. Engage childcare for the final days before the move. 

SuperSitter was with us for months leading up to the move, but she really kicked it into high gear the last few days. She took the boys to her house from 7 a.m. to almost 9 p.m. the day we loaded the moving truck so they would be safe and be able to stay on routine despite all the noise and excitement. And she came back the next morning around 9 to help us load the car and get the boys and the pets out the door. We never would have made it without her!

2. Engage childcare for the early days in the new place.

We are extremely fortunate that Daddy-in-Training’s mom lives only 3 hours from our new home. We dropped the boys off on our way to meet the moving truck, and Yia-Yia kept them for a whole week. Not only did this seriously reduce our stress, but it kept the boys safe and out of a house with no childproofing and a giant maze of precariously piled boxes — and a huge, terrifying pool. (More on my pool anxiety in a later post.) Without kids on board, we got everything off the truck, in the right rooms, and more than halfway unpacked. We also got outlets covered, doors secure, and a strategy for temporary babyproofing until we were able to install our gates. And amid it all, we got several consecutive nights of uninterrupted sleep. If you don’t have family nearby, check out Care.com or SitterCity.com.

3. Take every offer of help you can get — and ask for it if it’s not offered.

SuperSitter literally packed most of my house: everything in the kitchen, everything in the boys’ room, the laundry room, my bathroom and closet, the guest room and guest bath, half my office — she was incredible, and she did it all while the boys napped or played in their Exersaucers. Twice in the last week, including the day the moving truck came, one of my dear friends came to help with last-minute and odd items. She wrapped an outdoor statue in about three miles of brown paper to keep it safe. She packed my remaining perishables in ice, wiped out the fridge and freezer, and secured all of the shelves for the move. She boxed my houseplants. She swept. She made sure we all ate and drank all day. She mothered us through the most stressful time of the move. Auntie-in-Training also came for two days and helped Daddy-in-Training pack the entire garage and shed. And then, on her way out of town, returned my rental breast pump and the cable boxes. Uncle-in-Training and Daddy-in-Training’s BFF from high school came and helped load the huge appliances at the end. Daddy-in-Training’s best brewing buddy and his girlfriend fiancee brought us dinner after the truck left. We had incredible support, especially during crunch time, and it kept us sane.

4. Give your boxes logical labels, even when you get desperate and panicked.

Most of our moving boxes were labeled well: room, summary of contents, “fragile” if appropriate. But toward the end, things deteriorated.

This is why, after almost a month in the new house, we still have not located the paper towel holder. Or the dogs’ water bowl. We only just found the living room end tables two days ago because they were mixed in with other boxes labeled “bedside tables” that actually contained the CONTENTS of bedside tables instead of actual tables. Oops.

5. Hire help for loading and unloading.

Movers are expensive. Day laborers are cheap. Do yourself (and your friends and family) a favor and hire four strong guys from Labor Ready to load your truck at your old home and unload your truck at your new home. Also, make sure everything is packed before they get there. Just a tip. That we never follow.

6. Hire a moving truck and drive your own car.

It may be tempting to drive your own moving truck and leave the other parent with the kids, but trust me: One parenting driving 14 hours solo with small children is a terrible idea. You need to tagteam that crap — especially when there are two of them the same age or both kids and pets.

7. Pack the kids’ room last and  set the kids’ room up first.

If you think moving is stressful for YOU, imagine what it must be like for someone who has no clue what’s going on and only knows that familiar things are disappearing and everything feels weird. Keep the transition for them as short and smooth as possible by leaving their room to the last possible moment. Then, when you arrive, set their room up right away and as close as possible to how it was at your previous home. Even if you intend to change the configuration later, do so after everyone is settled in.

8. If driving, plan on it taking 50%-75% longer than it should to get there.

Long trips with kids are stressful, but they’re even more stressful when you’re working against an arbitrary deadline. Do as much of your driving as you can at night, during sleep time, to minimize crying, feeding, and stops. During wake time, provide entertaining toys and don’t be afraid to resort to technology even if you’re anti-screentime. Nothing hypnotizes a cranky munchkin like cartoons on Mommy’s iPad. One day of tech overload won’t kill anyone — but days in a car with screaming kids may end you. When you do stop, look for parks, playgrounds, elementary schools, and restaurants with play areas to help your kids burn off steam. Plan to stop for an hour every time.

9. Build a support system in your new town before you move in.

Thanks to Facebook, we found our local Mothers of Multiples Club, a pediatrician, a doctor for us, two babywearing groups, and three “crunchy” parenting groups more than a month before we moved into our new house. We got insider tips on the best parks and grocery stories, fun things to do with small kids, and the best museums and libraries. When the boys got sick two days after moving in, we didn’t have to scramble for a doctor because we already had one 5 minutes from our new house. When they got me sick a week later, I knew right where to go. We’ve already been invited to playdates and meetups, and we’re starting to make friends thanks to putting out feelers early in the process.

10. Invest in paper plates, plastic cups, and plasticware for the final weeks in the old place and the first weeks in the new place. And get takeout. Lots of takeout.

Moving is hard enough. You don’t need to do dishes on top of that. I know disposable plates and plasticware aren’t exactly green, but let’s get real. You’re moving. And you have small kids. Pick your battles. And pack your kitchen early, because it will take three times as long as you think. Set aside money for takeout and frozen entrees. It’s worth it.

What tips do you have for moving with small children? Leave a comment with your ideas and share links to your favorite resources.