Teenagers and the Moving Process

There are many different things you need to think about when you are moving, especially if you have a family. Relocating a family can be difficult, but if you plan ahead, dealing with these aspects doesn't have to be as complex as you originally thought. Teenagers, and their difficulties with changes that occur as a byproduct of moving, can be one issue that needs to be addressed early on. Here are a few ideas that you can keep in mind to ensure that you and your teen make it to your new home without too much trouble.

Planning and Communicating

The most important thing to do when you are moving with your teenagers is to communicate the change to them and allow them to help plan for the upcoming process. Of course, the depth at which they can help will have everything to do with how old they are, but your communicating with them will not. Sit them down when you find out that you will be moving and address the need to relocate. Then, allow them time to ask questions and answer them candidly. Hiding these larger changes will only be detrimental in the long run.

Get paper and start to write down a moving plan with input from your teenager. Ask them about things they will miss in the local area and see if there is a way to incorporate these things into the schedule before you leave. This may help them say goodbye and bring closure to this chapter of their life without creating more problems. Here are some ideas that other parents have implemented into their moves.

• *Have a going away party and invite friends.
• *Take everyone to a theme park, or invite everyone to come on a specific day.
• *Head out to the beach and let your teen invite who they want.
• *Offer your teen a notebook in which to record names, addresses, and phone numbers.
• *Let your teen have sleepovers or other one-on-one moments with friends.

Get Them Involved

When your teenager is allowed to sit and think too much about something, it can start to fester and cause problems in their mind. Not allowing them to help with the moving process can also instill feelings of inadequacy or being in the way. For these reasons, and more, allow your teenager to get involved in the actual packing and moving process. They can do a number of things, including the following.

• *Pack their own room, the bathroom, or help in packing other areas of the house under your direction.
• *Watch younger kids and help the younger children pack their toys or label the boxes.
• *Keep an eye on and be responsible for pets that are moving with you.
• *Cleaning certain rooms or places around the house.
• *Cooking easy meals for the family while the family packs other areas of the home.

Acclimation and Adjustment

If possible, you should strive to get your teenager acclimated to the new area before you actually move there. Thankfully, due to technology these days, you don't always have to drive to that new place in order to learn about it and see what's there. The internet is a great tool for this, so allow your teen some extra time online to see what their new home is going to look like. Pull up a map of the home itself as well, and allow your teen to choose their room and how they will want it set up. Let them read about their new school and give them an idea of what the new place will look like. Ultimately, this can help alleviate a lot of their tension when it comes to change, making your life, and their lives, that much easier.

The author of this article, Alyssa Sullivan, is a moving consultant that works with consumers to find the best moving services offered by Moving Companies in US for all kinds of moves. During her days off, she loves hiking and relaxing at home.

Image credit: Gavin St. Ours on Flickr