Our household goods had finally arrived from our recent overseas move after several months of the limbo of extended temporary lodging. Excited to get settled and personalize the new-to-us base housing, one afternoon found me tiptoe on a ladder, stretching to hang a ceiling-high curtain. I heard the front door swing open behind me and my husband’s uneasy voice, “Well, you may as well stop doing that.” (Huh?)
Turns out, mere months into a new assignment, his unit was being deactivated and absorbed into a larger unit…and his job would no longer exist. He would be reassigned back to CONUS.
After railing about the unfairness of it all and “how could they move a whole family overseas and then do this to us” and “what in the world are we supposed to do now?” I calmed down and immediately went into planning mode—primarily due to the realization that this move would take place during our second child’s senior year. I needed to get a grip and get it quickly.
Many military families with high school aged children are at a point in the service member’s career where moves happen with little notice, and more frequently. As the mom of four kids who all moved multiple times during high school (my oldest daughter is the dubious winner with three moves during her high school years), I understand the impact of this situation.
You may find yourself in the position of having weeks, not months, to figure out a plan for your high schooler. And if your child’s a senior, you’ll be scrambling. Let’s break down some options and then tips to get through this time.
So, Should I Stay or Should I Go?
