September 8, 2018 I HATE OUR NEW HOUSE!!! Dear Brandon, My family has just moved to a new house across town because the owner of our old house said he was selling it. Our new house is REALLY CRUDDY, but it was the only one we could get. I’m so mad that we had to move to this DUMP because two of my closest friends lived near my old house! TWO!!!!! On top of that, it was the only house we lived in the longest. We’ve had to move like ONCE A YEAR!!!!! What should I do? Hysterical House Hater Hey Hysterical House Hater, Oh man, that’s so hard. I’m sorry to hear about it. Moving a lot must be a real bummer. And it’s tough if your parents rent your house, since they have no control over whether the owner of it suddenly decides to sell it, raise the rent some ridiculous amount or whatever. I’m sure your parents didn’t want to move either, but it’s just what happened. So, being forced to move is hard enough, but even harder if you’re leaving friends AND you hate the house you’re moving to. That’s a whole lot of bummer! 🙁 The friends thing is hard, and it’s something a lot of people can relate to. It’s always a challenge when you move away from a friend, have a friend move away, go to a different school or be in a different class, etc. These are things we all experience and they’re always a bummer, but we get through them. Thankfully, technology makes it easier to stay connected to people, so through texting and social media, your friendship should be okay. It won’t be the exact same as having them within walking distance, but you’ll make it work. Hating the new house is trickier. I wonder if you truly hate the new house, or if you’re mostly mad about having to move, but once you get used to it, it’ll be okay. Or maybe it really is a dump and you hate it. But either way, can you try to think of something—maybe a few things—that you do like about the new house? Or the new location? Maybe it’s closer to a frozen yogurt place you like. Maybe it’s near a park or soccer field, there’s a basketball hoop in the driveway or there’s a good tree to climb. I’m not saying these things could make up for having to move, but it might help to find a couple things you don’t hate about the house. I also think it would help try making the new house feel like home. Don’t leave things in boxes—get all the way unpacked, so you’re surrounded by your familiar stuff. Also, use the opportunity to add some fun touches to your new room. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Take a trip to Target or Walmart, or if you’re on a tight budget, try to find cool things for your room at a thrift store or Goodwill. Look for a fun clock, mirror or poster for your wall. Or, what about brightly colored curtains, a fun lamp or a new desk chair? And when the space is starting to feel more like home, invite your BFFs over. You moved across town, not across the state, so it might take a little more planning, but they can still come over. Start building some friend-memories in the new place and hopefully soon it will feel like home! Have you ever had to move or start a new school? Tell us about it. How did you make your new place feel like home? What did you do to keep your old friends, or did you make new ones?