Young children often do not want to move, do not understand why they have to move and do not think of the new house as their actual home.
That’s what happened to one woman when she moved into a new house with her 3-year-old son. Despite having his toys and other belongings at the new house, he still cried and said he wanted to go home. This went on for weeks. He did not understand that they could never go back to the house that he thought of as his home.
Kids just don’t grasp the dynamics of the situation. To them, that house that they’ve always lived in is a fundamental part of their world. It can be jarring and upsetting to move, even when the new house is “better” than the old one.
This is a dilemma that parents may face after divorce. Instead of just moving out of the family home, kids may have to move into two new houses, splitting their time in accordance with the child custody plan. Will they feel like they don’t live anywhere? Will they feel completely unsettled and confused? Parents often think about the logistics — what house can I afford? — while children think more about the emotional side of the new setting.
It is very important to consider this when looking at your child custody rights and deciding whether or not to sell the family home during a divorce. Make sure you carefully think through all of the options that you have and what you can do to make things go smoothly for your kids.
