Last updated on October 30, 2023
Moving to a new home in childhood can impede school performance, social skills, and behaviour, a new study finds, and the negative effects accumulate such that children who move multiple times are at greater risk.
Moving has different effects at different ages, and changing schools adds to the stress. It can be lessened by having a far smoother move day, and certainly using the best Bondi or Balmain removals company will help with this.
Why do people move?
Moving home can have a significant effect on mental health, and the reasons for moving can vary widely. While some people may move due to practical reasons such as job relocation or being in the catchment area for a school, others may experience more difficult life events such as family breakdowns or loss of employment. Regardless of the reason, moving can bring about a range of emotions, including stress, anxiety, and sadness. It’s important to take care of your mental health during the moving process and seek support if needed.
Is this a common problem?
Research has found that less than a third of people have stayed in one home up until their 18th birthday. The emotional and behavioural effects of moving in adults and older children have been demonstrated.
Many adults can discuss the ways in which moving affects them, but children, particularly when they are young, are unable to verbalise their feelings about it. Young children are regarded as resilient and adaptable to moving. However, the possible effects that moving home have on the health and developmental outcomes of young children are not always visible for years to come.
Unsettling and Having to Start Again
Moving intercity or interstate with the best cheap removals Sydney has to offer is usually a factor of employment for the parents – and therefore the children don’t get much say. Change is a component of a child’s life at times – changing schools, changing responsibilities, and many changing childcare. This can lead to some changes in friends but, generally, having a constant in-home life can provide a foundation.
Moving cities, therefore, rips up everything. New school, new friends, new climate, new bedroom, new garden etc. It can be very hard for children as they generally have to go with the flow of their parents but starting everything again can be hard for them as virtually their whole world is social.
Moving cities for an adult could be easier, despite still being a struggle, especially for a married couple because you have each other. Your social life tends to revolve more around your spouse and family and so the need to make new friends is lessened, unlike your child’s need to. Moving with kids is always a tough ride, even if you are moving to the same suburb!
Depression
Children who have had previous mental health concerns, especially depression, are more likely to have another period of depression. Research suggests that moving is a significant life stressor for children. Moving schools can be as traumatic as having a parent hospitalized for a serious medical illness.
Some children, especially those with a past mental illness, are prone to depression as a result of stress. It may not be as apparent as in adults – so as parents, we need to be extra vigilant to notice.
How you can be a proactive parent
Start the process before your home move. Conversations with your child, depending on their age, could involve asking them if they could live anywhere else, where would they live? If you have the time and finances allow, taking a couple of short trips to the new city with your children can massively help them build excitement, rather than fear.
Joining local groups once you have moved and reached out to new people will show your child that they are not alone in starting over. Allow your child to openly talk about their feelings about the move and be sympathetic to their fears. Also, be sure not to let your anxiety about the move scare your child.
It’s important to remember that as resilient as kids can seem to change, it’s OK to be concerned for them too and ensure you understand that as stressful as it is for you, it can be for them too. Make sure you consider your children throughout the move, and you will give your children a good platform to not have adverse health effects as a result.