Moving can be tough—especially for families. While almost nobody looks forward to uprooting from one location to another, families face the extra burden of having many different perspectives to manage in the transition. In this piece, we’ll look at how moving to Louisville might affect your family especially one with kids.
Relocating will impact everyone in the home, but typically in unique ways. Each person processes the change differently. Kids face added pressures. From new schools to health impact, there’s a lot to consider.
So, does your family have a big move to Louisville coming up? One of the best things you can do is create a new home complete moving checklist. Planning ahead is worth its weight in gold. As you build it, keep in mind what you need to do to prepare your kids for what’s coming. The effort is worthwhile: With a little strategy, you can help to create a smoother move for everyone. Here’s a look at what you need to know:
The Best and Worst Ages to Move for Kids
You can’t always control when circumstances move you to a new city, but if you do have some flexibility, keep in mind that kids’ ages matter. If you’re going to move while having little ones underfoot, the best time to do it is when they’re too small to remember much of the experience. In other words, moving in the first five years of life tends to carry the least setbacks for children.
Once your kids are a little older than that, they enter the demographic that bears the biggest burden in a relocation. Those in their early school years, between six and 10, can find a move traumatic. This is an age group packed with developmental milestones, all of which can be affected by a huge disruption in routine. Switching schools, friends, teachers, and neighborhoods in those early years leaves a real impression — so much so that some kids will keep feeling the damage for years and even into adulthood.
What are some of the ways a move could hurt a young, school-aged child?
- Decreased social skills
- Harder time transitioning to a new location
- Increased emotional and behavioral problems
- Feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction
- Ongoing social struggles well into adulthood
While not all children in this age group will face all the above ramifications in a move, it’s worth understanding what’s common. If you can’t avoid moving during these early elementary years, keep in mind what emotions your kids may be feeling — and that they’re going to need your help.
More Moves, More Problems
Many families relocate frequently for unavoidable reasons, such as a job change, for example. For parents, though, it’s important to understand that the more often you move, the more disruption your children face. Frequent uprooting can make it hard to form relationships or any sort of stability, both of which are crucial in childhood. To get more specific, if you move three or more times while your kids are in their early childhood years, it puts extra stress on their developing brains, emotions, and bodies. This is not to mention the damage done by changing schools regularly, without a chance to become part of a particular place.
So, what can you do if you must move often, in terms of helping your kids? Try to plan moves around the school year, rather than relocating amidst one. You want to minimize stress for your child however you can.
The Impact of Neighborhood on Kids
For a child, the neighborhood is about a lot more than the style of houses. Where your family lives determines the school zone, not to mention the availability of potential friends. On top of that, from a statistical standpoint, a good neighborhood has a direct impact on children’s health, likelihood of going to college, and even future earnings as an adult.
If you’re moving to Louisville, focus on the best Louisville neighborhoods. The costs may be higher but research shows that a stable, peaceful neighborhood will put kids on a different trajectory — one with improved health and career ramifications.
Neighborhood matters. As you explore possibilities for where to live, prioritize a good location at the top of your list.
Good Ways to Prepare Your Kids to Move
- Talk a lot: As your move date approaches, there’s a lot you can do to get your kids ready for the transition. Talk often and openly about what to expect, timelines, feelings, etc., and maintain an approachable posture to listen to any concerns. The more you process the move with your children, the better they will be able to handle it.
- Tour the new area: If possible, take a trip with your kids to your future home before your actual moving day. Explore the neighborhood and surrounding area. Visit the new school. Learning more about the new place can eliminate a lot of the unknowns that feed anxiety in your children.
- Keep routines where possible: Kids crave stability. Part of what makes moves hard is how they disrupt normal routines. Look for areas where you can keep things feeling predictable: morning walks, weeknight dinners, Friday night pizza, or Saturday morning soccer, for example. Familiar activities communicate safety and comfort to a child.
Moving to Louisville as a family is a big deal — but it doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. Think now about how to help your kids transition in the days ahead. To learn more about preparing for a family relocation, look at the attached resource from Move Central. In it, you’ll find helpful tips for improving both the immediate and future effects on your household.
