(collaborative post) I can safely say from experience that moving home can be pretty stressful having done it twice myself. Learning from my previous experiences I decided to write a blog post Moving Home Made Easy which is full of great tips to make the whole process far easier to handle. For most parents the main areas of concern are:
Schools – will my child like their new school?
Friends – what if my child can’t make new friends?
Familiarity – will my child feel secure in a new environment?
Moving to a new area, a new school, and having to make new friends can have both positive and negative effects on a child’s mental health. Some children take to it like a duck to water and others struggle with the changes. Those that don’t cope as well will begin to display behavioral changes and you may also see that their work is affected.
The last thing we want is to see our children stressed unnecessarily. In order to help them settle in at their new school, there are a few things that you can try before they start there.
How to Help Your Child Settle at Their New School
A new school can be a frightening experience for some children. Others will take the whole thing in their stride and settle in quickly. If your child is sensitive in general, then you might have more concerns than the parents of a more confident child. You can help your child prepare for their new school in a number of ways.
Talk to Your Child
One common mistake made by many parents is not to discuss things with their child(ren). Instead, they’ll worry about whether they’ll cope or not without taking steps to help them. Talk to them about the school, mentioning people they may already know there. Tell them about the interesting and fun things that they will be doing. Avoid being repetitive. Don’t forget the more you tell them not to worry the more they will.
Familiarise Them With the School
Many of us fear the unknown. It’s this fear that makes some of us nervous about going to new places, meeting new people etc. Show them photos of the school, look at the website together. Some schools will have specially prepared videos that give a tour of the school. You may even be able to prepare a visit with the school.
Talk about their new teacher, what is their name? Discuss which aspects of their school might be different. Is it larger? Smaller? Is the building an old one or a modern one? Practice their school journey before they begin, this way you can discuss how long it takes and what you might see on the way.
Making New Friends
Reassuring a child they will make new friends helps, although it doesn’t take away the worry. Explain to them that shared experiences can forge longlasting friendships and maybe give them examples of your experience. They may not feel like they have much in common with other children at first, but with time this will change. Younger children can be encouraged to invite new friends home for a playdate. This is a good way to foster relationships with other parents too. When my son started school we arranged to do a large birthday party so he could bond better with his classmates.
Stay in touch with your child’s teacher. Make an appointment to chat with them after they have had time to settle. This is a good time to touch base and see how your child is managing. Pastoral care in schools does vary but most, like this private prep school in West London work hard to ensure that all children feel safe, valued and respected.
Getting Used to a Different Environment
Moving house can stir up a whole host of emotions. Your child might miss their old bedroom, they might hear new noises at night which scare them. Similarly, a new town or village can feel alien. Nothing is familiar so it doesn’t feel safe. It’s important to allow your child to get to know the area.
Walks around the local area, visits to the shops and parks will help your child to become acclimatised to their surroundings. This will create positive memories and help them feel more at home in this new environment.
Allowing your child to help with decoration choices in regards to their new bedroom can help make the feel more at ease with the new room. This could be choosing a cute nightlight or wall stickers. This will give them a sense of ownership and they will feel invested in their space. Items that you have brought from a previous bedroom can help give a sense of familiarity.
In Summary
Moving home can be an adventure, a new start for the whole family. Your Childs education needn’t be affected negatively. If there are concerns the tips suggested in this post should help you create a more positive experience.
Do you think moving home can impact a child’s education?
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Written by Melanie Edjourian.
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We moved house when I was in seniors and I went from walking to school to needing to catch two buses. It was tough but I manage it.
We moved half way through my secondary education and it meant I had to switch from one education system to another. This could’ve been really difficult (especially as I went back a school year to accomodate the education I was moving to), but my parents and my school were great and in the end I flourished and did far better than I would’ve if we’d stayed put! The move opened doors for me I wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
I have moved home many times and changed school 3 times and in all but one, I managed to strive even better than before except for the first change where I think my mind was just in shock as a child.
We moved so much when I was a child, I went to so many different schools, I wish I had stayed in one place as I kind of feel sad when I think that I have no contact with childhood friends.
When I was younger we moved a few times until I started Secondary School and they stayed in the area. It is always scary that first day walking in but luckily I always settled in well and made loads of new friends.
I think it’s important to be really open with your child, and any fears they have should be discussed.
I think there are pros and cons to moving. of course, depending on their age and school year making friends could prove tough, but if you’re moving them to an area with better schools or education you may be massively helping them x
Moving house really sucks! To be honest, I think if I moved to a new area, my kids would thrive! Especially if they all got their own bedroom to call there own, hopefully it won’t be long before I can give them that type of private space.
I think as long as you prepare the child for the move, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Kids tend to adapt quickly
We moved home so many times and schools and the girls have been fine , touching wood 🙂 I guess it depends on the child as they are all different
We moved countries when both our kids were little so that the impact on us moving home will be much less on them. They are both settled now and have new friends which is what we hoped for.
Children are very resilient to change, but it is important to talk to them about the expected changes.
Speaking from experience, yes, moving home can impact education. My parents decided to move house when I was a sophomore in high school. Right at that time in my life when I was starting to build friendships. It was sad to be in a new school, with no friends and an unfamiliar neighborhood. Thankfully, I was able to adjust within a few months.