Moving With Children Essay

An estimated 50% of children nationwide will move at least once before their 10th birthday (Hutchings). Families move for multiple reasons such as job promotions, financial issues, or longing to be closer to family; however many parents underestimate the amount of damage that is implanted into a child when they are taken away from their known environment. Naturally, moving at least once or continuously throughout a childhood can cause internal issues, social conflicts, and trigger bad decisions later into adulthood.
In today’s society, moving has become a common appearance among families. Referring back to the statistic previously given, roughly half of today’s children will be moved before they turn ten years old. Typically parents who intend to move with children prefer to relocate when they are younger because stereotypically, younger children will have less of a negative effect caused by the move, but that is not always the case. Being stripped away from a known environment causes stress onto younger children and can factor into negative outcomes in the child’s older ages. For example, the American Psychology Association (APA) conducted a study, between 1994 and into
Most conflicts involved with moving cause double the amount of stress on children, rather they are young or starting their teen years. Some results of these conflicts result in social problems such as difficulty with attempting to create relationships, internal issues including depression and later suicidal attempts, or substance use. While some children can adapt better to the shift between relocating to another area, not all children have similar adjustments. Regardless of the situation, moving can cause negative effects among children starting during their childhood and even continue into their adulthood.