moving from a house of many years

moving from a house of many years

Tips For Making A Long-Distance Move With A Teen Easier

by Siiri Salonen

You shouldn't be surprised if your teen isn't happy when you break the news that your family is moving out of state. Many teens don't handle drastic life changes well, and to your teen, making a long-distance move means leaving family, friends, and everything that is familiar. So, if your teen doesn't immediately like the idea of moving away, it's okay. It doesn't mean that you'll have to drag your child with you kicking and screaming. There are several things that you can do to make your upcoming move easier for your teen. 

Consider Your Teen's Schedule

The less you interrupt your teenager's life the better. It's easier for teens to adjust to a new place when the move is planned around their school schedule for several reasons:

  • Moving at the end of the school years allows your teen to spend a bit of extra time with friends and gives your teen more time to adjust to the concept of moving.
  • It's more likely that your teen won't be the only new kid in the school if you transfer your teen at the beginning of a new school year. The last thing you want is for your teen to feel like the only outsider at his or her new school.
  • It's easier for teens who are new to an area to make new friends at the beginning of the school year because the other kids haven't settled into their new routines. Teenagers often do things, such as walk to class or eat lunch, with specific groups of kids. It's harder for a new kid to join a group of teens that are already settled into a routine than it is for a teen to figure out where they belong while everyone is still trying to get used to their new school schedules.
  • Summer moves allow your teen to get involved with different extracurricular activities before he or she starts attending school. This way, your teen will already know some of the kids before school starts. 

Keep Your Teen Involved in the Moving Process

The less your teen knows about your move the more anxious he or she will feel. So, you should use the time before your move to encourage activities that will make your teen feel involved with your move.

  • Let your teenager help you look for your new house.
  • Spend time with your teenager researching your new home town. While you're researching the area, make a list of the things that you want to do as a family once you get settled into your new house.
  • Plan the details of your first trip back home before you actually move. This way, your move won't feel as permanent to your teen because he or she already knows when you'll be returning for a visit.

It's probably easier to plan your entire move, hire dependable movers (such as those from Smith Dray Line), and find a new home than it is to convince your teenager that moving far away will be a good thing. But, don't worry too much about your teen's immediate reaction to your moving announcement. Instead, keep your teen involved with your moving plans. This way, moving out of state with your teen will be an easier process.


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About Me

moving from a house of many years

If you are getting ready to move and you've lived in your home for quite a while, you can quickly get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that you have to move. If you have advance notice of the move, you can start clearing the house out slowly. When I was packing up our home of nearly twenty years, I knew that I was in for a lot of work. I decided to start 6 months before we moved and slowly began clearing the house out and putting what I wanted to keep for the new home in storage. Use what I have included here on my blog to get through this difficult time a little easier.