It is safe to say that moving house with kids is a lot like being the star of your own reality show. The only difference is that instead of glamorous contestants and expert advice, there are cardboard boxes, big emotional moments and tiny humans asking for food every 30 seconds while you try to tape the next box shut.
If you haven’t already googled “how to make moving easier with kids” or “best removalists near me”, well, chances are you will. And, you will quickly realise there is a lot more to this whole moving-with-kids business than you remembered when you used to move alone.
Moving house with your family is rarely ever just about getting from point A to point B. It is about maintaining some semblance of normality for your kids, ensuring that nothing important gets left behind (or squashed) in the process, and giving them a sense of security during a time of change and upheaval.
Some of these to-dos are pretty obvious, but it is the little things that make all the difference, and these are also the things that most parents seem to forget, making the whole ordeal much more stressful than it has to be.
Before the big moving day arrives and the truck parks outside your home, here are 10 things that every parent seems to forget when moving house, and why you shouldn’t either.
1. School Admin, More Than Just a Change of Address
Let’s be honest, school paperwork is nobody’s favourite task. But moving suburbs, especially in places like Brisbane and Adelaide where school catchments matter, means you can’t leave this for the last minute.
Why do parents forget?
You know it is very easy to get distracted while packing and cleaning. Plus, school admin feels less urgent than boxes in the hallway.
What usually slips through the cracks?
- Not telling your child’s current school early enough (which can cause transcript delays)
- Missing the cut-off for enrolment at the new school
- Forgetting to research the new school’s uniform, lunch policy, and book lists
- Overlooking after-school care enrolment (these spots go fast, especially in popular suburbs)
What to do:
Start with the admin. Tell the current school you’re moving, ask for all the paperwork you’ll need, and contact the new school for enrolment. Make a list of extracurriculars you’ll need to transfer, too. This step sets the tone for your whole move.
2. Medical Matters, From GPs to Emergency Contacts
Medical details often fall by the wayside in the rush. Yet, there’s nothing worse than a midnight fever and realising you don’t know where the nearest late-night chemist is, or you’re out of scripts.
What parents often miss:
- Ordering your complete medical and dental records from your current practice
- Refilling current scripts before you move (especially those that require ordering)
- Finding out about your new suburb’s GPs, dentists, after-hours clinics
- Don’t forget to update your Medicare, private health and ambulance subscriptions with your new address.
What helps:
Make a folder (digital or physical) with all your family’s important health information. If anyone in your family needs regular treatment or medication, double your supply before the move and find out where your nearest 24-hour pharmacy is in your new suburb.
3. Forgetting About Your Address… Everywhere
You’ll remember to tell your bank, but it’s the small things that catch you out, library cards, school newsletters, kids’ sports clubs, online shopping profiles, and so on.
What parents overlook:
- Setting up Australia Post mail redirection
- Updating the address on every child’s school and club records
- Letting friends and relatives know about your new home
- Changing address details on streaming services (yes, it matters for regional content)
- Subscriptions for magazines, kids’ activity boxes, and more
What to do:
Block off an hour, sit with a cuppa, and go through every account, subscription, and membership one by one. Use your phone or laptop to do it all in one sitting. Australia Post’s mail redirection is a brilliant backstop for anything you miss.
4. The Forgotten “First Night” Box
Ask any parent who’s moved: nothing is worse than arriving at a new home, exhausted, and realising the PJs, favourite blanket, or bedtime book is somewhere deep inside a sea of boxes.
What you really need in a first-night family box:
- Pyjamas, fresh clothes, and toothbrushes for everyone
- Kid comforters: soft toys, nightlights, favourite books
- Chargers for phones and tablets
- Basic snacks, cutlery, and water bottles
- Panadol, plasters, allergy meds, and wet wipes
- Toilet paper (absolutely crucial)
- One small treat (for the kids and for you)
5. Moving Day Childcare, Not an Afterthought
Moving day is all about boxes, big lifts, open doors, and distractions. It’s not the best environment for small kids or pets.
What parents forget:
- Planning for childcare – babysitter, playdate, etc.
- Setting up a “safe zone” – stocked with toys/games/snacks
- Assigning specific, useful jobs to older children (decorating boxes, snack captain, playlist)
- Discussing the moving day plan – so everyone understands what’s going to happen
What works:
Set up a dedicated space for them, away from all the commotion. Download a movie, pack their favourite snacks, and promise a small reward for helping out.
Turning Moving Day Into a Win for Your Family
And most importantly, you don’t have to do it all yourself. It’s perfectly normal to ask for help, especially with the heavy lifting. That’s where a moving platform like Connect Market comes in handy for parents.
A Parent’s Honest Guide to Using Connect Market
Let’s get real, nobody enjoys ringing five different moving companies, explaining your life story, and hoping you picked the right one. Connect Market was made for parents like us, who’d rather spend their evenings reading bedtime stories than getting moving quotes.
What does Connect Market do?
- Connects you with trusted, verified movers in your suburb, so you can skip the guesswork.
- Lets you compare options side by side, with genuine reviews from other local families.
- Keeps you updated every step of the way, so you always know where you stand.
The best part? It’s never a one-size-fits-all approach. With Connect Market, you simply share what matters. Whether you’re in Brisbane or Adelaide, moving with a big family, facing lots of stairs, or dealing with a cranky cat.
They’ll match you with movers who genuinely “get it.” If you’re a parent searching for movers Brisbane that families trust, this takes the stress and second-guessing out of the process. No more endless calls, no hidden surprises, just a move that actually feels simple.
Spanning Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is your trusted online guide and free printed magazine for parents. We cover kids’ events and activities, attractions and things to do with kids, schools and education, school holiday guides, family health & wellbeing, plus the latest parenting and lifestyle news. Based in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, QLD. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you.
