Leaving School in the Middle of the Year

K.,
Although your son may act as if this is the "end of the world" kids are very resiliant.... change is hard at any age and doesnt matter if its mid year or summer...they bounce back very soon.
I was moved mid 2nd grade and again mid 10th grade ..... wowwww big difference... 10th gr was rough 2nd grade was kinda "cool" cuz teachers made a big deal and most kids that age wanted to "help the new kid"...
Do what is best for you and your family and if you can move now I say go for it!!
Good Luck with all
T.

The housing market is aweful,so if you've found something you like now--you should move. Kids adjust fast, and as long as the whole family is together that's what's most important.

Let us know how it goes!

GL:)

Hi K.,

I have recently been in your shoes! My son is 6 and in the 1st grade. We just moved here from Germany in November and my son has had a good/bad experience with him. We talked for a long time about how we were going to be moving and all the fun things that we would do at our new place and how much more we'd be getting to see our families. (We're Air Force, originally from South Dakota so now we can see family more often than we have in the last 6 yrs.) We also let him use our camera to take pictures of his favorite things around our house, the area we lived in, his friends, you name it.

The key is to talk positively about the move, talk about the fun things you can do together to his new room, and how fun it will be to meet new friends and see the new things.

Is it possible to visit the new town and school before you move so he can see where he will be going? That may help relieve some of his anxiety.

Now I will say this, my kiddo is very sensitive and we are still having trouble with him missing Germany and all his friends there. I allow him to email his previous teacher and class, it lets him keep touch with something there and share his fun experiences here. Crying and being upset is not unusual - and it's actually good for them to miss people. Although it is heart wrenching to go through when nothing you do or say seems to make them feel better!

Good luck to you!! :)

K., when my sister was moving alot due to her husbands job, she always moved during the school year if it was possible.

That way the kids get to know other kids and you don't spend all summer with him not having anyone to play with,.

Second grade isn't a problem. Even if you don't get moved until middle of April or early May, go ahead and put him in school. That way he might meet a nice kid down the street that he wouldn't meet until September,.

If it was high school and course credits, that is different. But he needs toget there and make friends.

Buy that house and move asap!!!

M. B
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hey K. kids are tohug they seam to go with the flow give him notice contact the new school and have records change then it should me smooth sailing

I'd say go for it. I moved in the beginning of 3rd grade (which was awesome), and the middle of 8th grade, and even that wasn't too bad. Kids deal with things rather easily. If he does think there's something bad about moving, it'll be overlooked by the fact that he gets a new room at home, a new teacher (who will dote upon him for a while, to make sure that he's up to speed), etc.
Honestly, if you were to wait until the summer, he'll be going back to school with all the other kids... who will be too busy reuniting with their established friends to worry about talking to a new kid.
Also, it's always the accelerated kids that are asked to show the other kids around... so you don't have to worry that his first friend will be a behavior problem. Good luck!