So I have a dilema and I need everyones advice. Unfortunatly we have to move from our home into an apartment, and will be doing so within a month. With bills and everything else so high we can no longer afford our home so we decided moving out and doing a short sell would be better than foreclosing. My problem is that the most nice affordable apartment we could find was a little further than we had hoped for. We only plan to live there for a year, and then possibly move up to Washington. I dont want to transfer my kids out of their school into another if we are going to be moving again. So I was planning on driving them to their school for a year until we move again. With gas prices so high I have now been rethinking my decision. Per mapquest it is a 4 mile distance and a 9 minute drive. It doesnt seem like much but with gas so expensive it'll eventually add up. My biggest concern is disrupting my kids even more than what we already are. DH says I should just switch them to a closer school. My daughter doesnt want to (she'll be in 4th grade) but my son says he would like to go to another school. So what should I do?? Should I just drive them to their original school and deal with the gas prices or should I switch them to a closer school and hope they'll adjust???

I need all the advice I can get....I am just so torn!

I drive my girls just about as far everyday as it is a better school than the closer one.

Personally if you are going to move agin soon, I wouldn't change their schools.  Its so hard to be the new kid, why make them do it twice?

I agree, if you are planning on moving again in the near future I would keep my kids at the school they're at. A lot of cars (even vans) get around 18-20 mpg, even better, so 8 miles roundtrip =   less than 1/2 a gallon/day, worst case scenario. That's less than $2.00/day.

I'm not saying that amount is reasonable, but it's just a number for you to think about. You can also buildyour grocery shopping trips into that, etc.

Also, my father was in the military and when I was young we moved sometimes every year, other times even  more so that I went to two different schools for the same grade. I survived, and can pretty much get used to any situation because of my background, so if it's what you have to do, your kids will be just fine, I'm sure of it.

 

All good thoughts here .. talk to kids and hubby ... TOGETHER... Listen to concerns and then you and Hubby decide ....

    Its not that much in gas   to take em   ..or ride w a friend if possable .. but  if youre not certain youre moving again that soon , new school wont do harm... Just sometimes harder to adjust at first ...  .. Are you keeping pets??? That can make it more traumatic in move and school changes ... if lose pets too ..  and is part of considerations ...

Its a hard decision and you want to do what is best for your children.  Children are adaptable and if explaiend to your 4th grader in terms she understands, she will adapt.

If the added gas is something you can afford, then keeping them in their current scholastic environment is probably the ideal situation if you are planning to move in a year.

If not, staying in the same school is a luxury and they will be just fine moving a couple of time.

I guess the best thing is to start at the top - what is the best decision for their overall needs, then works your way down to the specific question - weigh the pros and cons and make the best choice you can now with the information you have and don't think about "what if". 

Best of luck to you!

I agree with SJ.  I personally moved A LOT when I was a kid.  I was in three different schools in two different states in fourth grade alone.  I am not going to lie to you and say that it wasn't hard on me because it SUCKED!!!  But, I got over it.  I am normal, healthy and happy.

Ultimately it is your decision, as the parent.  I think that if you let your kids make this decision now, it will be harder to let them know in the future that you make the decisions, not them.  I am not telling you how to raise your kids, I just think that it might help thinking about it that way.

Thank you so much for all the great advice!! I think what I really needed was to hear what another mom thought. My husband was just saying to have them switch schools because its "easier"...I guess a typical guy thing to say. For me I was trying to think about all the other adjustments the kids will be going through....leaving our home, our pets, our neighborhood, and I just didnt want to add another thing on top of that list. This is going to be a temporary move so no doubt about it they would be switching schools again. Im sure it wont be easy or fun going back and forth everyday but my gut is telling me this is the best decision.

Thanks again for all of your help!!!