Life decisions with young children

[Led921900]

Do you think it’s a good idea to make life decisions when you have small children or wait until they’re a bit older and see how you feel?

Mine are 6 months, 2.5 years and 5.5 years and it feels so relentless.

We’ve (well I have) been thinking a lot of leaving London back up north to where my family are. I love London and have been here 18 years now there’s a lot more to do and see than back home obviously…. But our world now mainly revolves around home, school and the childminder. So I wonder if it would be nice to be back near family?!

I’ve heard you shouldn’t make big decisions when your kids are little as you could end up regretting them but what do you think?

@ksjsb I'm from the North, all my family is there and I spend a lot of time there, so I am well aware of what's there! But I'm sorry, London is a world class place for culture (especially theatre) and that is just not replicated anywhere else.

I think I might give it until summer 2025 and see where we are then, the 2 years should give me a chance to brush up my CV, kids to get a bit older and see how I feel.
September 2025 my toddler starts school and older one will be going into year 3 and the baby won’t be far off 3 year funding. The area we’re aiming for has a good primary school and currently it’s not oversubscribed so hopefully that would be ok :s (I hate how trapping the schools feel!). I think year 3 is the latest I’d like to move for my eldest (for my own benefit anyway!).

I wonder how I can enjoy things a bit more before then though? I had a few drinks with school mums the other day and all we talked about was summer fete and it was so boring lol! My baby will be 1 in November and I’ll stop breastfeeding then so might free me up a bit in the evenings to get out! At the moment I just can’t justify the £25k moving costs and £400 extra a month the commute would cost us. Especially when I’m not sure!

Would living in Liverpool be an option? Then you'd be much closer to family, but have all the benefits of the city on your doorstep, much cheaper for nights out too!

I grew up in Liverpool and loved it, not in the city centre but the suburbs.

If your world feels small now I wouldn’t move out of London, surely that would only magnify that feeling. Of course with such young children - and 3!- you are just surviving each day, so unless there’s an urgent need for childcare or a cheaper house I wouldn’t move.