Moving Tips - Central Florida Real Estate

	Richard and Susan Ritterpusch Realtors®

Moving With Children

For children as well as for adults, moving can bring changes that are exciting and stressful. It is more than just changing a physical residence. It may mean giving up old friends and making new ones, and trying to “fit in” at a new school (nobody likes being the “new kid”) and learn the new curriculum. If the move results from an unhappy situation, such as divorce or a parent's decrease in income, the child will need to adjust to these changes also.

On the plus side, however, moving is a great opportunity to teach a child how to cope with major life changes.

Different Ages, Different Responses
Children of different ages may respond to the move in different ways. Kids in the early grades are just learning to be independent from their parents, and they may revert to dependent behavior. Preteens and teenagers may resist the move because of their strong allegiance to their peer group, and they may have the hardest time of all in adjusting to the move. Signs of Stress
Encourage your child to talk about what is bothering him and to ask questions. Seek advice from your doctor, pediatrician, school counselor, or other child counselor, if needed. The most common signs of potential problems include:

Withdrawing from friends
Trouble in school
Changes in appetite
Changes in sleep habits
Other significant changes in behavior

Tips for Moving with Kids:

Let your child know that you have uncertainties about the move also. He will be reassured that grownups have the same feelings and that it is helpful to talk about them.
How you deal with this new experience, with optimism and a sense of adventure, will help him learn how to handle major changes.
Try to keep the daily routine as normal as possible.
Let your child know well ahead of time about the move. He needs to adjust to the idea and break the news to his friends in his own way.
Help your child plan ways to keep in touch with his current friends, such as writing letters, sending email messages, and planning visits. He and his friends may enjoy recording messages on cassettes and mailing them back and forth to each other.
Provide information about the new community, such as parks, recreation opportunities that he enjoys, points of interest, etc. Visit the new community before the move.
Before moving, check with the school your child will attend for registration requirements, class schedule, and extracurricular activities. Try to visit the school with your child and meet the teacher. Check out the clothes worn by the students so your child can dress like “everybody else.”
If possible, let him tour his new home before the move. He can plan where to put his things in his new bedroom.
Let your child help pack his things. He can put his name on the boxes.
For teen drivers, obtain the state driver's licensing regulations and license examination booklet.

Moving Toward Maturity
With reassurance, support, and an upbeat atmosphere that welcomes his questions and opinions, the move can be a positive experience for your child. Not only will he move to a new home, he will move on to the next stage of his life with greater maturity and self-confidence.

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(407) 629-6330

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(407) 644-2048

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(407) 644-0610