“I Hate You!” – Moving with a Teen – How to Calm Kevin

Moving is a testing, trailing time – especially if you’re moving with pets or, worse still, while pregnant or with a toddler in the midst of the terrible twos. But in our efforts to advise and guide you through these specific challenges, we completely overlooked probably one of the toughest move day companions – the anxious teen. Here we take a look at how moving day can be calm and serene, despite making the move with even the most hormonal of teenagers.

Make Sure Your Communication is all Grown Up

First things first – be aware of how you’re communicating with your teen. Speaking to them as a child is a fast-track to communication breakdown. This begins the moment you’re considering a move – involving them in the key decisions can be central to a smooth move where they feel no loss of control.

Schooling – Minimise the Impact

Research shows that without careful handling, a home move can negatively impact the average High School Teen’s education. In an ideal world, you’ll be able to avoid moving in the middle of a school year, yet we know that life isn’t always perfect (you may be moving due to financial constraints, or because of a career change). If so, you should speak with your teen’s current and future school to find out how you can minimise the impact of switching mid-year.

Involve Your Teen in the Logistics

You may not be able to motivate your teen to pack up their bedroom into colour coded and labelled boxes, but that doesn’t mean you should go Gung-Ho and ransack their room. Involving your teen in the decisions as to what you throw, donate or take is important for ensuring they remain feeling grounded and amongst their creature comforts.

Be Positive

Your child may be feeling anxious, insecure and worried about the move (which can translate to mood swings, over dramatization and arguments). So it’s importantly to continually tell your teen what’s good about the new area – what there is to do, whether their friends or family live close by, that they’ll get a bigger bedroom, bathroom or garden. Keep reminding them of these things in a bid to overcome some of the negatives they may associate with the move.

With our tips to hand, even the mood swings of Kevin can be overcome, and if your teen is soon set to become a fully-fledged student, you may want to learn more about our careful, cost effective Student Removals Service.

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