Did you move back to your city after leaving because kids?

[Naptrappedmummy]

We moved out of our city to a semi rural area 2 hours away in early 2021. I can’t put my finger on why I pushed to do this, I think I was feeling claustrophobic after the lockdowns and thought it was ‘what you do’ when you have kids (we had a 2 year old and now have a baby as well).

Our house is under offer (too small now) and we need to decide on where to buy. I have an intense longing to go back to my city, but I’m not sure if this is just because I’m remembering all the good times I had there before settling down - little of which can be reprised as we have the children now and no family help.

If you did this - moved out the city because of kids, then moved back again - was it worth it? Are you happy to be back, has it worked out?

I grew up semi rurally on the edge of a very small town and it suited me. I think that is you live truly rurally and have to ferry kids about to get everywhere it’s a pain. Plus when I was young there was no where near so much traffic on the road in the 1970’s so cycling was much safer and we used to cycle about in a little pack. I ended up living in Birmingham and London for work reasons in my twenties and it was party central but I am not keen on city living. I now live on the edge of a market town and have open countryside a 15 minute walk one way with a field of horses, then crops and then a forest and the canal 15 minutes the other way and it was a great place to raise children. But I have a Post office, small shop, Doctors, cafe, chip shop, two hairdressers and a church a 10 minute walk and two pubs are 15 mins away.

So I did city living for about 8 years and it was fun at the time but I had no children. What sort of area did you grow up in and your partner? I would think how much you need to be ferrying kids about and also can you get by without using a car all the time. We are going to relocate one last time when we retire and want a house on the edge of a small town but the landscape must mean that the surrounding area cannot be developed. That’s the only thing wrong with our house it is surrounded by other houses and we want an open aspect.

You just need to decide if you want to be mums taxi for the next 10 years? What are the transport links like? I’d love to live more rural but the practicality of life puts me right off.

I will never understand people who move out when their kids grow, surely that’s when you need to be central?!

Don’t enjoy the claustrophobic feeling of cities . A small town however with lots to walk to and feeling of space much nicer.
Do what makes you happy and life easier

There is a good compromise.
I moved to a small market town after living in London for years.

I moved here when my DD was 3 and now I don't have to ferry her around everywhere and it's a safe area. (She is 14 now) we were able to walk to school etc.

Plan ahead for when they are getting to teens, they need more space for when they have friends over and they want more independence so you want a safe environment and one that means you aren't taxi mum all the time.

@Naptrappedmummy one thing to bear in mind in city's is that the nicer areas can be really pricey (even up north and midlands ) that's because there's a finite amount of these nice areas in most of them ( and I'm originally a Nottingham girl and that's the case there) and a lot of people wanting them! We are lucky here in Bath because even some of the slightly cheaper bits still look quite attractive - but none of it is cheap . Personally unless you can afford a great area in most city's I think you may be better off with a mid sized attractive town with good facilities within 25 minutes of a city drive or a good rail link- and good schools too

@Naptrappedmummy that's why in the south east places like Godalming, Guildford, Winchester , Farnham, Epsom etc are much prized. Easy into London but all very liveable in their own right. Nice with small kids and your teens would get by nicely too-