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University-age kids — did they come with you, stay behind, or split the difference?

Sophie Dubois ⭐ Helpful member
25 Jun 2026, 09:00

Our eldest is about to start university right as we're relocating, and it's opened up a decision I hadn't fully thought through: does she come with us and study locally, stay behind and live independently or with relatives, or do we look at something in between like a gap year to decide later?

Every option feels like it has a real cost — uprooting her right before a major life stage, leaving her to essentially become independent earlier than planned, or delaying things for everyone. She has opinions too, which keep changing depending on the day.

For families who've navigated a move with a kid at exactly this university-age threshold — how did you actually decide, and looking back, do you feel like you got it right? Particularly interested in how much weight you gave her preference versus the practical logistics.

3 replies

Emma Thompson ⭐ Helpful member
26 Jun 2026, 13:18

Let our daughter choose ultimately, and gave real weight to her preference even though it complicated the logistics on our end.

Ahmed Hassan 💬 Contributor
27 Jun 2026, 16:24

Following, we’re facing this exact decision in a couple of years ourselves.

Priya Sharma ⭐ Helpful member
2 Jul 2026, 21:19

Chose the in-between option, a gap year, specifically to avoid deciding under time pressure. Felt like the right call in hindsight.