Moving w/kids - help me pack

[lovebeingmama]

We are moving to the Netherlands in about 10 weeks. Hopefully all of my questions can help liven up this board a little!

I have two children, ages 3 and 5. We are keeping most of our belongings in the U.S., and will buy stuff once we are there. I want to make this transition as easy as possible for my kids. Of course we are bringing their favorite blankets, toys, stuffed animals, etc, but what other things would help make our new place feel like home for them? I've already thought about bringing some of the plastic cups and plates they use daily, and a few of their towels they like to use. We will have photo albums and I should be able to access other pictures online once we are there. Any other suggestions of things to bring that would help us keep somewhat of a routine we are used to? Things we probably use daily that might get overlooked?

And right now, I'm very focused on the kids. I haven't even thought much about what I would bring for me to keep me from being so homesick. So any suggestions for me are welcome, too!

[origami]

Exciting! My kids were almost 4 when we moved and I think it was a really good age to go. You'll have such a great time.

My kids adapted pretty well, and I'm sure yours will too, so beyond what you mentioned I don't think there is anything I did that made them feel more comfortable in the new place. You've probably already thought about this but I'll add getting a VPN to watch kids (and adult) shows. We shipped over some new decorations for the kids room (wall stickers, new framed posters) because we weren't sure how easily we'd find cheap kids decor. They had fun with decorating. I shipped framed pics of their grandparents to hang on the walls too. I'm not sure my kids notice that much, but our parents sure love it. Honestly, our parents had a way worse time with our move than my kids. I'm not sure if you're moving closer to family or away. If away then one suggestion I have is to buy any grandparents or other close relatives a wifi frame you can email photos to.

I'm also not sure if you have picky eaters. I do and I shipped a metric ton of kids food/toiletries when we moved. We are in Korea so I knew the food was going to be extremely different than what they were used to so I wanted them to have a few months to get used to new brands. I shipped cereal, food pouches, snack foods (eg Cheerios because those aren't sold here), toothpaste, shampoo/body wash. If your kids have favorites that might be something to consider. I also bought clothes in the US for the next 2 seasons b/c the prices are so much higher in Korea than in the US. I have no idea if the Netherlands is also expensive in that way. My kids are tall and skinny so I was also worried, esp with Asian sizes, if I could find slim fitting pants, for example, like they have in the US. I still don't know if they sell slims here but I'll be buying more in the US when I go back this summer. So just wanted to mention that too in case you need special sizes.

For you... what helps me the most is staying busy, and remembering to message my friends from home. Is this move temporary? If not then maybe it's not as important to be sure to message your friends back home. The best thing for me was getting both of my kids in school full time so that I could join some groups/classes and do something productive. If you're not working I suggest joining an expat group, or doing meet-up or whatever the Netherlands has. That's how I met a bunch of people and kept myself busy. Now I volunteer for one of my expat groups. Above all, live it up and have fun!!

[dutchgirl678]

We moved to the Netherlands last year August with a 6-year old and a 3-year old. I am Dutch and grew up here, so our situation is probably different. We brought most of our stuff since the move was paid for by my new job. You will find that they adapt very quickly, maybe moreso than you . We are trying to do something fun with them on the weekend, so we got a Museumcard for us and the oldest (the youngest is free until age 4) and you can visit a whole lot of museums. There are quite a few that are great for kids. Where are you moving to? We are near Utrecht, so in the center of the country.

I agree with getting VPN to be able to watch US TV shows. We also love these big activity books they sell at Costco for preschool and Kindergarten etc for keeping up with their English language skills. Are they going to an international school once you are here? I would also see if you can buy some clothes ahead for the summer/fall bc I feel that it is a lot cheaper in the US. But we were in OR with no sales tax. Here, I usually find good deals at H&M.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

[House4Me]

VPN is definitely a must so you can watch US TV shows via Netflix, etc or you can also get Slingbox. 

I would bring some of their favorite "comfort foods" -- Goldfish crackers, Ritz, etc. I would bring medicine that you are familiar with the dosages for at least the beginning. 

European bedding is different in that you sleep on a mattress sheet and then under a duvet cover -- no top sheet is used. My kids love this but if yours may not --- 

Pottery Barn Kid Chairs -- they don't sell these, so we had to have them shipped from the US (expensive!) and we used them all the time in our house!

[dorothyinAus]

I don't have kids, but I would definitely second bringing familiar medicines, with the packages so the pharmacist/doctor can help your find similar things.

Also, if anyone in your family has sensitive skin, I high recommend bringing a good supply of products you know you can use so you have time to experiment with things in the new country.

I'm in Australia, so many of the US shows are available on free-to-air tv, so I don't use the VPN for watching tv, but I do use it for access some geo-restricted sites and videos. I kept my US iTunes account as well, so I have access to the US store and buy seasons of my favorite shows from there. It may not be the best way, but it means I get them within 24 hours of airing and can keep up.

[anna7602]

We moved to France when DD was 3.5 and left most of our stuff in the US, taking only suitcases. She wasn't particularly attached to specific towels or sheets, so I didn't take anything like that. The first week we arrived, I took her to a linens store and let her pick out her own sheets and some other accessories for her new bedroom and for the bathroom. I also let her pick out new shampoo, tooth paste and things like that upon arrival. She was very excited to make those decisions. She was particularly excited about the wide-spread availability of pink toilet paper in France and still laments not having that option in the U.S. 

We brought a fair amount of toys with us because we moved 2 weeks after Christmas and had to bring everything she received from family as gifts that year. We also brought DD's dress-up clothes since she was very into those at the time and I couldn't imagine replacing them piece by piece. It turns out that Disney markets different princess outfits in Europe than in the US. When we went to EuroDisney, all the employees commented on DD's "American Version" Belle (Beauty & the Beast) dress. She was tickled pink to have something you couldn't buy there. Also, I found that the prices at the Disney store in Paris were much higher for equivalent dress-up items in the US Disney stores. Maybe that has changed (this was in 2012)? 

The heaviest thing we packed were books in her own languages (Spanish and English at the time) since I either couldn't find much selection in France or they were very expensive. In time, DD learned French and we acquired a fantastic library of beautiful French children's books. But it was still nice to have her beloved books from home with us. 

I debated bringing her scooter, but the logistics of it got me. We ended up buying her a bike in France, but I think we would have gotten more use out of a scooter on a daily basis. We certainly do here in NY now. 

[anna7602]

May 3, 2015 20:02:01 GMT -5 dorothyinAus said:

I don't have kids, but I would definitely second bringing familiar medicines, with the packages so the pharmacist/doctor can help your find similar things.

Now I am forgetting all the things we couldn't find in France and had to ask visitors to bring us. I think Tylenol Cold pills for adults was on the list, but most kids' meds were in good supply. I was shocked to learn while traveling in Belgium, however, that Motrin is a prescription drug there. Too bad for me and my awful menstrual cramps that weekend! 

Semi-health-related, I couldn't for the life of me find Jell-O anywhere, which was my go-to food for DD (and myself) when dealing with an upset stomach. A friend ended up bringing us a year's supply of Jell-O when he visited. 

For some other specific foods that French people don't seem to eat much, like peanut butter and canned black beans, I had to hunt around a little, but eventually, I found places to buy them. The only thing there was no equivalent for that I use a lot in my cooking was Goya Adobo. My mom brought me an econo-size when she visited. 

[alleinesein]

Some items that you might want

-Pepto Bismol. None of my european friends have been able to find anything even close to it in their home countries. They always steal mine when I visit and ask for extra bottles.
-Salad dressing. Another odd item but if you have little ones that like Ranch dressing you might want to take a few bottles with you or bring some of the ranch seasoning packets.
-Cough syrups. For as nasty as green death nyquil is it doesn't even come close to some of the nasty flavors of cough syrup in Europe.