Moving to Dublin with kids? Here’s how to keep memories of your new life
Moving to Dublin with kids: a life-changing family chapter
Moving to Dublin with your kids is an adventure filled with excitement, hope, and a fair amount of uncertainty.
There are boxes everywhere, suitcases half-packed, and that strange feeling of being suspended between two lives. One foot still in what you’re leaving behind, the other already stepping into something new. Your children might be curious, nervous, thrilled, upset, or all of that at once.
And in the middle of the logistics, paperwork, schools, and housing searches, something often gets overlooked: how quickly this chapter will pass.
So the question is: How do you keep memories of your new life, while everything is still unfolding?
Everything changes faster than you expect
When you move abroad with children, time seems to speed up.
The first weeks are intense, like a blur. New accents, new routines, new places. Your children adapt faster than you imagined, sometimes faster than you’re ready for. One day they’re asking where the light switches are, and before you know it, they’re correcting your pronunciation or explaining how things work “here.”
What feels huge and overwhelming at the beginning slowly becomes normal. And that’s beautiful, but it also means this transition phase, so full of emotion, is surprisingly short.
Why everyday moments matter even more when you move abroad
When everything is new, it’s easy to think that only the “big moments” are worth remembering.
But in reality, it’s the small, everyday scenes that say the most about this chapter of your life:
- breakfast around a new kitchen table
- school bags dropped by the door
- discovering your local park
- siblings playing in a space that doesn’t quite feel like home yet, but will
- A snack in the local coffee shop that might become your new favorite
- All the “first times” doing something that will soon be routine (first Irish breakfast, first meal at the pub, first walk in the neighbourhood, first school uniform…)
These ordinary moments become extraordinary with time. They are the foundations of your family’s new rhythm, quietly shaping what home will come to mean.
Photos as anchors when everything feels new
When you move to a new country, so many reference points disappear at once.
Photographs can become anchors.
They freeze familiar gestures in an unfamiliar setting. They remind your children (and you) that even though everything around you has changed, your family hasn’t.
Years from now, these images won’t just show where you lived. They’ll show how it felt, how close you were. How you held onto each other while building a new life together and starting over.
If you’re not sure how to document this season of life, you’re not alone. You can start with my free course Documenting Your Family, or choose to book a session with me if you’d rather be fully present. I’ve been there too.
You don’t need to wait until everything feels “settled”
Many families think they should wait before documenting this chapter.
Until the house feels finished. Until the boxes are unpacked. Until life feels more organised.
But the truth is: this in-between stage is often the most meaningful.
Homes are a little messy. Routines are still forming. Nothing is perfect, and that’s exactly what makes it real. This is when memories are raw, honest, and deeply emotional.
You don’t need a perfect home or a perfectly settled life to deserve meaningful photos. You just need to be there, together. You’re working hard to create the best life for your loved ones, so make sure you document it! And Mamas, make sure you’re included in the photos, too.
A personal note
I know this chapter well.
I moved to Dublin with my own children, carrying the same mix of excitement and fear. I remember wishing I could slow time down, just a little, and keep more traces of those early days. The unfamiliar streets, the new habits, the way my children looked at this city before it became their city. There was so much to do!
That’s one of the reasons I care so deeply about documenting families during times of transition. Because these moments matter more than we often realise while we’re living them.
When we first arrived, we lived in a temporary home before moving into a permanent one that still had the previous owners’ furniture. Everything looks so different now, with our own things in place. I’m incredibly grateful for the photos I took during that time. I know those first months would have slowly faded from memory otherwise.
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For families moving to Dublin with kids
If you’re reading this while planning your move (or right after arriving) please know this:
You don’t need to have everything figured out (we did NOT). You don’t need to wait for life to look perfect.
Your family, exactly as it is right now, is already worth remembering. Whether you’ve just arrived or are still finding your feet, this chapter of your life deserves to be held onto with care.
When you’re moving to Dublin with kids, having the right support can make a huge difference, especially when it comes to housing and schooling. We personally worked with Settle In, a relocation service based in Ireland, and it helped us enormously in a very saturated rental market. Beyond helping families find a home, they also support parents with school searches and enrolments, making sure children are placed in a school close to home whenever possible.
For practical aspects like residency, healthcare or schooling, official Irish resources can also be helpful. If you’re looking for kid friendly activities and services, check out The Family Edit and hop on your local moms Whatsapp group (there most likely is one, ask around!).
Building a new chapter, one memory at a time
You’re not just moving to a new country.
You’re creating new roots, new traditions, and a new sense of belonging for your children.
And one day, these images — these small, honest moments — will help them remember not just where they grew up, but how it felt to begin again, surrounded with love.
If you’re thinking about documenting your family’s new life in Dublin, I’d be happy to chat, from one mama to another.
Because the most meaningful memories are often made when everything is still new and unfolding.
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