Thinking of moving? The nuts and bolts of the move, alone, includes dozens of moving (ha) pieces. To that, add attempts to meet the needs of every one who will be affected by the move. The other day I asked Raiden if he thought kids should be involved in decisions about moving:
This post couldn't have come at a better time. I read it to my family because we're considering moving in the next year and could relate to the concerns Raiden brought up. In fact, many of the things he shared were very similar to what my kids said when we first started having discussions about moving. We totally agree that kids should be involved in big decisions, especially ones that will have a major impact on their lives. Of course, there will be times when special circumstances arise, when things are out of their/our control, like the example you gave about leaving for a new job. In those cases, I still believe it's important that kids' feelings, needs, and concerns are considered throughout the process and in return ask them to consider things too. I'd ask, "Are we willing to make some compromises as family/community in order to do what's best for an individual? And vice versus. It's tricky stuff but so important in building trust and communication.
This post couldn't have come at a better time. I read it to my family because we're considering moving in the next year and could relate to the concerns Raiden brought up. In fact, many of the things he shared were very similar to what my kids said when we first started having discussions about moving. We totally agree that kids should be involved in big decisions, especially ones that will have a major impact on their lives. Of course, there will be times when special circumstances arise, when things are out of their/our control, like the example you gave about leaving for a new job. In those cases, I still believe it's important that kids' feelings, needs, and concerns are considered throughout the process and in return ask them to consider things too. I'd ask, "Are we willing to make some compromises as family/community in order to do what's best for an individual? And vice versus. It's tricky stuff but so important in building trust and communication.