The Talk: Age-by-Age, Moving
How to Tell Your Kids You're Moving
By Laura Betts, LICSW, MSW
Whatever your reason for moving – financial, wanting to be closer to friends/family, a new job opportunity, or simply seeking a new community – moving is a common transition that families make. Although common, children can experience a range of emotions and reactions to a move, as can adults!
Moving can be full of excitement, fear, loss, and adventure, as it is a temporary disruption of your life that will require adjustment, but will ultimately provide a new experience for the whole family. Support your child in expressing a range of emotions about a move, knowing that they may differ among each child. Provide reassurance about the positives in a move and let them know they can talk to you about anything that may be tough, too. Allow them to express feelings to you about their loss of connection to your old home, community, and friends. When established in your new home, help your child in making connections to a new community that match their interests – dance, sports, art, writing, playgroups, etc.
Temporary reactions to a move are common, think about all that has changed! There is a lot of adjustment that will take place, but your support is the foundation for a new start for your family.
Remember you know your child, family, and values best, so this article is intended to be used as a starting point and offer general guidelines.
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