How Does Moving House Affect Children?

Moving brings a lot of emotions – from sadness and fear to joy and excitement, it’s an extreme emotional rollercoaster. Even more so when you’re moving with children.

If your kids are jumping around asking “Is it time to move to our new house yet?” and impatiently gathering their toys to make sure you won’t forget to take them – then you’re likely to be infected with enthusiasm as well. The forthcoming move will seem less stressful and less scary and you’ll be getting more and more excited with each passing day.

On the contrary – if your children resist the idea of moving and get sad or fearful because of the inevitable changes that moving house will bring to their life, your mood will dampen, too.

Regardless of whether your kids are excited about their new life or afraid of the unknown, however, moving will affect them a lot. They will be taken out of their comfort zone and will have to get used to a new lifestyle, to adapt to a new environment, to find their place in a new community, etc. The new people, the new school, and the new surroundings are certain to cause much stress to your children – and to have a great impact on their development and behavior. 

So, among all the important things to consider when planning a move, the effects it will have on your kids should be of utmost priority. But how does moving house affect children? And how can you help them accept change in a positive way and benefit from it? Read on to find out.

How Moving House Affects Children’s Development

Moving to a new home in a new city will bring many new opportunities to your kids but will also present them with many challenges.

You need to reassure your young ones, make them feel safe and confident, get them excited about their new life, and spark their curiosity – so they’re eager to explore, learn, and grow. Then, your children will be able to benefit from the new opportunities in your new area and it will improve every aspect of their personal development.

Social development

So, how does moving house affect children’s social development?

A new place means new people – so, when moving to a new place, your kids may be afraid that they won’t be able to make new friends and no one in the new area will care for them.

You need to reassure them, encourage them to make new contacts, and provide plenty of opportunities for them to meet peers:

• Introduce your family to the new neighbors – hopefully, some of them will have kids about your kids’ age, or a little older, and they will be willing to play with your children, take them to explore the neighborhood, and show them all the fun places around;
• Take your children to local playgrounds and nearby parks where they can meet other children from the neighborhood;
• Throw a housewarming party soon after moving into your new home and invite not only the neighbors, but also families whose children attend the same school your kids will be going to (so your young ones get to meet some of their future classmates).

When children spend time together and have fun together, they will get to know each other and start forming friendly relationships. Your kids will get a sense of belongingness and won’t feel lonely or scared anymore. Their social network will expand, their communication skills will improve, and their social development will be booming.

What’s more, meeting so many different people and encountering so many different ideas, perspectives, and points of view will make your children more tolerable and more open-minded and will deepen their understanding of the world.

Keep in mind though that your children’s social development can be severely hindered if their struggle to find their place in the new environment turns out to be unsuccessful – if they don’t fit in and don’t make new friends, if they feel misunderstood and unappreciated, they will become reclusive and withdrawn. Make sure you do everything possible to prevent that and help your children adjust to their new world and their new community as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Related: How to adapt to a new environment after moving

Good to remember:

# If your move is a local one, your children will be able to meet with their old friends regularly, maybe even to continue studying in the same school. In this case, the relocation won’t have much effect on their social development.

# A cross-country move will present much greater challenges. Your children will find themselves in a completely new environment, will meet new people and attend a new school, and will come across new ideas. They will form new social circles and gain new perspectives of the world.

# Moving abroad will affect children’s development the most because they will have to leave their old world behind and adapt to a unique culture and lifestyle. They will encounter different social norms and different beliefs and sets of values – they may even need to pick up a different language. New horizons will open in front of your kids and their general knowledge of the world will increase significantly.

Academic development

How does moving house affect children’s academic development?

A new place means a new school – unless you’re moving short distance and within the same school district, your kids will have to change schools after the relocation. And changing schools is considered to have a negative effect on children’s academic development as different schools offer different curriculums, focus on different subjects, and have different teaching methods and different requirements – this confuses new students and often results in low academic performance.

The time lost in the moving process also contributes to the academic difficulties children may experience shortly after the relocation, especially when moving during the school year.

You need to also keep in mind that when moving to a new school, your kids will have to prove themselves anew – and the process of gaining good reputation among teachers, popularity among peers, leadership in school sports teams or artistic clubs, etc. is long and difficult, so your little ones may feel overwhelmed and reluctant to make efforts.

Worst of all, children may fear that they will have no friends in the new school and may be ignored or even rejected by their classmates, which will result in unwillingness to attend school and study.

This is tough, so be considerate and extra careful when choosing a new school for your kids. Look into test scores, after-school programs, support programs, teacher training, subject matter focus, discipline, safety, etc. and find a good school with a friendly and motivating learning environment that will be the right fit for your children (considering their abilities, interests, and learning styles) and will help them develop their full potential.  

Then, do your best to ensure a problem-free transition to the new school:

• Visit the school together with your children before they start classes;
• Meet the principal, teachers, and school psychologists, explain the situation, and ask for understanding and help;
• Enroll your kids in popular afterschool activities;
• Help your children cope with bulky homework and school projects. If that is not enough, arrange for extra classes or an “advanced” friend to come and study together with little ones;
• Discuss at length any fears and concerns your children may have and help them find appropriate solutions.

Your children can excel in school despite the various disadvantages presented by a house move. Even more – a new school means a new chance to learn, discover, and create, so changing schools may actually propel your kids’ academic development.

Personal development 

A new place means new opportunities – your new city may be famous for its first-class junior sports teams; or the largest library collection – or the best history museum, or the most state-of-the-art observatory, etc. – in the country may be located just a few miles away; etc.

Find out what your new area has to offer and take advantage of the new opportunities to ignite your kids’ passion for science, sports, arts, crafts, music, nature – whatever they’re drawn to.

Encourage your young ones to pursue their interests, practice their favorite hobbies, and take up new activities. This will help your kids improve their skills (or acquire new ones), will stimulate their creativity, resourcefulness, and talents, and will boost their self-esteem, self-discipline, and self-consciousness.

What’s more, your children will have the chance to meet other kids who have similar interests and to make new friends.

Bonus tip: Make sure that your relocation won’t have a negative effect on your kids’ physical development:

• Make sure your new area offers plenty of recreational opportunities (green areas, sports centers, etc.) and chances for outdoor pursuits;
• Choose a safe neighborhood where your children will be able to play and spend time outdoors without any risks for their well-being;
• Find a good new family physician and ensure quality healthcare.

To sum it all up – moving house affects children’s development a lot, but if you manage to create a positive attitude in your kids and motivate them to take advantage of the new opportunities in your new area, they will respond positively to the changes that moving will bring to their life and will easily adapt to the new environment. And this will greatly boost their development in every aspect.

How Moving House Affects Children’s Behavior

Moving is all about change – so, it’s only logical that children’s behavior changes after the move too.

Challenges and struggles

Young kids thrive on routine as it makes them feel safe and secure. The familiar surroundings, familiar people, and familiar activities hide no dangers and present only limited challenges – little ones know what to expect and, therefore, feel safe and calm.

When you move to a new place, everything will be new and unfamiliar – so, your children may be overwhelmed and even scared. Besides, they’re likely to feel lonely and sad, especially during the first weeks after the relocation.

Therefore, you can expect moving to have a negative effect on your children’s behavior – they may be angrier and grumpier than usual, or more apathetic and withdrawn than usual, or more irritable and sensitive than usual, etc.

You need to give your little ones time to get used to the new world around them. Do your best to keep their daily routine similar to what it was before the move, whet their appetite for interesting new activities, and stimulate their adventurous spirit.

Most importantly – communicate about everything, share emotions and expectations. Then, you’ll know what concerns your children and will be able to provide support and guidance.

On the opposite side of things, moving will provide your children with new experiences and new perspectives and this may have quite a positive effect on their behavior.

Leaving their comfort zone and facing new challenges will bring forth your little one’s courage and inner strength. They will learn to overcome difficulties and to find solutions on their own – and that will boost their confidence and will make them more independent and more mature.

Plus, knowing that they can count on you during the difficult transition period will bring your children closer to you than ever.  

Changing personalities

When you move to a new area, nobody will know your kids and nobody will have specific expectations of them – so, they will have the chance to become whoever they want to be. They will be free of the pressures they felt in their old life, will be able to avoid the mistakes they did in their old school, and will be able to build whatever reputation they want to.

Whether this anonymity at the new place will be for better or worse is difficult to predict, but it is a chance for your children to gain popularity and respect, to show everyone how smart, fun, reliable, and nice they’re, and to become the best versions of themselves.  

Confidence and self-reliance

When you move, your kids will have no choice but to brave the unknown and learn to cope with difficulties. And when they succeed, they’ll become more sure of themselves, more confident, and more independent.

Just be sure to provide support whenever they need it and do your best to tactfully boost your children’s self-reliance and problem-solving skills during the moving process:

• Ask them to make decisions – which of their possessions to take, how to decorate their new room, etc.;
• Give them meaningful relocation-related tasks to complete – take care of the pets while you’re busy with moving preparations, invite the neighbors to your farewell party, organize and pack their toys and other personal items, etc. – whatever is appropriate for their age;
• Charge them with responsibility for their actions and praise them for every accomplishment.  

Your kids will be happy that their opinion matters and will do their best to prove their trustworthiness – and will gain self-confidence with every successfully completed task.

Improved relationships

To overcome the anxiety and frustration caused by all the abrupt changes in their life, your kids will need your loving care and emotional support. Be very generous on those and be sure to find enough time for your little angels, regardless of how much work you have after the move.

You have the chance to ease your children’s anxieties, share their concerns and hopes, help them overcome their fears, point them in the right direction, and show them how much you love them. You have the chance to become your kids’ best friend – do not waste it.

So, does moving affect children? Yes, it does, but you are in a position to make the effects positive. Prepare your kids well – both for the moving process and for their new life – and encourage them to explore, experiment, and expand their horizons.

It’s all up to you – while a professional moving company can help you organize and perform a successful move, no one but you can help your children accept change in a positive way and benefit from it.