Moving is often a part of life, whether it's upsizing or downsizing homes or moving to a different town, city or even state. Moves are often made with the best interests of the children in a family taken into consideration, but often times these moves can also be quite disruptive. While most families make every effort to move during the summer months so as to not have to take their kids out of school, sometimes that just isn't feasible, and kids are forced to move in the middle of a school year.

Anyone who has children knows that change can be difficult, and moving to a new school, especially in the middle of a school year, can be especially trying, even on the most resilient child. In fact, research has shown that moving during the school year can have negative effects on children, especially when it comes to their mental health.

One study out of Denmark showed that moving during childhood increased the likelihood of suicide attempts, criminal behavior, mental health disorders and drug abuse as these children grew into adulthood. Children who were forced to move more than once in a single year showed an even greater occurrence for these negative behaviors as they grew older.

Perhaps not so surprising is that adolescents tend to feel the effects of moving more than other age ranges. Kids between 12 and 14 were found to be the most affected by a move, and kids who moved at 14 were found to have twice the risk of suicide by the time they reached middle age.

Kids can also experience a higher level of stress when joining a new school in the middle of the school year, which is completely understandable. While other kids have either grown up together or at least all started the school year together, joining a classroom midway through the school year can be daunting for many kids, especially if they're a bit shy. Children can also feel a sense of depression, or grief, Romper explains, when forced to leave their friends and the school they are familiar with when they are forced to move.

"A move will be a more significant change for kids in second grade on up," Bridget Hartnagel, a professional school counselor told Baltimore's Child Magazine. "Kindergartners and first graders will feel sad about their friend leaving, and they may have some questions about the move, but they will tend to move on more quickly.

Rebekah Levine Coley, professor of applied developmental and educational psychology at Boston College, who led a recent study about the effects of frequent moves on a child, found that when a child moves can determine the harm, it will do. "Moves during both early and middle childhood were associated with decreases in children's social skills and increases in emotional and behavior problems, and these effects lasted for years," she explained.

"In contrast, moves during middle childhood and early adolescence--after children had started school--had shorter-term effects on children's reading and math skills, and those effects diminished over time," Coley noted.

Moves can also contribute to social anxieties, academic challenges, and friendship issues, which is why it's very important for parents to make sure they're listening to their children about their concerns and fears. “Kids hate the fact that they don’t have control over the move,” Hartnagel said. “Parents can give them back some control by helping them keep in touch with their friends.”

Moves can be great for kids by exposing them to new places and friends, but they can also be stressful. Moves often can't be helped, but as long as parents are there for their children and actively helping them to assimilate to their new school and hearing them when they voice their concerns, a move can be a great adventure.

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