Moving with children presents a challenge

Many parents would expect that for a child, moving can be a strange and unsettling experience.

What some might not know is just how important it is to keep their children comfortable during the moving process. That's because the effects of constantly relocating can create lifelong problems for children, reported the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The study's author, Professor Shigehiro Oishi, observed that adults who were frequently relocated as a child had more behavioral problems and were less socially satisfied than those who didn't move.

The problems really only affected people who were naturally introverted, said Oishi. People who were outgoing tended to react fine even after experiencing constant relocations as a child. But shy, nervous, or high-strung children could endure emotional changes that might affect them long into adulthood.

Children who found a strong support system at their new home also reacted well, as was evidenced by military children who fit in among other frequent relocators at military schools. Other types of moves yielded negative responses, like unexpected corporate relocations or moving because of divorce, said the report.

Parents can make a child comfortable in their new home by preserving familiarity and old routines as much as possible.

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