Moving can be an emotional time for anyone, but teenagers can take it especially hard. The process of moving can cause your teenager issues such as anxiety, depression, grieving, and stress. If your teen is having trouble adjusting, below are four examples of how to help prepare you and your teenager for a move.
1. Involve Them in The Moving Process
After breaking the news, it is vital that your teenager feels like their voice is being heard. Include them and make sure they feel comfortable with all the decisions regarding the move. It is important to let your teenager know you plan to move when the time is right.
Try using a neighborhood finder to help locate an area that offers a safe and close-knit community that will fit your teen’s lifestyle and interests. If you decide to move out of their school district, ask your teen if they would rather attend a largely populated high school or one with a smaller number of students. Moving your teenager away from their friends and their high school can add an abundant amount of stress to their plate, so once you find a few options, include them in deciding on what house you are going to purchase. It’s important to encourage them to share their opinion and let them know they are being heard.
2. Make It Easy on Yourself
The best way to ensure you keep the aforementioned positive attitude is to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible. One crucial way to do that is to consider the costs of moving and create a financial plan ahead of time. We all know buying a new home is expensive, but there are a lot of considerations that go into the home buying process that can be stressful.
One key thing to remember is your credit score is very important when buying a home. A credit score is a number that is used to indicate your creditworthiness. So, what credit score is needed to buy a house, you might ask? Typically, it’s recommended that a buyer has a credit score of 620 or higher. Considering this ahead of time will alleviate some financial stress associated with home buying. It will also allow you to factor in the cost of supplies needed to help you pack your home before you move.
3. Take Your Time
Don’t start packing right away. This will give your teenager time to process the upcoming transition. If it’s possible, wait until the end of the school year, so your teenager doesn’t have to worry about starting mid-year at another school. In the meantime, you might find it useful to look into a company that offers self-storage, so you can store furniture and other belongings to help clear some clutter out of your home for the time being. By clearing out a few items here and there, you may not need a huge storage unit right away. Usually, there are units ranging from a closet-size up to spaces that can store a 5 bedroom home. Figure out ahead of time the items you want to clear out sooner rather than later, so you are choosing the right storage unit for your needs.
4. Keep A Positive Attitude
It’s important to be positive about the move because your teenager will pick up on your attitude and feelings. Even if you are overwhelmed about the process and the cost of moving, stay as encouraging and optimistic as possible so that your feelings don’t project onto them. Explain that the move will be an adventure and a fresh start for your family. Let your teenager know that it is okay to feel overwhelmed and sad, but that things will get better. Help them work through the stress and anxiety they are feeling and create a safe space to allow them to feel comfortable enough to open up to you. Even if your teen seems unbothered about moving, check in on them anyway.
It may take some time for your teenager to adjust to their new life. The best thing to do is to be an outlet for them to express their feelings. Sometimes, with a traumatic experience like moving, they may bottle up their feelings, so it is important to handle the situation with their feelings in mind. Oftentimes, moving is hard on everyone involved. Just remember to be as open and honest with them as possible, so that the moving process does not have to be all bad.