Moving With a Teenager – Tips for Parents

Moving is stressful.  The “To do” list of packing boxes, garage sales, turning off utilities, turning on utilities, notifying the post office, the physical job of the move, and unpacking, just to name a fraction of the beehive activity seems a mile long.  There are emotional “Goodbyes,” and first “Hellos.”  Add young children to the mix and your list doubles.  They are counting on you to take care of everything, even when they have no real idea of the totality of what goes into a successful move.

Now consider your teenagers.  What’s the move like for children who are a little more mature, and are starting to have a more mature understanding of their world, who are beginning to have more mature relationships?  What about young adult children who have already started to drive, to date?

Here are some tips for parents to help their older children struggling with a move have a more positive transition to a new life in a new Crown Point, Chesterton, or Munster home:

1. Talk to your teenagers.  The best way to address the issues surrounding a move is meet it head on.  Speak with all your children, especially your teenagers.  Ask them about their concerns.  Offer honest, positive advice.  Listen.
2. Give them homework, and get them involved.  Have your teenagers research their new city on the internet.  Give them the assignment of locating the gas station, grocery store, movie theater, and McDonalds nearest to their new address.  Make it fun, but don’t forget there is work to be done.  Give them the responsibility of packing certain rooms besides their bedroom like the bathrooms, or the rec-room.  Help them to feel like an important part of this big change for the family.
3. Give them a going away party with their friends.  Be sure it’s a fun activity with emails and mailing addresses exchanged all around before the night’s over so your teenagers can keep in touch by sharing stories of their new digs with old friends.