Is anyone in New Delhi?

[HerRoyalNotness]

I know you'll be sleeping now, when you wake I'd appreciate some advice/tips.

We are 95% moving in April for 6-12mths with work. We will both be working over there for our current company. We have a 5.5yo and 2.5yo. Our older DS will be going into a private school, I think it's the American one they pay for. What is the school year? Are there summer holiday clubs available?

Not sure what to do with our youngest. Are there nursery type places over there that expats can attend, or regular local ones? Would a nanny be best? How would we go about finding a qualified nanny? We'd want someone who can start teaching him his basics, as if we'd stayed here, he'd be going into a preschool. Are there preschools available?

The office is in Gurgaon and we'd have a driver. Where would be a good place to live?

What should we take with us? Should we stock up on the kid's clothes? Is there anything we should bring that we might find hard to get over there, or would be handy to have?

DH has been over a lot on business trips in the past 2 years, and we have holidayed there together, not in recent time though, so on some level we know what to expect, but not the day to day of it.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

[anonymosity]

A friend of mine raised 3 kids there, they had private nannies and tutors until they were old enough to go to a UK boarding school. I don't believe its very costly to get nannies and tutors there, probably the only place that is so.

[marcopront]

I'm not in Delhi but I am in Mumbai. I am about to go to bed but I'll try and come back and answer your questions.

[HerRoyalNotness]

thanks fo much marcopront

anonymosity are you friends still there? even if not, is she able to give some pointers on best way to find a nanny, like an agency? Also worried we actually won't get into a school as they're oversubscribed, if she is able to tell us how to arrange tutors also that would be great!

[anonymosity]

Sorry op - no offense, but I can't put you in contact with her. I can only tell you what I've already said.

[HerRoyalNotness]

Oh no I wouldn't ask such a thing, don't worry. Seems there are few over there, even the British expat forums and others don't have many posts for the place

[anonymosity]

I think its a difficult one to find out about in advance. I remember someone else telling me about companies who help the transition to living & working in India however - perhaps your DH's company can get hold of them for you?

[AlicatDXB]

We're moving around the same time too - well like you its 95% final - although for my job. It is incredibly hard to find out much online but anything I do find I'll post here.

[Jinsei]

There are tons of preschools in Delhi & Gurgaon. Education is big business in India! Not too sure how you'd find a qualified nanny but there will be ex-pat groups out there who could no doubt advise.

[Inthesleeplessnightgarden]

Hi! No longer in Delhi but was there for four years until last July. DS, now 2, was born there. Both DH and I were working on expat contracts.
The only serious school options for expats are the British School and the American Embassy School. Both tend to be oversubscribed and have slightly complicated waiting list criteria. Depending on your nationality and your company you can find your child scooting up or sliding down the list. But kids do both on often so spaces come up. The are other so called international schools, including many in Gurgaon but I haven't heard good things about any of them.
Most people employ a nanny. Unlikely to be qualified but they tend to be very loving. Literacy will vary. Take recommendations from colleagues or join Delhibabies yahoo group (you should be able to find it through a search of yahoo groups, it doesn't seem to be widely advertised but is a mine of info for expats with kids in Delhi). When you arrive join the Delhi network, another expat group which meet regularly at the Hyatt. I think there's a Gurgaon version too.
There are preschools. Both the British school and AES have nurseries and there are others about. Little senators in Vasant Vihar (I think) seemed popular with expats.
The international schools run a different school year to local schools. Both AES and the British school run from beginning of August to end May. Long summer holidays and you'll find that many people (read wives) take the kids home for the summer as it does get unbearably hot in June and July so if you're both working you might find he summers pretty long and lonely as everyone bails out! I think the schools do run summer schools and programmes.
Everything is available, at a price. The is mothercare, m&s and other big stores in the malls in Gurgaon. But people do tend to stock up on clothes and baby essentials from the UK as its cheaper.
I don't know Gurgaon well but the traffic between Delhi and Gurgaon can be nightmarish at the start and end of the working day. Many people live in Delhi and work in Gurgaon and doing it that way round will avoid a hellish commute to school for your kids but probably mean traffic Jams for you. See what others at the company do.
I hope this is helpful, do ask if you have any other questions. We loved our time in India and really miss it (we're in west Africa now, just not the same!).

[HerRoyalNotness]

Thanks so much inthesleep, very helpful info. I really hope we get to go, DHs big boss found out about the plan and is incandescent! He wants us in London (on a non-existent job). I'm heartily sick of it all, tbh. My boss just seems to go with the flow, it's one less person he has to worry about finding a job for!