Would you move to Texas for USD 5k more a month

[Constance17]

DH has been offered a job in U.S, we have children aged 6 & 8. What concerns you most?

Ah Texas, so hot and flat...

www.southernliving.com/travel/south-west/texas-hill-country?slide=9422#9422

5k usd a month might just be the cost of family health insurance if you have any pre-existing conditions.

I get that you don't know what the situation really is in the US. That's understandable if you don't live there. But you just make yourself look a bit dim when you spout stuff that is nearly a decade out of date on a public forum.

2010 (The Affordable Care Act) is when pre-existing conditions stopped affecting the price or availability of health insurance.

Jennymanara
Generally US universities are easier to get into than UK ones with equivalent qualifications.

There is no way you can generalise about the thousands of 'US universities', from Harvard to the University of the District of Columbia, and their entrance requirements.

When a US university earns the (unscientific) designation of 'highly selective', exceptionally well-qualified prospective students are facing a crapshoot situation. Hence the very low acceptance rates.

Given that my son turned out to have ADHD and some other issues, I never regret moving him here. I'm so glad that he's been able to access special needs education here. I worked in special needs education when we lived in the UK, and I always felt overworked and as if I had my hands tied. I wasn't able to help my students in the same way that I had done so during my practicum.

Yes - the support for special needs education is amazing where I live in the US too. And the fact that students get their diagnosis and IEP within a couple of months rather than waiting for years makes a huge difference.

I was talking to a UK friend recently about how many years it took her son to get his ADHD diagnosis, and how he struggled through school during those years. He totally slipped through the cracks.

If we'd stayed in the UK my son would have been at that school - I hate to think how much he'd be struggling.

Generally US universities are easier to get into than UK ones with equivalent qualifications.

LOL. No.

I wonder how many people on here who are spouting about what a dreadful place Texas is have actually been there.

The only thing that would put me off is the extreme heat in the summer there

Mutinerie
Also the UK has taken post-modernism and mixed it with home based cowboy mentality, to create something I think is very toxic. Let me give an example, think of Nigel Farage most of what he says is factually a lie, but the emotion is truth, that's what resonates with people. In an everyday way 52% of British people have a strong negative reaction to expertise, facts, science, and critical thinking. It's very anti-intellectual in a way that most Europeans just can't imagine.
Fixed that for ya.

Finally parents have a very different approach towards parenting. Very few limits, very few interactions with reality, like every kid is gifted and gets a medal, basically parents protect their kids from every possible frustration. I don't think this is very healthy. I have kids and would not even consider moving there with them
I think you are misguided in judging an approach to parenting that seeks to build up the confidence of each child, find their strengths and reach their full potential as problematic. It's very different from parenting within the class-ridden UK context of course.

In an everyday way people have a strong negative reaction to science, and critical thinking

Doesn't bother me. I have a guardian angel, plus a psychic told me I'd be fine in Texas.

Gosh there’s a lot of total shite being spouted on this thread.

But then MN has always been v ignorant towards and anti American.

OP I’d do it. That’s a lot extra a month. I’m presuming your health insurance would be covered. It’ll be a big adventure.

I have family in Dallas and wouldn’t move there mainly because of the heat and humidity, unbearable for most people there, even those who’ve known nothing else. In heights of summer they literally spend no time outside as it’s so humid, they move from air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned destination! That’s not how I’d want my kids to grow up!

Texas, so rough and rowdy...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Cliburn_International_Piano_Competition
Named after the celebrated (gay, Russophile despite the Cold War) piano virtuoso and resident of Fort Worth, TX, and member of the Broadway Baptist Church, Van Cliburn.
The piano competition used to be hosted by Texas Christian University, Fort Worth.

www.paysa.com/salaries/plano-symphony-orchestra
Plano Symphony Orchestra salaries. Plano is a suburb of Dallas.

mathanxiety you’ve forgotten the Rothko Chapel, the Museum of Fine Arts, the permanent ballet and opera companies, the theatres ...

... although watching Duran Duran perform on a revolving stage in the middle of a cow roping arena at the rodeo might come under “rough and rowdy”

Honestly this -

Finally parents have a very different approach towards parenting. Very few limits, very few interactions with reality, like every kid is gifted and gets a medal, basically parents protect their kids from every possible frustration.

Is possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on Mumsnet.

In a population of 329,021,380 everyone parents the same.

Yes - the support for special needs education is amazing where I live in the US too. And the fact that students get their diagnosis and IEP within a couple of months rather than waiting for years makes a huge difference.

When DS was diagnosed as language delayed at age three the school district sent a licensed speech therapist to our home twice a week to do testing and speech therapy. He had an IEP and addition support from the moment he started primary school. Our biggest battle was getting him mainstreamed when he no longer needed the additional support in year three.

This seems quite different to how SEN are dealt with in the UK from what I've read here on MN.

I wouldn’t move to America (I’m Canadian) because the extremes in their culture are too extreme. I wouldn’t move to Texas because of the weather and because I wouldn’t find it comfortable how religion seems to be pandered to in the southern states. Also the racism and gun violence. It’s all too much.

Watching with interest OP as I have been offered a role in the US, the first year I’d be based in Texas and then would move up to DC. The money is life changing for me but I’m really not keen on Texas, wondering if I could stick it for a year!

I wouldn’t move to America (I’m Canadian) because the extremes in their culture are too extreme

I don't find that AT ALL where I live. Funny, almost like it's a country that's also the 3rd largest continent with 4.75% of the entire world's population.

I’m a brown Muslim. I don’t think Texas is for me

If you’re white, wealthy and religious (or at least faux religious) I’m sure it’s all good.

But for me it’s the thought of my brown kids being stopped by the police and shot (or my bearded brown husband) that would mean I could never live there.

Much less comprehensive work contracts in USA, fewer employee rights and much shorter notice period if they want you out, so IMO quite a risky work environment, could leave you high and dry in just a short period, how would you cope? Crap holiday allowance, (10days?) health insurance, tax situation...

Other things that are not so good in terms of work benefits - less generous holiday allowance and maternity allowance. My friend's has struggled with the education system - they are further behind on academics but I from what I gather they believe in building social skills first then they go in heavy with the academics at a later stage - so I think American kids could easily be seen as (temporarily) academically behind but socially they are miles ahead and I for one would rather have a kid with amazing social skills!

Err....the fact that it is the US. Why would you want to live there?

How fucking ignorant.

It may be different where your husband works now but one thing I prefer in the US is that people leave on their scheduled time at work. In the UK, it seems like everyone is guilted in to lingering around. That was a culture shock to me.

@Leftiefterson - actually if you’re absolutely sure it’s only a year then I’d say go for it. The issue would be if they move you to Texas then say after a year, actually it’s permanently Texas - then what do you do? I actually moved from the DC area to Texas with a large group - ALL of the expats much preferred DC/NOVA. If we’d been in the DC area at the time of my divorce I might have tried harder to stay in the US.

Another thing I want to set straight about academics that a lot of people are posting a lot of crap about... In the US the education is a lot more well-rounded. People are required to do general education as a part of any degree. I don't buy this British kids are more educated shit, if that were the case, why are Americans far more innovative? Why are Americans leaders in technology and science? Come on, stop posting bullshit.