British childhood VS Sun and sand?

[Wouldratherbeanywhereelse]

Currently live abroad with Dd two and a half. Been pining to return home (after all this hopefully goes back to normal)
What is a British childhood like these days? Where I am we have the sun and beach and less crime, however the schools aren’t as good and I miss the very ‘Englishness’ of Britain, if that makes sense? The green, rolling hills, little countryside pubs and walks. Here it’s a more outdoors life obviously, due to the weather. But you can make it like that in the U.K., can’t you? Out in the winter wrapped up for dog walks etc.
I don’t know if I’m just seeing things through rose tinted glasses about my own childhood (80’s kid, 90’s teen) especially due to the current situation. I feel quite sad she may miss out on British school life and all the tradition that comes along with it, does all that exist?

The grass is always greener and people always want what they don't have, as evidenced by the number of people in this thread who would glady swap for your life, at least in theory.

I guess it depends on the life you'd be coming back for and your preferences. In a city somewhere? I'd stay where you are, but then I wouldn't live in a city anywhere if I could help it. Maybe somewhere the size of Tallinn I could manage. If you're coming back for a more rural, village life, then I'd come back here.

I work overseas alot, I spend roughly half the year across all the countries of Europe. There are some stunningly beautiful places, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina as examples. There are other places with wonderful paces of life, although less affluent comparatively, such as Poland and Hungary. There are many places I would live, but there's something that stirs in the soul whenever I come back to England, particularly the countryside and its where I find myself happiest.

I think a lot comes down to where are you happy? Can you earn what you want to and get jobs

After that the dc can have really good childhoods in places with beaches etc or somewhere like London

So I think your views do count for a fair lot

Brit living in Canada. Anytime we return back to the UK I'm always shocked by the weather, the expense, how rough and aggressive people are and how bad the service is.

The towns look run down and unkempt, people seem very much all for themselves. I think the UK is good if you have a lot of money to live in a beautiful town away from everyone, and send your kids to an elite private school!

@grassisjeweled

Brit living in Canada. Anytime we return back to the UK I'm always shocked by the weather, the expense, how rough and aggressive people are and how bad the service is.

The towns look run down and unkempt, people seem very much all for themselves. I think the UK is good if you have a lot of money to live in a beautiful town away from everyone, and send your kids to an elite private school!

Pretty damning! Where do you stay?

If you can afford private school then I'd say it's worth it. British preps are in the main very good. If you're coming back to cram your kid in a class full of 30+ with a stressed out teacher in a school that's sold off it's playing fields then I really wouldn't!

Stay where you are. Hoping to join you soon!!

I have no desire to leave the UK. My teenagers had a decent social life and a passable education in a northern comprehensive and a southern university. Yes, I would walk home the long way round rather than coming up the footpath at midnight and there are a few pubs in town I wouldn't go in unless I were with Wayne and Andy (and even then I probably wouldn't open my mouth) but I've never felt generally scared of our town.

That's all background to my question:

Apart from a culture of bullying and sex-based intimidation which is at best ignored, a tacit agreement that we'll half-heartedly sing One More Step and There Is A Green Hill before a semi-moral lecture, a constant battle over sodding hem lengths, a belief that being able to name the contents of one's pencil case adds up to speaking French, and a distinct lack of opportunity for anyone with any extra educational needs, what exactly do you mean by "all the tradition that goes along with" British school life?

I think a lot of it is probably rose tinted glasses and a (very normal) preference for the familiar Over the risk of something unknown when it comes to your children.

Research suggests Britain is not a great place for children. A couple of years ago a survey of OECD countries found British children to be some of the least happy in the developed world. Of course other things are important too, and your individual circumstances may mean the trend won’t hold true for your kids across different cultures. But you probably shouldn’t look at the memories of your own childhood as a guide.

Sun and Sand every time.

I grew up abroad and loved every single minute of it. DH won't move and I knew that when I married him so can't really complain about it.

We’d be either coming back to the North west/Cheshire (where I’m from) but think out near countryside-Alderley, Disley/New mills-plenty of beautiful scenery and away from the city but within east distance for a change. Or we’d go to where my family are now in Cornwall, obviously stunning at the beaches etc.

I just feel a little sad sometimes when I think about her missing out on simple things I had at school, even traditional tales and nursery rhymes won’t be done in Nursery etc, which I do at home still but it’s not the same. Just not being brought to ‘British’ really, is that strange? It’s sad to me in a way she won’t have what we had or that connection.

Most likely is rose tinted glasses and all the beautiful snow in the forest and parks pictures from the weekend!

*Brought up

We swapped UK for rural Spain when DS was 10. It was a challenge for us all but it meant he had much more freedom and wasn't exposed to much of the commercialism we encountered in the UK, no trainer or clothing brands etc but this was a while ago so it may have changed. School was definitely different but worked for him and he returned to the UK for university fluent in Spanish. We also came back to the UK and although there's many things I preferred about living in Spain I probably feel more settled here. However, until Covid hit we were dividing our time between both and that option isn't going to be available for sometime with the added complications of Brexit rule changes.
I'm not sure anyone can tell you which is best as this will vary between location both home and abroad.