In addition, during the move parents have even less time to spend with their children - just when the kids need even more comfort and attention. Moving is an emotional experience for both adults and children. Everyone is leaving people and places they love. Since youngsters have more difficulty with changes than adults, a family move can pose a special challenge for parents. How a child responds to a move is frequently age dependent.
Toddlers worry about the loss - the loss of a parent or about being lost themselves.
When they see family belongings being packed, sold, or thrown out, they fear that they may never see their parents or siblings again. Elementary aged children usually worry about the loss of their friends and the places they have become comfortable with. Yet most moves are harder for teens than any other age. Maybe it's because friends are so important to adolescents and the teen thinks that they will never have any friends as wonderful as the ones they are leaving. In addition, adolescence is a time when the young adult is trying to gain independence over their lives, and moving is a major life change that is beyond their control.