Teens, those terrible teenagers! They’re a nightmare to have in the house at the best of times, but whilst moving it’s even more so. They are likely to be unwilling to help, unmotivated and frankly all teenager like about the prospect of moving. But deep down, these grown up children are concerned about such an upheaval, especially if they are faced by a new town and school. Similar to young children, they absorb negative vibes such as stress and anxiety, yet unlike young kids, they lash out or draw into their rooms and become distant and stroppy. This article might just help you have a pleasant move, even with the teens. House viewingsYou can start by getting them involved, and they should be involved right from the beginning. Obviously, the choice of the new home you’re going to live in is up those that are paying the bills, but taking them along to viewings will help them feel much more involved in the process. As young adults they don’t want to feel alienated from a process which will ultimately affect them too. After the house is chosen, keep them informed on updates and progress. Most importantly, invite them as you are visiting the new home before actually moving. They might not always want to come, with consoles, friends and their bedroom being more appealing than taking measurements and checking colour charts, but if they choose to take an interest they can start to feel more involved and more emotionally attached to the property. Hopefully, with a positive interest in the new house they will feel more obliged to take an interest in decorating and designing their room which will be a small miracle in comparison to teen’s usual responses. PackingGetting teenagers to actually do something is hard work, getting them to help with packing is not a task to be taken lightly. However, hopefully, with a renewed interest in the home they might be tempted to get the ball rolling by packing up and moving out, but then again, maybe not. They key to not falling out with your teen in such a stressful situation is by not nagging, and by being organised enough to allow for a few delays caused by lie-ins and late nights. Encourage them to do their own packing, giving them some responsibility and independence, may appeal to their better nature. Sticking your head round the door to ask them if they’ve finished packing, when you know fine well they haven’t started, will only produce the toddler effect, making them less likely to want to do it than they were in the first place. If the worse comes to the worse, and your teen really has no interest in helping out with the move, amaze them by giving them some money to get out from under your feet and do it yourself. It might leave you out of pocket but it’s one less thing to worry about. The new roomOnce you’ve finally moved into the new house, there may be some resistance between a teenager and a new room. Although they may come across as aloof and hard work, they’re actually concerned about settling in to a new place, worried about the future and feeling uncomfortable in an unfamiliar setting. Take some time to reconnect as a whole family and spend the day discussing décor and decorating together. Let them have input into how their room will look, after all, they’ll be spending a lot of time in it. Help them to get it looking how they want so they have responsibility, a sense of involvement and an immediate attachment to their new home.