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We just moved NC to PA a mo ago with a 2 and 4 year old, and it went fantastic. All we did is warn him (the 4 year old), that we would soon be going to a new house and a new school, so he got excited about it. We took them to their new day care for only a few hours the first few days, and then put them in full time. I think the biggest thing was when he realized his stuff goes with him, then he was fine (he thought someone else would get his thomas bed, etc. when they bought the house)
Good point vetegnc! My kids are really worried about their stuff and talking to them about everything that will come with us when we move has helped a lot! They also have appreciated being given a choice of paint colors for their new rooms
set up the kid's room first when you arrive, that should help.
also, we've been preparing dd with books. there are tons that discussing moving and it's been really helpful. if you're flying, get books on flying too.
I am worried about this also. I have a 3 year old who was basically raised by my Sister in law (while I worked).
We live 30 minutes from any family right now but I hear, "I wanna see TT, I wanna see Papa, I wanna see Lexi" all the time. We see family at least once a week (if not more).
What in the world will I tell him when we move 16 hours away and he's begging to go see family???
If you can stay closer to family, do it. My father died this past week. We have lived 8-9 hours away from my family for my 12-year-old daughter's whole life, and part of what has been so devastating to me this past week is that my daughter didn't get to know and spend as much time with my dad as I would have liked, and now he's gone.
If you can stay closer to family, do it. My father died this past week. We have lived 8-9 hours away from my family for my 12-year-old daughter's whole life, and part of what has been so devastating to me this past week is that my daughter didn't get to know and spend as much time with my dad as I would have liked, and now he's gone.
This type of heart-felt post isn't made often enough. I suspect there are a lot of people with wisdom like this that don't think to say or write things like this. When all is said and done, family is important, relationships are important, thus moving far away when there is an alternative isn't the best decision.
I can give you my experience with moving around at different stages of my life. I moved when I was 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 15, 17, and then to college....after that any moves were my choice as an adult so I won't continue.
I dont' remeber the moves before I was 4. So I am thinking as long as you keep close contact and regular visits with the grandparents a 3 year old would adjust quite nicely (we have a video phone I use with my sister...that way all the cousins and aunts and uncles can not only speak, but see eachother regularly...it's great!). I remember being sad when I moved when I was six...but my mom had just died so everything was sad and messy anyway. I was also upset about moving when I was eight, because we had been living with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins...and then we were going to be without them...which was like losing another set of parents and siblings. When I was 15 I was excited to move...but that's because I thought I'd finally have a real and normal family...it was the first time I was going to live with my father. I was wrong and was also excited to leave home (although in a huff) when I was 17. College was great (except for the stress of paying for it myself) and then I tried living in CT, Putnam County NY, and finally back to NYC...where I stayed until I was 31...so the gypsy instinct in me was finally gone.
However when we moved to Maryland I had a 1 year old...who obviously was oblivious to the move. We are now planning to move to New England this summer. My almost 11 year old and 5 year old are excited to try a new place with new things to do. It helps that we have vacationed in Maine for the last 6 years...and they love it there. This coming September my little one will be starting kindergarten, and my older one is headed for middle school...so as far as schools go they would have been switching anyway...one of the reasons why we planned the move for this year, to minimize change for them. We don't plan on moveing anytime soon again after that, but I would not stay in a place if there were better opportunities as a family somewhere else. I just think you have to plan it out by getting the kids aquainted with the new area and why the move is beneficial. For teenages moving in the middle of high school can be hard (for me I was in tenth grade but because the curriculums in the new school didn't match the old school I was in mostly 11th grade classes save history and english) so the best friends I made all graduated a year ahead of me...I didn't like that at all! But on the bright side they are old enough to keep in touch with their old friends while making new ones.
As for my family, I am not totally damaged from all my childhood moves, so I'm pretty certain my kids will survive this one at least.
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