I am fifteen years old and living in Scottsdale, AZ. My parents have called a “family meeting” which I anxiously await to hear them say those all too familiar words, “we are moving”. See at this point in my life I have lived in seven different states and have been in this home for the majority of my existence. This is my home, this is where I developed through my late elementary years through early high school, and now they want to take that away!
Moving is tough, on parents and children alike. It is a big decision for any family to make. Parents spend months weighing out pros and cons and children spend months wondering what their future may look like. Moving to a new house brings on some anxiety as it is a change of scenery for everyone, but I am specifically going to talk about moving to a whole new state as this is what I remember the most as a child that moved around a lot.
If you are considering moving to a new state weather it is for a job or for a change of location, here are some tips to help your children through it:
- Move at the end of summer: Not everyone has control over the timing of a big move, but if you do try to move once summer is over. A few times my parents thought it would be a good idea to move at the beginning of summer and honestly it was harder. My siblings and I spent the summer bored because we didn’t know anyone and everyone was occupied with summer camps or playing with friends. If you can move at the end of summer, it gives your children the chance to enjoy a few more months with their friends.
- Rooms: Let your children pick and decorate their new rooms. There is so much going on around them that is out of their control. Let them decorate and pick out their favorite room in the new house. This gives them a chance to make something feel like their own.
- Feelings: Keep their feelings in mind. As you are feeling many emotions about moving, so are your children. Ask how they feel and if they don’t want to talk about it, encourage them to write it down. Change can bring on a lot of mixed emotions and your child may have a hard time expressing that.
- Age: My hardest move was the one mentioned above. When I was fifteen. Moving in high school wasn’t easy. High school years are tough as it is and having to leave and make new friends at that age, with kids who had known each other for years, was hard. If you can move before your children are in grade school or at least middle school that would be more ideal.
- Decisions: Include your children in as many decisions as you can. What house you get or what school they go to. It will help them feel more comfortable and like they have a voice in this life change.
Summer is typically a common time that families move to either a new state or a new home. Keep some of these tips in mind to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone in the family.
