How Does Moving House Affect Children?

Moving evokes so many emotions: from sadness, fear, and uncertainty, to excitement, anticipation, and hope.

When you move with children, those emotions intensify. One moment, your child might be bouncing around, exclaiming, “Are we moving today?” and packing up toys with urgency, the next moment, they might resist, cling, or express sadness or worry about leaving familiar places behind.

They’re being removed from their comfort zones into new routines, new people, new surroundings, and a new social world. That upheaval affects them socially, academically, emotionally, and behaviorally.

Whatever your children’s reactions, moving will affect them, either positively or negatively.

So, how exactly does moving home affect children? And how can you, as a parent, steer the experience so it becomes a positive one?

You may also like to read: Moving Across Country with Children. In this comprehensive guide, we suggest ways to make moving home for your kids, no matter what their age.

How Moving Impacts Children’s Development and What the Studies Say

It is important to note that not every home move is damaging to children.

A single, well-planned move, particularly one that improves living conditions, may cause short-term stress but little long-term harm.

The risk rises when moves are frequent, involve multiple school changes, or come with instability in family life.

Despite most kids being surprisingly adaptable and resilient, let’s look at possible impacts that moving can have:

Social Growth & Challenges

• Making new friends & fitting in: A fresh community means fresh faces and a new social circle. Kids often worry: Will I find friends? Will anyone care about me? If the transition is rough, children may feel lonely, isolated, or hesitant to engage socially.
• Loss of existing relationships: If the move is far, regular contact with old friends may become impossible or rare. That loss removes a sense of stability.
• Broader social perspective: On the upside, meeting new people, encountering different beliefs, and navigating varied social norms can expand empathy, flexibility, and tolerance.

But there’s danger too: If children struggle to belong, don’t feel accepted, or withdraw socially, their self-esteem and emotional well-being can suffer.

What research says:

• Many studies conclude that switching schools is tied to more behavior problems, poorer peer relationships, and withdrawal. Children who move often are more likely to report feeling disconnected socially.
• Additionally, home moves often lead to anxiety or depression and poor conduct, and aggression in adolescence.

The link seems stronger when moves are frequent, disruptive, or occur during early adolescence.

You may also like to read: How to Make Friends After Moving Home. In this guide, we suggest 20 different ways to make friends in a new area after moving home.

Academic / Educational Effects

• Curriculum Misalignment: Different schools use different curricula, standards, textbooks, teaching styles, and pacing. A child coming from elsewhere may face gaps, duplications, or misalignment.
• Lost instruction time: Moves midyear or during term can mean lost days, weeks, or more of lesson time, with more pressure to catch up.
• Needing to re-establish reputation & relationships: In a new school, children may feel pressure to “prove” themselves again to teachers, coaches, clubs, or peers. That alone adds stress.
• Motivation, belonging, and school engagement: If children feel disconnected, they may become less motivated, skip assignments, or disengage.

What research says:

• Frequent changes of school are associated with lower test scores, higher rates of grade retention, and reduced likelihood of high school completion.
• One study using administrative records found that each school change is associated with a GPA drop of about 0.02 in the year of the move (controlling for prior performance).
• Another recent study shows that switching schools correlates with poorer academic outcomes (especially in reading/math) even after adjusting for background factors.
• Timing matters: moves during the school year or late in high school appear particularly risky for dropout and disengagement.

You may also like to read: Tips for Moving During the School Year. In this guide, we offer some tips on how to make transitioning to a new school during term time easier.

Emotional & Mental Health

• Stress, anxiety, and uncertainty: Moving triggers change: new routines, new surroundings, unknowns. For many children, that stress manifests as worry, irritability, or mood shifts.
• Attachment and sense of stability: Children need the security of predictability, consistency, and familiar relationships. Disrupting that can affect their emotional foundation.
• Cumulative risk: Repeated moves, especially during vulnerable developmental periods or in the presence of other stressors (financial instability, parental mental health issues), increase long-term risk of mental health challenges.

What research says:

• A 2024 Danish register-based study found that greater residential movement during childhood (from birth to age 15) was associated with a higher likelihood of receiving a depression diagnosis in adulthood, even after adjusting for neighborhood poverty exposure.
• A 2024 study detected associations between adolescent residential mobility and both internalizing and externalizing problems over time.
• Meta-analyses link residential mobility to adverse health outcomes, including psychological stress, in childhood and adolescence.
• Another study showed that moving relates to changes in mental health symptoms with increases in distress when moves are upward or downward rather than lateral.
• Additionally, family context matters: more residential mobility is strongly linked to higher caregiver depression and family stress, which in turn can affect child well-being.

You may also like to read: Dido the Dragon Moves Home. If you have young children, they will love this story about a young dragon and his family moving home. It will help your child understand the changes that are going to happen, the emotions they will experience, and how to adapt to a new life. It also includes useful tips for parents who are moving with kids as well.

Personal Growth, Identity, Confidence & Behavior

The flipside to the risks of moving is balanced with opportunity. A child who successfully adapts may:

• Gain resilience, flexibility, and problem-solving skills
• Develop greater self-reliance and confidence when faced with new challenges
• Explore new interests and environments they might not have had access to before
• Experience a “fresh start”: fewer fixed expectations, a chance to reinvent identity, and shed previous social labels or reputation

Behaviorally, you might see:

• Short-term increases in irritability, moodiness, regression, or more clinginess
• Or greater curiosity, initiative, or boldness

It’s natural for reactions to vary widely by age, temperament, and the context of the move.

You may also like to read: How to Change Schools When Moving Home. In this guide, we suggest things to take into consideration when choosing a new school for your kids.

Which Home Moves Are Most Challenging and Risky for Kids?

Some moves pose more risk than others. Knowing the trigger points helps you plan and give your child extra support in these situations.

Feature of Move	Higher Risk	Why
Frequent moves (e.g. 3+ in a few years)	✔	Studies show that the risk of academic, emotional, and behavioral problems increases with the number of relocations
Move with a school change	✔	Moving to a drastically different environment or culture (e.g. new country, a new language)
Move mid-year (not during summer)	✔	Coming in mid-term means missing transitional orientation, social resets, and common ground experiences.
Move triggered by instability (eviction, job loss, divorce)	✔	When the move is one part of a larger disruption, children may face multiple stressors, compounding effects.
Moves during sensitive developmental phases (early childhood, early adolescence)	✔	Social, emotional, and academic foundations are especially vulnerable in these windows.
Moving to a drastically different environment or culture (e.g. new country, new language)	✔	The scale of adaptation is larger with new cultures, languages, identities, and expectations.

You may also like to read: How to Move to College. It may be that your move coincides with your teenager going off to college. In this guide, we offer some tips to make moving to college easier and less stressful.

What You Can Do

Thoughtful planning, ongoing communication, and sensitivity will help your child embrace and benefit from the changes, rather than causing disruption and stress.

Here are strategies you can begin before, during, and after the move.

Before the Move

1. Talk early and often
   Don’t wait until the last minute. Share the plan in age-appropriate language. Let your child ask questions. Offer a timeline or “countdown calendar” so they can see what’s ahead.
   This gives your child a feeling of some control and predictability, which lessens stress.
2. Preserve routines where possible
   Keep mealtimes, bedtime rituals, homework habits, family traditions, even in the midst of packing. Familiarity reassures children that not everything is changing.
3. Gradual exposure
   Show them pictures of the new home, visit the neighborhood (if possible), drive by the school, walk nearby parks, or explore amenities online. Build familiarity before the big move.
4. Involve them in decision-making
   Let them help pick their room layout, choose paint colors, or decide which possessions to bring. Having a voice gives them buy-in to the move.
5. Research the new school and its supports
   Before you move, gather info about academic programs, extracurricular activities, special supports, school counselors, and peer clubs. If possible, visit the school together.

You may also like to read: How to Choose a Good Mover. Hiring professional movers who take care of every aspect of your move will give you the time and space to concentrate on the important things, like your family. In this guide, we explain how to find the best movers for your circumstances.

During the Move

6. Minimize disruption
   Try to schedule the move during school breaks or off-peak periods if possible. Coordinate so the first days in the new environment are smoother, unpack familiar objects, and set up their room first.
7. Keep lines open for old friendships
   Make communication with old friends possible with video chats, messaging, or occasional visits. That continuity softens the break.
8. Facilitate early social connections
   In the first few days, introduce your child to neighbors, classmates, or local kids. Let them explore parks, playgrounds, youth centers, or community events.
9. Tour the new school and environment quickly
   Visit the school before classes begin. Walk the route. Meet teachers and staff. Let your child see the playgrounds, cafeteria, classrooms, and routes.
10. Watch and talk about emotions
    A move is stressful. Expect mood swings, irritability, clinginess, or reluctance. Give your child the opportunity to express grief, uncertainty, and also excitement. Ask open questions: “What worries you most?” “What do you hope you’ll like?”

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Child’s Room When Moving. In this guide, we offer not only packing tips for every item you are likely to find in a child’s room, but also how to involve your child in the packing.

After the Move (First 6–12 Months)

11. Check in regularly
    Schedule weekly informal check-ins: “How was school this week?” “Any highlights or hard parts?” Monitor for persistent signs of distress: sleep disruption, declining grades, withdrawal, sudden behavior changes.
12. Communicate with teachers/school staff
    Let them know your child has just moved. Ask for extra monitoring, buddy systems, or social/emotional check-ins. Teacher awareness helps.
13. Offer structured support
    If academic gaps are emerging, arrange tutoring, peer study groups, or mentoring. Don’t wait for them to fall behind too far.
14. Encourage balanced enrichment
    Help your child pick 1–2 new activities (sports, arts, clubs), not a full schedule right away, but enough to create opportunities for friendships and a sense of belonging.
15. Maintain some old routines/rituals
    If you used to have “movie night” or “Saturday pancakes,” keep those traditions alive to keep a sense of familiarity.
16. Celebrate achievements and small wins
    Reinforce resilience: adapting to new classmates, finishing a tough assignment, or making a friend. Highlight these achievements and praise them.

You may also like to read: How to Cope with Relocation Depression. In this guide, we suggest ways to prevent and overcome relocation depression, which is a common emotion to experience after moving to a new place.

For Families That Move Frequently or Face Instability

• Aim for housing stability wherever possible
  One of the strongest protective factors for children is stable housing.
• Address caregiver stress and mental health
  Children’s adjustment is deeply linked to how well parents or caregivers are coping. If you’re under strain, seek support.
• Keep records handy
  Maintain transcripts, IEPs, health records, teacher evaluations, and standardized test reports, as having them ready helps transitions between schools.
• Advocate for the child
  Be your child’s liaison during transitions. Ask for accommodations, extra check-ins, or peer support from schools.

You may also like to read: The Benefits of Moving Home. Whether you are a frequent mover or are having to move for personal reasons, it is easy to overlook the great opportunities that moving to a totally new area offers. In this guide, we examine 10 life-changing benefits of moving to a new place.

Should You Be Worried?

Moving isn’t always harmful. Many children adjust well, especially when supported, given time, and reconnected socially and academically. But it’s wise to be mindful because:

• The frequency of moves increases the risk
• School changes pose a bigger disruption than local moves
• Moves in unstable contexts (e.g., financial stress, family turbulence) tend to amplify adverse effects
• Sensitive ages (early childhood, adolescence) are more vulnerable

The goal is not to avoid all moves (sometimes moves are necessary or beneficial) but to lessen the risks through preparation, emotional support, and continuous monitoring.

You may also like to read: Home Moving Tips for Single Parents. Life is usually crazy enough for single parents, but with an upcoming home move, things will get crazier. In this guide, we offer tips to make the process of moving home for single parents so much easier.

Moving With Children Action Plan

• Start early, talk openly, and include your child in small decisions.
• Build continuity — routines, social ties, emotional safety.
• Be observant — early signs of trouble (grades, mood, withdrawal) are often manageable if caught soon.
• Be your child’s advocate — in schools, in neighborhoods, in planners.
• Frame the move positively — it’s a chance for new adventures, growth, new friendships, and fresh experiences.

With the right approach, care, and patience, your child can become not just resilient but enriched by a home move.

Good luck with your move, and be sure to visit our home moving blog, which is packed with guides to make every aspect of your move easier, cheaper, and safer.