Moved area but want to move back

[Confuzedmum]

My partner and I moved area with two young kids about 18 months ago. Was a fairly big move - about 130 miles from where we were. I struggled so much at first with the move, it made me realise I clearly don’t deal too well with change. I’ve tried so much to adjust and learn to like the house and area, and I definitely do like the area a lot more now and have made some friendships through my sons school (albeit not strong friendships yet). BUT - I cannot get it out of my head that I want to go back to the old area, I miss how it felt like home and I miss my friendships there - where my friends kids were also my sons best friends. I just have a longing for going ‘home’ and I cannot seem to shake it whatever I try.

My partner is happy to go back if I want to, they like it here but equally said they’ll be happy wherever and just want me to feel happy/settled. I know my son would be fine to go back as well - he is happy here but often says he misses his old friends and our old area, we’ve kept up his friendships so he would easily fit back in I think.
We are probably in a nicer and quieter street here, and wouldn’t necessarily get that if we moved back. Also crime levels are lot lower here. So those are definitely positives. I’ve drawn up pro’s and con’s lists and the new place comes up better in paper, but I can’t explain it just not feeling right.

Am I being silly? Has anyone else felt like this and moved back? So confused about what to do for the best! I wouldn’t want to keep uprooting my kids, if we moved we’d have to stick with that - I’m just nervous of making a decision I regret again.

What was the reason for the move to the new place?

What were your reasons for moving? If there's nothing keeping you in the new area, it sounds like you'd happier going back. Crime rate on paper wouldn't be a big factor for me and wouldn't make me avoid going back, unless it was genuinely really crime ridden!

Go back if you don’t need to be there.

Definitely not crime ridden in the old area, just a lot safer and sleepier here I guess. Reasons for moving were wanting to be closer to family, our kids have loved having their cousins nearer but it hasn’t really panned out how we imagined with helping share childcare and babysitting for each other for evenings out. We are only about 15 mins drive apart but I guess with different schools it’s not that easy and they already have a life set up here so although we saw them more at first that has kind of fizzled. Also we moved to get better work life balance for my partner and I think we have achieved that, they get to spend more time at home with the kids which is nice and not as lonely in the evenings for me. So that’s definitely a positive. I think if we moved back they wouldn’t go back to such a demanding role as before - so we’d hopefully keep that work life balance a bit.

Mainly being closer to some of my family, to see if we could all help each other out. It’s not really happened that much at all but we do all get together sometimes and the kids love playing with their cousins. Think my relationship with sister may have been better when we didn’t live as close, I find her quite hard work sometimes and often feel emotionally drained.
And for a better work life balance for my partner - which we have achieved. The job is a lot slower pace though and they are a little bored with it

@Confuzedmum this moving for family and helping out with childcare so often doesn't pan out how people expect - did you move from London??

Yes I think you might be right! Sounds ideal in theory but reality is very different. We moved from just outside London in Surrey - but were working in London (I still do)