How to Help Kids and Teens Adjust To a Long-Distance Move

If you are getting ready to embark on a long-distance move, you may be worried about your kids or teens. It can be a difficult time to move as they probably will miss their friends and all of the things that are familiar to them. Fortunately, there are ways that you can help your kids and teens adjust after a long-distance move.

Get Them Involved in Local Activities

It’s a good idea for your kids and teens to stay active, both physically and mentally, during this time. You can help them adjust by getting them involved in some local activities. Find a sports or enrichment program that they can be a part of. If you aren’t sure where to start, ask some of your new neighbors about the programs that their kids or teens are involved in.

Let Them Be Part of the Moving Process

Your kids and teens will adjust better to moving if they are part of the process. When utilizing real estate services, let them come along to look at houses and meet with the real estate agent. Listen to their opinions about each house they see.

Have them be a part of everything from the planning to unpacking. While they shouldn’t make any of the major decisions, let them make small ones so that they feel as if their opinion matters. It will also help them feel more in control during this change.

Allow Them Time to Talk to Their Old Friends on the Phone or Online

It will be difficult for your kids and teens to be away from their friends. One way to solve this is by allowing them to talk to them. You may be busy with everything going on right now and don’t want them to spend all of their time on the phone or online. However, it is important that you give them an adequate amount of time to still talk to their old friends so that they can start to adjust and not feel so homesick. You might set a certain time or amount of time that they can talk online or on the phone with their friends.

Be a Listening Ear for Them

You may notice that your kids or teens have a lot of feelings when it comes to the move. This is to be expected, and you need to be a listening ear to them. Talk to them about their feelings, and don’t be outwardly judgemental even if it’s something that you don’t want to hear.

Your kids and teens will probably have a difficult time adjusting to a long-distance move. By utilizing the above tips, you can make things a little bit easier. Just remember that it may take some time before they are able to settle into their new life. However eventually, they will adjust to the move and start making new friends.

By Anita Ginsburg

Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University and now writes articles about health, business, family, and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.