My daughter came home from school two days ago, solemn and irritated, and declared that she doesn’t like her new high school. Last week, she was almost giddy when she told me things were going well.

 I knew the transition would be tough but I wasn’t expecting such mood swings. We moved to North Carolina a little over a month ago, a couple weeks before my daughter started the ninth grade. I delayed leaving the Washington area so that she could finish middle school with her longtime friends, hoping to reduce the pain of the relocation.

 She is texting her old buddies, though when I have encouraged her to use the phone to call them sometimes she looks at me as if I have uttered a foreign word. She shares stories about what’s happening with those friends but she’s also beginning to talk about the new teens she’s meeting.

 I’m doing a lot of listening. That’s what the child experts recommend, saying that moving is an especially difficult experience for adolescents. My Mom asks me often about how things are going and frequently offers her granddaughter words of encouragement.

 Yesterday, my daughter came home from school eager to talk about Valerie, a fellow ninth grader who also recently moved to the area, from Boston. They sat together during lunch. She laughingly talked about the pickle ball game during gym class and meeting a German exchange student.

 When I asked her how she was feeling about school, she still grumbled. I expect it will be a bit longer before she really feels comfortable but she’s adjusting, despite herself.

 What are some of your experiences?

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