Moving a rising 8th and 5th grader to another state

[Anonymous]

It will be hard. Make sure to continue any family traditions you have. They are younger than you think, and certain memories may mean more to them than you realize. Prioritize their emotional needs above your own, just a bit. They didn’t decide to move, and you are really rocking their world.

[Anonymous]

My kid was not unhappy about the move, but it took about a year for him to feel completely comfortable in his new school. We did learn to stop asking and making suggestions about making friends, etc, because it just made DC feel pressured, even though he understood it was well-intentioned. He spent a lot of time hanging out with us and his dogs that first year, but he didn’t seem unhappy, so we let it ride, and he did eventually find the activities that he enjoyed and a good group of friends.

It may be too late for some of this, but we got DC involved in the move as much as possible. We took him on the house search and even let him pick his school (he had the choice between 2 privates and a good public school). Don’t be surprised if your kid wants to try new things — my DC didn’t choose the school that was the most like the one he left, which surprised us. Do arrange for a tour of the school before it starts. It will help for you to get to know the front office staff at the new school, as well. There were some things that are done differently in the new area that I would have never known about had the Admin staff not checked in with me.

My kid posted a comment on social media the other day about how much he loves living here, and it really warmed my heart. He does miss some things — things like going to Nationals and Caps games, so we budget to go back to DC a couple times a year to do that and catch up with old friends. It is easier for kids to stay in touch with on-line gaming, etc, but he and his old friends have drifted apart over time, which is normal.