Benefits to Moving Before the School Year Starts

1. Your child was able to enjoy the entire previous school year with their friends. When a family is moving in the summer or right before the school year starts their children can have that time to finish out the school year with friends. 

2. The child doesn’t feel behind on school work. When you wait to move before school starts you aren’t dealing with a child who has to play catch up, they will be learning everything with their classmates 

3. Your child starts the year fresh with the kids in the new school. Your child gets to start the year with a clean slate in their new school and this can be very refreshing for children. 

4. They are relaxed and somewhat settled in their new room and home. When you are moving into your new home with kids it can take a while to get the house in order and when you’ve already moved prior to the school starting everyone can feel settled. 

5. They can try out for the sports teams, choir and band with everyone else. It can be somewhat of a danger to moving during the school year that a child won’t get to be on the teams or a part of something. 

6. There will probably be other new kids on the first day when you move ahead of school starting. Some kids don’t want to have to stand out and when your child starts school on that first day of school, they are more likely to blend into a group of new kids. 

7. There will be a spot and materials ready for your child. When the teacher is prepared for the students at the beginning of the year, they will already have a certain number of seats or desks in their room. Plus, that teacher will have budgeted for materials for your child with the rest of the class. 

8. You can put your child in summer programs in the new area. If you move closer to the beginning of the summer then you can find programs in the new area to get your child involved in. If you are afraid, they may be behind in the new school then you can put them in summer school or maybe a sports event or some other group. 

9. Children usually adjust easier starting at the beginning of the year. When a child doesn’t have to worry about everyone else being ahead of them or everyone else being friends, they aren’t stressing themselves out. 

10. Children will meet kids in the neighborhood while they are out playing. This is a beautiful thing about the summer! Kids want to go out and play or go to the community pool and they will meet other kids. 

11. If the school has a buddy system your child will be starting with a friend. A lot of schools have buddy systems or peer programs where they will give your child a buddy who will help them get adjusted to the school for their first couple of days. This buddy could be their first friend or introduce them to friends. 

12. If there are several schools in the area your child can visit all of them during the summer. In the middle of the school year, your child may not have the luxury of getting into the school they like best, with the classes they are most interested in. 

13. Back to school shopping will be easier to do when everyone else is doing it. A danger to moving during the school year is that you will be stuck buying several different sets of school supplies and you could end up wasting your money on things your children don’t need. 

14. Being able to move before school starts could allow parents to have several days to be with their children before starting a new job. If it is known that your family is making a move and the children need to get adjusted to a new school the new job may allow a little bit of extra time before you start. 

15. The teacher or teachers can have the opportunity to meet with the child and the parents without being distracted by their existing class. If the child or children are going to need extra help or attention it can be worked out at that point. This would allow the parent and teacher to be on the same page prior to school starting. 

16. Moving during the summer can allow a parent to see how moving can affect kids with schooling or even daycare. If the school year was already going a child that is having a lot of problems may get lost in the shuffle of holiday time or testing time. 

17. If you are moving within the U.S. your child is moving to a climate where it will somewhat similar to the summer weather they left behind. Moving in the fall, spring or winter could mean your child is starting school in weather that may be a shock to their system. Moving in summer, even though it will be hot it will probably help your child adjust to that new areas weather easier.