- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting canada articles
- iparenting canada q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
The Three Rs
Help Your Preteen Relocate, Rearrange and Readjust After a Move
By Sharon Waldrop
Several years ago my husband and I packed up our children and pets and left the Los Angeles area for good. We moved to a small mountain community with no street lights and a small telephone directory. Fresh mountain air and four seasons per year were just a few of the treasures waiting for us.
We had a baby, a preschooler and a fifth-grader at the time. I knew the two youngest children would adjust quickly to our move. I was worried about the effects of the relocation on my oldest daughter.
While our new house was in escrow, I contacted the PTA president of my preteen's future school. I have always played an active role in my daughter's education and I wanted to get my foot in the door at the new school immediately. I found out that the PTA was busy planning the annual carnival and I volunteered to work a booth.
By coincidence, the PTA president's daughter, Kathy, was in the same grade as my daughter. I arranged for the two girls to meet before our move, and Kathy introduced my daughter to some of her friends. My daughter started school mid-year as the "new kid," already knowing several fellow students. I don't know who was more relieved, she or I.
A big move, even a positive one, can be stressful on a preteenager. I was pleased that all three of my children had a positive relocation experience, especially the one I worried about most, my preteen.
Relocation adjustments for a preteen can be more difficult emotionally because "they have established a longer and deeper relationship with the community, neighborhood, friends, school and activities," says Sally Marsh, licensed marriage, family and child therapist at the Association of Psychotherapy and Counseling Services in Marina del Rey, Calif..