Moving and Switching schools...again??

I never moved but my boyfriend did. I think you just have to teach him it is not the end of the world and give him some social skills to make friends. Lots of times there are other children who also do not know how to make friends. Just like adults do not know. I was shy as a youngster. Questions he can ask someone to help them talk so he can relate and communicate. Relationships of all of us depends on communication.He said he was always popular because he did not make friends right away. He would watch to see the interaction of the kids first and then picked out who he wanted to be friends with. My daughter when we moved started to be friends with undesireable kids and then the others would not have anything to do with her but at Junior High level with children that grew up and were tight it was to hard for her to get in and there was a terible downside in her self worth and my being able to communicate with her. My dad moved to 14 different elementary schools 70 years ago. He managed to graduate HS. Good Luck. G. W

I laugh as I read this b/c we are apartment dwellers as well, and it seems we have only renewed a lease once, usually, we end up moving, (of course our son isn't in school yet).

This is how we see it, saving the gas money helps, but the new deposit, or pet deposit if you have pets, on top of moving charges, possibly losing your old deposit, charges for setting up a new phone line, internet connection... in the long run can sometimes estimate to be about the same as gas. Not including the headache of moving yet again and getting your son settled again.

How about you try to stay in the same place for another year and let your son feel a little secure. Once your husband finds his niche in his job and that is secure, than move, not before. If he is relatively close to his job, try and make it longer just to see if you all can take it (sign a 6 month renewal lease to try). Also, maybe your husband needs career counseling, it is really helpful in helping you determine what type of feild you would most enjoy. Most colleges and community colleges offer this test for free.

That is what we are dealing with as my husband works, but he is a college student and will be getting his "real" job in about 2 years, in which we will get a home and be more stable.

My husband was in a military family as well, and he loved the new places he moved, but always had a hard time making new friends because of the constant moving and he really hated it.

It's so funny that apartment dwellers experiance this because most people who live in houses don't consider moving every year when the lease is up!

Good luck and really think about what your son is experianceing here too. We need to try and make as stable and secure environment for our kids (as well as ourselves).

Hi S.,

Just wanted to throw something out at you. Have you considered home schooling? We have now for 13 years (I have 5 kids). My husband doesn't move around, but, his schedule is such that the kids rarely would have seen him if they were in public school. We wanted them to have a relationship with him. Also, my son that was in public school, said that he had a lot more fun being home schooled (he's graduated now and is the manager where he works as well as owns his own business). We joined a home school support group (there is one in most towns) and he got to go on field trips, park day, skate day, etc; He had tons of kids to do things with. If you moved you could join a new one in a different location and still have support for both of you. If you are interested in finding out anything about home schooling laws, local groups, etc;
Go to www.hslda.org
You can also email me back if you want more info.
Good luck in your decision.
C.~
SAHM to 4 sons (20,17,15,15), and one sweet lil gal, (3)
and married to one great guy for 22years.

We moved every year when I was younger and it is tough but it made me self-reliant and resilient. Ask you son how he likes the current school. Don't make any promises you won't keep regarding moving.

Also, try giving him a stable set of friends via your church or family nearby so that he can have that be a constant for him.

Ask your son what he thinks about the situation and make him feel as if his opinion matters. If you decide to move talk to him about all the great things that go along with moving (new room that maybe he can decorate how he wants etc etc)

Think about this...If you owned a home, you would not be buying and selling and buying and selling based on where your husband works - so treat it the same way - find a place you like with schools you like and make an effort to have stability just as you would as a homeowner.

I can understand the moving around, and not as a military family. We moved from NY to FL and after a year moved to TX. I think if you have a good reason for wanting or needing to move it's fine, just talk to your kids and make it sound like an adventure be positive and be in tune with how they are dealing with it. HOWEVER, there is no question it is disruptive, especially when they are in school like your son - so you should not take it lightly and move around frivolously. Since you are not that far from your husband's job - Why not stay another year to be more sure if your husband is going to stay at that job and if so then try to move over the summer. Lastly, sometimes you can move in district and not change schools. Even though I would love to move I would not until my son finishes 5th grade and at that time I would look move within the same school (school district)

hope that helps...

Hello U want to talk about movin?? My son will be 10 on the 14th an C.A Tatum is his 5th school. His second school here in in Dallas.For we have brought a house in east dallas. My hubby is in the USMC, So when he went to Iraq i went home. The change of duty stations, mean new schools..Yes it can be hard on the child. My son is very good with change I on the other hand HATE it.. :) So for him it is nothing he is a really out goin kid that jus makes his place where ever we are. I would make him a part of the choice ask him, how he feels about it. let him in on the reasons for the move. An go from there

My dad was military, too, so we moved a lot. I hated it at the time, but it made me very social and easy to adjust to pretty much anything. I know what you mean about wanting more stability for your son, though. I feel the same way.

Our church has an AWESOME kids program and even its own youth sports league. I think that will be great for my son, to have somewhere he can make lots of stable friends, no matter where in DFW we live. Plus he can play sports with them all year. And the friends he makes now (at 2 years old) could very well be friends he keeps all the way through high school. We go to Prestonwood Baptist.

Anyway, just another idea for you. Good luck! :)

I grew up moving around from school to school. It can have its negative and positive affects. On one hand you have the ability to adjust to new enviromoents very well but on the negative side there isnt stability. I know I hated that i went from school to school because now I cant sit still. Since he is 7 it may be ok to transfer him now. But I think I would evalutate if your husband is going to be at this job for long term and at that location. Especially since you know he is shy and its harder for him to make friends. Believe it or not its hard to go fromm school to school and make friends and then have to leave them. its like breaking up with someone you love but it didnt work out. Even at the age of 7. It may make him shy away from making friends as well because he isnt sure how long he will be at that school

We're moving every two years to different country's. DO NOT UNDERESTEMATE THE IMPACT OF A MOVING ON A CHILD!!! You said yourself hated it to move around. Everybody is different, but switch schools 3 times in 2,5 years? Only to save a little money on gas? Please calculate how much it really is, maybe 200 dollars a month? Is that worth it?

I agree with Gladys at most points. Moving is not nesseseraly a bad thing, it can be an adventure, but do it only when you have a good reason.

Good luck with your decision,

I.

My dad was military so we moved a whole lot. There are a lot of positives and negatives. I was pretty shy and it was hard to make strong friendships; however I think all the moving and being "forced" to go out and make new friends made me into a more well-rounded person. Have you tried asking your son how he feels? Take him to visit the new school and ask him if he wants to go there. Be sure to explain all the good and bad things to him. I know I liked the moving part... getting a new room, having a new neighborhood to explore, etc.