Teens migration through Life

Teens+migration+through+Life

I was nine years old. Brown hair messily laid on top of my shoulders, and a cheeky smile always on my face, I was one of the shortest girls in my class. Always reaching for things on my tippy toes. I remember standing on my tippy toes on a cold Illinois day, reaching for my dad’s warm hand, asking and begging to go to California with my grandma for the remainder of the school year.

My dad had gotten a job in Evansville, Indiana, where he would work for Fox 7 News as a reporter. My parents agreed to let my brother and I move to California for 3 months while my dad prepared things at our new home, and my mom packed up our house.

I never knew what I was really letting myself do at nine years old. I’m 16 now and I regret that decision in some way. I didn’t get to grow up with my best friend, or any of the kids I went to school with. Now looking on Facebook and Instagram I see my old friend’s faces, and how they have all grown into young men and women. People I no longer talk to. Memories on the playground flash through my mind every time I come across their page.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I stayed in Illinois, and I wonder how my life would be right now if I still lived there…

I am one of the 40 plus million Americans who move each year. That’s 14.19% The average person in the United States is expected to move 11.4 times in his/her lifetime. I have personally moved 5 times in my life. Which has been exceptionally hard on my emotional well being. From knowing people, to leaving them within an instance. From personal experience you will not stay in touch with every single person you thought was your friend for “life.”

I had difficulty adjusting to each new state/environment I moved to. Teens confront a lot of social and psychological issues that younger children and adults don’t. As teens we are still trying to identify who we are, and vulnerable teens can experience agitation, depression, trembling, palpitations and twitching in response to a major life change, such as a move, according to PubMed Health. Therefore they’re probably going to be much more reluctant and more vocal about their objections to a move. I was very open in my opinion on moving the older I got. I started moving around in the third grade, and at that time I thought nothing of it because I was little kid, but the older I became the more resistant I was. I felt attacked in some way, being taken away from each place I got comfortable too and called home.

The worst thing my parents ever did through it all was not listening to what I have to say about it. So the most important thing parents can do is engage in their child’s concerns and feelings. Simply listening to them can make a huge difference. I acted mopey and dissatisfied in the weeks and months after moving. Most teens in my opinion would. Moving may be hard, but it only makes you a stronger person with better social skills if you let yourself.