to leave the UK to give my kids a better chance in life

[anychocswilldo]

I have 2 little dc and my dh and I are seriously talking about emigrating. This country is on its knees and this is surely only going to get worse. I'm just interested in your opinions, or if anyone has left UK, any advice. Would my kids and my dh and I have a better quality of life in a country like Canada, Australia or New Zealand or is it a grass is always greener myth that other countries offer more. Leaving my mum and other family behind would b very difficult for me, would the sacrifice be worth it?

MorrisZapp exactly. I don't live in London, and I can cycle to work in 10min. If you live in Auckland, NZ, you'll have a horrible commute all within the greater Auckland region.

I'm not sure the OP wants to leave the rat race though (unless I've missed a post somewhere). I think she just wants to find a more lucrative one.

It boils down to the individual. Enterprising and 'goey' people will succeed wherever they are. Whingers will simply move countries to whinge. I say that as someone who has worked in many countries and lived in several. People are much the same everywhere.

And anyone who thinks this country is on its knees is probably the best sort of person to leave it.

Just wanted to add whoever mentioned giving up child benefit/tax credits etc to move to oz as they have none over their is totally incorrect.

Yes they do have Family Tax benefit A and B in oz as well as rent assist and Parenting Payment for lone parents, Reduced Child Care Cost rebates.

I was entitled to all the above from approx 2008 uptil i returned to uk in july last year. I had a Permanent residency visa so will be retuning this year/early next. And yes i was a lone parent but i worked fulltime 9-5 mon to fri and daughter in before and after school care from 7am till 6pm and i got more benefits in Oz working full time on good salary than i do here not working, so their benefits are far better.

Even when me and her father were together, we still got the Family Tax benefit.

Sydney is super expensive, but everywhere has its pro and cons.

I would get moving on visas though as take awhile and ever changing! Permanent residency is one you want to go for!

The grass is always greener ime.

Oh and i had healthcare card so didnt have to pay for Medicare at all and got cheaper fares on all transport (but had car)

I would move to the US if I were able (green card very difficult to get hold off). I know Americans are not for everyone, but I think it's a great country. I just love that most of them have real drive and ambition, self confidence and independence. They are not as downtrodden as the Brits. Most people are more positive. I remember seeing news footage of a gun amnesty in DC and a young guy was handing in his guns saying 'before I was doing bad, now I'm doing GOOD'. He knew his previous lifestyle was bollocks. I think the schools are better as the sports programs help to create a community atmosphere and the extra curricular stuff is seen to be as if not more important than academics. The children I knew are more rounded and sociable but tend to catch up to UK standards academically once they go to college. It's so diverse aswell, from beaches to mountains, to cities, to deserts with lots of different styles of communities.

I would really miss the British media and creativity though. Americans are not cool I give you that.

I have no opinion on Oz/New Zealand as I've never been, but I've always thought Australia was like Birmingham in the sunshine but I have no idea why. I know my friend in Melbourne has the same sized (tiny) flat as us in London and a job in the city so actually her life and a typical one here isn't vastly different at all.

I agree with those that say you can get a better life in the UK if you move around, depending on what you crave of course.

Just a British thing, isn't it? To slag their own country off & insist somewhere, anywhere, must be wildly better. Even within the UK, I have friends (hippy bohemian travellers), who insist Norfolk is awful and Cheshire would be wonderful by comparison, offering a hugely better future for their children, too. I don't know any other culture in the world who leaps so readily into believing their own place & culture is deplorable. Not like the British love to do, anyway can't beat a good moan.