I have always dreamt of living by the sea and it is something dh and I have talked/ dreamt of for years but said we would do in retirement.
Recently though we (mainly me) have been thinking why wait? Friends of ours have done exactly what we have always talked of doing which has got us thinking!
My worry is AIBU to move my family away from the home they know? We have three children aged 14, 10 and 3 so apart from the youngest all have established lives. Eldest isn't great with new/unknown situations and can get anxious with change which obviously is a big consideration. Middle child has friends he would hate to leave and is quite dramatic if the topic is discussed but he is only 10 and can't see a time when he doesn't play in the park with his best friend.
We both have our parents, mine would probably move close to wherever we moved to and we don't see too much of dh's parents.
Whilst I think you should put your kids first I think we have maybe done too much of this to the point where we don't have much in our lives outside of them (they have always been my life but as they get older i am starting to think what will I have when they move on?)
My biggest worries are:
They hate it and don't settle.
Their education suffers.
They resent the move, and us.
They hate it...
The 'right' time to move would have been about 3 years ago! Due to ages of dc if we wait until youngest leaves school we will be retiring anyway.
Is there a right time? Oldest is part way through high school (gsce's next year)' middle one is doing SAT's this year and high school next year, youngest will start school next year.
Sorry so long!
Advice needed.