Moving with kids presents unique challenges. You can overcome these challenges by thinking about your child’s perspective. Maybe you’re moving because you had a great job offer, to be closer to family, or for a fresh start. Do you know why your kids are moving? They’re moving because they have to. While you may have a lot to look forward to in the new city you are moving to, your kids might not have the same level of enthusiasm. They’re in for a lot of new experiences and will probably end up really liking their new home, but it’s not something they’ll be thrilled about when you first tell them it’s time to move. So, do everyone a favor, find ways to minimize the impact the move will have on them. Summer relocation is often the best option for anyone, but especially when you have kids.
Moving With School-Aged Children is Easier for the Whole Family During the Summer
Moving schools and leaving friends behind is hard enough. Try not to make moving with school-aged children harder by moving during the school year. There are few things as intimidating to kids as being the new kid at school. The new kid gets introduced in front of the class, and they are often an outsider for a long time. Now moving schools between grades is so much easier on kids. They probably won’t be the only new kids, so the focus won’t all be on them. You need to remember that your kids probably aren’t the most confident people in the world. Kids are self-conscious, so making them stand out from everyone else by moving to a new school during the school year might be upsetting to them.
Besides upsetting your kids, there are other concerns you should have about moving schools during the school year. Moving in the middle of the school year might disrupt their education. Unless you are some kind of miracle worker, you aren’t going to be able to move to a new state in a single weekend. You’ll have to spend some time packing, then traveling to your new home, then unpacking. It’s going to take a fair amount of time, and your kids will end up missing some time at school. Then, when they get to their new school, they’ll have to get adjusted. They’ll have to learn how to communicate with new teachers, and they’ll have to adjust to a new lesson plan and new curriculum. It’s a lot for kids to handle in the middle of a school year, and it can cause them to fall behind.
Sometimes Summertime Isn’t the Best time for Moving With Kids.
For example, if you’re offered an amazing new job and you have to start right away, you can’t put off moving at that point. Your kids should factor into every decision you make. But if the benefits of moving are going to outweigh the negative impact, then you have to make the decision to take that job and move. Kids are pretty resilient, and they should bounce back just fine. The point is that if you can put off moving with kids until the summer, then you should, if not, then do what you can to help them adjust.
Look for a Home to Buy in a Nice Neighborhood with Good Schools Nearby
What’s more important to the future success of your kids than their education? Not much! That’s why when you are moving with school-aged children, you should only buy a home once you find one in a nice area with great schools nearby. Buying a home is a huge commitment. You have to put down a significant down payment, and then you have decades of mortgage payments to look forward to. If something breaks or you need a home improvement, you’ll have to pay. We don’t want to discourage you from buying a home. If you want to, you should! It will help you financially since you’ll build equity and give you and your family a place of your own. But, it’s a big commitment, so you should never buy a home in a new city without exploring the city, and looking at homes in person first.
You can look at pictures of a home online all day and still have no idea if it’s going to be a good fit for you and your family. Sometimes you need to see a home in person, walk around the neighborhood, and get a feel for the area. You need to research schools to ensure that there are great schools nearby. In other words, there’s a lot you have to do before you buy a home. Moving to a new state is enough stress without trying to go through the home buying process before you’ve even gotten to the new city you’ll be living in. You don’t need that kind of stress, but if you don’t buy a home, where can you stay?
Why not rent a place for a little while?
You can rent a small apartment for you and your family while you get acclimated to your new city. A short term lease won’t tie you down in the case that you need to move to a new part of the city or state. One quick tip you should follow to save money is to live in a small and inexpensive apartment when you move into a new city. You don’t need a big luxurious place; you just need a place that’s just big enough for you and your family. What about all of the stuff you own? Well, rent a storage unit and keep whatever you don’t need right now packed up in storage. Storage units are inexpensive, and they are a great option when you need someplace safe to keep your things when you’re moving.
Try to Buy a Home Where Your Kids will Have Playmates
If you ever had to move schools as a kid, the worst part was probably having to leave your friends behind. This is especially hard when you’ve lived in the same area for a long time and made many close friends. It’s hard to leave behind people you care about, so it should make sense to you that your kids would have the same feelings. The good news for your kids is that keeping in touch today is easier than ever, thanks to social media! The bad news is that video chatting and messaging people isn’t the same. If you’re moving with school-aged children and you want them to have a smoother transition, try finding a home with people their age around. This is another reason why you should rent before you buy: you need to get to know an area before deciding on where you want to live permanently.
Look for a Home Where You Have a Reasonable Commute
If you want your kids to succeed, encourage them, make sure they get an excellent education and help them to develop people skills. Communication skills are important for a child’s personal development. One way to help your kids develop communication skills is by encouraging them to do after-school activities. Not to mention, colleges look at after school programs and sports when making admission decisions. If your kids do well in school and clubs, they’ve got a better chance of getting a great higher education.
Moving with kids can be complicated in terms of finding the best location. If you live too far away from their school, you’ll be spending more time behind the wheel. This is why you should look for a home that’s near where your kids are active. Will a home that’s in a more desirable location cost a little more? Possibly, but think about how much time you’ll save on your commute. Less time spent driving means more time with your family enjoying things like Friday night football with them.
With a little careful planning, a summer move can be much easier for you and your children. The break from school will allow your family to settle down in your new state, make neighborhood friends, and get the lay of the land!