Aah...the last days of summer. The locusts are singing their swan song, things are going to seed, and the wildflowers are starting to shrivel and brown from the bottom up. While all of nature is preparing for its oncoming rest, we humans feel both a sense of loss and a stirring burst of energy. School is starting - that alone creates a multitude of tasks, commotion (and emotion) if we have children. If you have moved over the summer to start a new opportunity this fall, the activity level is just coming to a crescendo. For others, September begins the activity of finding and evaluating opportunities, and making decisions about where to live and practice a year from now.
Just as the changing seasons create changing concerns and emotions, making life changes creates multiple concerns and emotions within families. Each family member is likely to have similar concerns, as well as issues specific to their age and family role.
If you are the physician of the family, you not only have all the concerns of your new practice or position, partners, employees, new patients, and how you will fit in to the larger medical and social community, but the concern of what effects this decision will have on your spouse and children, not to mention relationships with parents, siblings and cultivtated friendships.
Your husband or wife may have a very satisfying career, and be reluctant to start anew somewhere else. Children of every age group have special concerns and needs when it comes to moving away from school, friends and close relatives.
I'm adding a link under "Relocation Resources" to Beverly Roman's website BR Anchor Publishing. There you will find excellent books for children geared to different age groups. These books prepare and involve children in the moving process in a positive way.
I will be writing in more depth on these subjects, particularly on the issue of spousal careers, elementary school-age children, and teenagers, citing some of the studies and works by Beverly Roman and others. More to come soon. Enjoy what's left of summer, and look forward to fall with new expectancy!
