ABSTRACT
A family of four is enjoying a relaxing summer of picnics, pool time, and bicycle rides when, one day, everything changes. Mom comes home from work with the news that she has received a valuable promotion—at company headquarters located across the country. Dad is surprised, but he is ready for an adventure. The teenagers are excited and panic-stricken at the same time. The move is rewarding yet challenging: Their new home is more modern but less spacious, the neighborhood is friendly but far from downtown, and all family members feel alone without their friends. How will the family members adjust to all of these changes? Will they be able to figure out how to co-exist in a smaller space, develop a routine for getting to school and work on time, and fill the gaps left by old friends without adversity? Will they be able to communicate in ways that do not involve withdrawal and/or negativity? Will they develop a new normal in their new location, or will the unsettled state produced by this move become a pervasive family pattern?
