Stay or move?

[Whoistheeasterbunny]

I really love the village I Iive in and it has a commuter station which goes to London, however it takes two hours by the time you actually also jump on the tube and go to the part of London you're visiting.

I had to start home ed-ing my child (almost six) due to SEN and there's hardly anything to do around here.

We've found an amazing place in London which meets all her needs with activities and where I can socialise as well, and even offers a bit of childcare so I can have a break and is affordable with her DLA. We are both very happy there and can spend all day there, but don't get home till 9pm some days. It would probably meet her needs for the next two years.

There's literally nothing like it near where I live so we've been commuting once or twice a week. However, splitting our life between two places is taking its toll on me emotionally, and I feel like I now don't have the energy to help her build her social life in the area we actually live, with playdates etc. She finds playdates stressful anyway though, so where we go in London, meets her needs as she gets to be around other children but in a more structured environment. With the amazing weather we've been going to some nice parks as in London, and she's now saying the smaller local ones near us are boring.

So, do we take the plunge and move closer to London, so she can have a lot more to do and feel more connected socially to where we spend our time, but it would mean giving up the place I actually feel content in, however it has hardly anything for her here. I rent social housing so I couldn't rent my place out temporarily to rent somewhere near London to trial it out. I'd have to do a swap.

Have you got the swap secured? If so then take it! It's tough on homeswapper, honestly!

I'm in London with autistic dd - if you know the area re parking, then go for it. That's the only Drawback to being in London for us

You can use the bluebadge to get a discount on congestion, and the tube is mobility buggy friendly, if you find yourself there

I'm hopefully moving more central myself and hope to have more experience with dd so I'm definitely team move

As for moving back, people always want to move into London so that shouldn't be so difficult, imo x

Sounds like a move would be good.

I’d go for the move too.
As she gets older, there’s likely to be something similar to what you’ve found for older kids. It’s likely to be in london more than anywhere else.
2 hour commute for kids isn’t ideal and very tiring.

she's got standard mobility, so i'd have to re-apply for the higher rate to get a mobility badge. i might have her diagnosis by the time re-applying comes round, so i could push for it based on SMI. but i don't drive so it's okay for me. i don't have a swap yet, as only just been thinking about it, but i think i have good leverage to find a good swap, as i have a 3 bed new build next to a train station.

@Marble10 it's funny you say that actually, because i was looking up a place i visited as a kid in London, and found similar for SEN kids age 8 plus- that's if they still have funding by the time my dd reaches that age.