Moving homes mid-way through primary school

[SumyP]

Hello - This is my first time posting a query so hope I don't break any protocols. We're in process of buying a home where our offer has been accepted. Our daughter is 2 yr old. We don't have many friends in the area and the area we are buying has mostly senior citizen / retirees (which is okay). We know a family that we are very close with in the area. They have a son who is 4 yr old. The family is likely to move in about 4 to 5 years to be in catchment of the secondary school for their son. While we like the house, we feel we will be left in the area with no friends in a few years time until our time to move arrives in further 2 - 3 years after that. What's the opinion on moving houses multiple times and what impact can it have on our daughter if we do that? Or do we just accept that we will eventually make some friends in the area and more people may move in. We come from immigration route and though have made friends locally, have found that the social integration has been is limited. Is that likely to be the case for our daughter as well?

I think small children are good at making friends, especially when they all start at a time in a class together. Are there playgroups/regular children’s activities your daughter can go to before school? (When they restart again). These are good ways to make friends. Also, if your friends are just moving to the local secondary school area, it’s probably still close enough that you could visit at weekends? How far away is it?

We don't know. perhaps we are thinking far too much into future. They may move to a different city depending on where their son finds a place. They may stay there, it's a little early to know that. But making an investment on a house is a long term commitment and we are not sure if we are making that only on basis of knowing one family there who may eventually move after a few years. Think you are right though, she may still make friends through the activities but not having seen this first hand, we had these concerns.

If you are able to take your daughter to groups for kids (when they open up), take her to the local preschool and go to the local school then you will make friends. Or maybe you and your husband can join interest groups and make friends that way. You do have to work at making friends.....but whose to say some of the old people in your area won't become good friends too?

Don't buy a house because another family live nearby as they might move at any point. It's also a bit much to expect them to be your only social life.

One thing does ring alarm bells - why would they move for secondary school? Is the house you are buying in a catchment you wouldn't be happy for your daughter to go to that school (hard for you to even imagine at this stage of your life......) but if you want this move to be forever then it is something to think about.

However, is moving kids ok? Of course as many people do it many times and the kids are fine. once you get to primary school age just be mindful that if you move to an area where the school is full you won't automatically get a place at the school - you have to go on the waitlist and wait for a space to become available - and the waitlist can move depending on the criteria of those on the list. So you might be number 1 on the list - but then someone moves in who goes higher than you and pushes you down.

@Mumdiva99, Thank you. The area has good primary schools but not secondary schools. We wouldn't want to be there for our daughter's secondary school either. So we know our friends will definitely be moving and so will we. The question for us is, do we move at the end of 7 years from now or in 4/5 years when our friends move. Moving after 4 years sounds silly to make an investment on a house which is why we are having second thoughts about the property. Our reasons to choose an area probably need to be reconsidered.