When you’re moving overseas with children, every packing decision feels enormous.

Should I take this?
Will they miss that?
Can I buy it there?
Is it worth paying to ship?

Before our move, I spent weeks reading packing lists. Most of them focused on documents and electronics. Very few talked about what it’s actually like to pack for two small children while trying to fit your entire life into a few suitcases.

Now that we’ve been through it, here’s what helped us—and what I’d do again.

The “Three-Month Rule”

My girls are still little, and one realization saved us a surprising amount of money:

If they haven’t used something in the last three months, they probably won’t miss it.

Children outgrow toys, clothes, and even interests so quickly.

That expensive toy they loved six months ago? It stayed in the cupboard.

The mountain of tiny clothes I was emotionally attached to? They’d already outgrown them.

The craft kits I thought we’d definitely use? Still unopened.

That simple three-month rule made every decision easier.

What We Left Behind

Instead of shipping everything, we left behind:

• Toys that hadn’t been touched in months.
• Clothes that were too small or “might fit someday.”
• Duplicate kitchen items.
• Bulky baby gear we no longer needed.
• Decorative pieces that had no practical purpose.

Every kilogram you don’t ship saves money—and gives you space for something that truly matters.

What We Were Glad We Packed

Some things are worth every bit of suitcase space.

• Favourite bedtime books.
• A few well-loved toys instead of an entire toy collection.
• Comfort blankets and soft toys.
• Familiar bedtime essentials.
• A few favourite snacks for the first couple of weeks.
• Medical records and important documents neatly organised.
• Clothes to last until we could settle in and shop comfortably.

Kids adapt to new homes much faster when they have a few familiar things around them.

The Items That Made Me Cry

I thought I was doing well until I reached the memory boxes.

Their first birthday dresses.

Little drawings with scribbled “I love you.”

Baby shoes that fit in the palm of my hand.

These weren’t expensive things. They didn’t serve a practical purpose.

But they carried pieces of our story.

Some came with us.

Some stayed with family.

Some I photographed before letting go.

That was the hardest part of packing—not deciding what we needed, but deciding what memories could stay behind.

Moving Isn’t Just About Boxes

Children don’t remember how many toys they owned.

They remember reading the same bedtime story.

Cuddling the same teddy.

Having Mum and Dad close while everything else felt unfamiliar.

Looking back, I realise we weren’t packing a house.

We were packing comfort.

Everything else could be bought again.

The memories—and the people carrying them—were coming with us.