AIBU to consider moving from London to Kent with children?

....absymal.public transport.

Depends where you are. Parts of Kent are very rural with public transport to match, but other areas, while not up to London standards, have good bus and rail connections.

If you move somewhere with fast trains to Victoria, or HS1, you can be in London very quickly.

Or you can go to East Kent and be further from London but have the coast.

Really depends on where in Kent and where in London you would be moving from.

We currently live in South east London, towards Kent and to be honest I wouldn't want to move out any further than I am, obviously it depends on your reasoning.

We have family spread out across Kent and some places are lovely but others are really not my cup of tea. You need to consider how different it might be. There are large areas of reform supporters and on our last visit to MIL we saw a group dressed in flags protesting in her tiny villiage. Personally I couldn't live somewhere like that. Public transport is also less frequent and more expensive than in a tfl zone.

Absolutely this, not fair on the older ones unless they hate school and want to move.

I did just this when DS was 12. It was the best thing ever, but then I grew up in Kent so new where I was moving to.

The time to do it was when your kids were younger. Why didn’t you do it then if you have wanted out for many years?

My parents wanted to move to Dorset when I was 16. I thought it was the end of the world. They were going to buy a gorgeous house in Poole but I didn’t want to leave South East London. In the end the whole thing collapsed during the summer and we stayed put. A bit more drastic than London to Kent but I loved and still love London and didn’t want to go. Bear in mind a lot of Kent votes Reform so the councils are in total chaos.

Don’t do it. It’s not fair on the older two. They are past the stage where moving wouldn’t disrupt their education.

Also, they will have better opportunities in London I would think!

I say go for it but you may well find your older children don't share your enthusiasm. Friendship groups, clubs, and other activities may have to be sacrificed.
We moved from London to Northamptonshire but that was just before our first child was born and have never regretted it for a moment. It was a long while ago but we are still in the same house, our kids had great childhoods, and everything was way less pressurised. We've been back many times but are always glad to get home.

What problem are you trying to fix?

You are proposing disrupting the friendship networks of two secondary-age children when these are absolutely key to them; dislocating one child from all they know as they head into GCSE preparation, changing their entire routine; extracting yourself from your own friendship circles and human relationships. It is basically starting from scratch. Only your 4-year-old will not be affected.

It better be a pretty big problem to consider introducing all of that turbulence into the majority of your family's lives.

moving a 14 year old might be tricky exam wise?

London docklands Kent or leafy green Kent? There's quite a difference.

Also from where in London W1, SE15 etc. Again, the difference is vast.

Where in Kent? Might be a bit of a culture shock for the eldest two. Their independence will be limited by the absymal.public transport. Schooling good for the academic child but non grammar school options can be mediocre.

To this northerner you just said ‘AIBU to move from London to London’

I do know the difference really, and sorry I don’t have advice but this just made me laugh.