My son will be 3 next week. I overthink everything especially when it comes to my son. Sometimes it helps to just get it all out and see other’s opinions to really put everything into perspective. So, here it is…my son is going to have lots of changes over the next few months. I’m excited and nervous. This is the breakdown. Any advice for getting through all of this with positivity and as little stress as possible would be appreciated.

1. Big Move - We are moving from Europe to US. I am from US, my son was born in Europe and has never been to US yet. He is excited about riding in a plane. He is excited about “going to America”. But he has no concept to understand that it’s going to take us an entire day(his 12 hour day) to get there. I’m not concerned about the plane part. We will have plenty of snacks, iPad and I know he will likely sleep some of the way(more or less depending on the time). We will arrive into a very busy airport and plan to take 2-3 days to get over jet lag and try to get him back on schedule. Then fly again to the nearest airport to our final destination. We will stay another week or so in that city before we drive 4 hours to our home. It will be a lot for him. For all of us, I’m sure.

2. Big Boy Bed - he still sleeps in a crib. He has never tried to climb out but he is definitely filling it up and doesn’t have any more room. We will be getting a big boy bed when we get to our destination. But in between, he will likely be sharing hotel beds with me.

3. Potty training - we have tried a couple times and seems he wasn’t completely ready so we held off. We knew of this move coming up so we have continued to hold off and wait until we get to our new home to really get into potty training. He is ready, but has some anxiety about actually sitting down. Either way, I will be able to fully commit to the efforts in our new home.

4. His belongings - he has lots of toys, his books, his dishes, etc. We are leaving almost everything behind. We will be taking his favorite blanket, one or two little stuffed animals that he sleeps with every night and maybe a few hot wheels or small trains with. Other than that, we will be taking only a few changes of clothes and shoes. We will have to get all new in US again.

What am I missing? What am I not thinking of that I should? What else is there to consider, besides all that goes along with COVID now? What else do I need to prepare for? Any recommendations, advice, opinions? Please throw it all at me….thanks!