We have now lived in our new home for one week. Moving to a new home with children has been one of the most exhausting and rewarding transitions for our family so far.
The move was chaos — but also fun in its own way. Exhausting, overwhelming, messy… and still exciting.
The Moving Day Madness
Thankfully, my partner didn’t have much work that week, so he was able to focus on the move. He invited two friends to help, which made a huge difference.
We decided to bring everything with us to avoid spending too much on new furniture — although we still ended up buying a lot.
We carried everything from a second-floor home to a first-floor apartment in a neighboring village:
- a piano
- a double bed
- a single bed
- a baby crib
- a bunk bed
- four dressers
- three shelves
- a TV, computer, lamps, a clock
- and countless bags of personal belongings
The apartment we moved into was completely empty.
Hunting for Furniture and Essentials
I immediately started searching online for used items, while also ordering some new ones.
Used, we managed to get:
- a large wardrobe (which took half a day to collect and reassemble)
- dishes
- a kettle
- a toaster
- a washing machine
- a refrigerator
- an electric stove
- curtains
- even an apron
Previously, at my partner’s parents’ house, the laundry room, kitchen, and toilet were downstairs. Now we needed everything ourselves.
New items we had to order:
- two kitchen cabinets
- a dresser for baby items
- a table and four chairs
- a coffee machine
- a step stool for our daughter to reach the sink
- curtain rods
- a robot vacuum
- a router
- trash bins
- a wall clock
- a desk lamp
- a frying pan
- a dish drying rack
- doormats
My partner said moving in one day was impossible — and he was right. The “moving chaos” is technically still ongoing.
The First Night: Pure Exhaustion
His friends came in the morning. The grandparents stayed with the children while we cleaned, packed, and carried furniture.
That evening, we arrived at the new home and spent our first night here.
My partner assembled the large bed — it had hundreds of screws. By the end of the evening, we both felt about 80 years old. Everything hurt.
I’m eight months pregnant and haven’t had any complaints this entire pregnancy. But that night? I felt it everywhere.
The children, however, were thrilled.
Our two-year-old probably didn’t fully understand what was happening. But our four-year-old daughter did. We explained everything calmly beforehand, and she had been looking forward to the move. She’s a very perceptive girl.
They are still happy — probably because we are happy too.
“Our Own Room, Our Own Rules”
One of the biggest changes is independence.
My partner immediately agreed that it was time for us to live separately. Now we have our own space, our own decisions. We don’t have to coordinate every detail with parents. We can organize everything according to our rhythm.
That freedom feels good.
The Toilet Disaster
The very next day, we got our first “welcome surprise.”
The toilet clogged.
I went outside into a snowbank at 3 a.m. to pee. Multiple times. My daughter used her little potty. Our two-year-old is still in diapers. My partner also used the snow.
We spoke with our upstairs neighbor, an elderly lady. She remembered she had the key to the empty apartment across from us — which has a dry toilet.
That dry toilet felt like a blessing. Cold, yes — but far better than standing in the snow.
Over five days, four different men came to inspect and repair the plumbing:
- the head of the municipal services
- a neighbor who once helped build the sewer system
- two plumbers
Every day there was a new explanation: clogged, broken pipe, frozen pipe, sinking pipe…
Finally, they thawed the frozen section, and on the fifth day, it was fixed.
Ironically, I found myself missing the dry toilet at my partner’s parents’ place. I had used it for five years without a single problem — except sometimes waiting in line.
Appliance Issues and Internet Drama
Next problem: the washing machine didn’t work.
Fortunately, we didn’t have much laundry, and we could have gone back to my partner’s parents if needed. That was fixed within two days — the wall valve was broken.
Then came the internet and TV installation. The signal is weak here in the countryside. We spent an entire day trying to make it work. Eventually, my partner managed to fix it.
Now we’re unsure whether to keep the contract or try another provider — though in a rural area, the signal may not be better elsewhere.
We’ll see.
The Children and the Adjustment
The children have experienced a lot in one week. As a result, both got mildly sick — fever once, several days of cough and runny noses. Thankfully, they’re already improving.
Curtain installation was another full-day project. Four large windows. We only managed to hang the curtains on the fourth night.
The courier now arrives almost daily with something new.
I connected the computer myself. My partner assembled dressers, shelves, the piano, beds, the table, chairs. We’re still waiting for two cabinets and another dresser.
Soon my partner returns to full-time work. I’m hoping delivery drivers will agree to carry items inside — I’m not allowed to lift heavy things. I can lift our two-year-old, but cabinets are another story.
Financial Responsibility and Daily Rhythm
Another new theme: managing finances independently. There’s no sharing costs with parents anymore. We are fully responsible.
I’ve cooked at least one proper warm meal every day. We have a wood stove and a fireplace. My partner has cooked in the wood stove oven — and the food tastes amazing.
The children are eating and sleeping well. So are we.
Moving is a full-time job.
The children have been with us almost the entire time — except the day we picked up the large wardrobe and the first heavy moving day.
In some ways, the move is still happening. In other ways, we settled in remarkably fast.
A Home Full of Love
Despite the chaos, the repairs, the snowbank toilet nights, and the deliveries…
We are happy here.
We hug. We kiss. We laugh.
This new home is already full of love.
You are not alone.
If this story resonated with you and you’d like to go deeper, you can explore my e-book Our Journey – A Different Path. It offers honest reflections and lived experience beyond this post.
If you’re looking for practical support, I’ve created Routine Templates to help parents and children navigate daily life with more clarity, structure, and understanding.
You can also read my previous posts or follow along on Instagram @parentguidancehub, where I share everyday reflections on parenting, family life, and finding balance.
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