Have a chance of relocating work to Dusseldorf from London. Not very keen, should I?

[littlecrystal]

I work in London in a multinational company, originally from abroad, have settled in south London, ok salary, two kids 5 and 3 (mixed race) one in school and another in the nursery. I love British people and have been fairly happy here and formed my strong social network, but life has not been easy juggling 8-6 school/childcare, paying over 1k for it and on top of that I am a newly lone parent. I was just about to sell my house and look to buy my forever home in somewhere near good secondary schools.

My boss just asked me whether I would be interested relocating to Dusseldorf in Germany. I spontaneously said no! thinking about being a lone parent with no support in a country that I don?t know at all (though I can speak some German), but what if I am missing an excellent opportunity? Perhaps the childcare is much easier in Germany? Social support for working or lone parents? Perhaps I don?t need to worry about secondary schools at all? Perhaps life would be easier there?

Would like to hear from a knowledgeable prospestive! Tia.

I have friends in Frankfurt, Munich and an old Uni pal in Dusseldorf and they all love it - great quality of life, great public transport, proximity to fantastic outdoor activites (cycling and hiking, lakes in the summer, forest walks) and the whole of continental Europe on your doorstep - I wouldn't dismiss it, personally, especially if you can speak the language already. Sorry I haven't any personal experience of living there but I am sure someone who does will be along soon

I think Germany is a great country, I visit a bit for work and always like how things just seem to run smoothly there

However, I think in your situation you should think about what you'd be giving up here versus what you'd gain there? It sounds as though your role would be moved to Germany and that would be it? If you didn't like it, would you be stuck there?

How would your DC see their father?

Sorry I may have got you confused with another poster but I thought I had read a few of your threads and you had sold your house and were moving north of London?

I'm not in Düsseldorf (I'm closer to Frankfurt) and my situation is different to yours so I can't help too much, but come over to the German thread (Endlich Sommer) as I'm sure a few people will be able to help

I spent several months working in Dusseldorf on my own when DD was around 20 months old. I hated it.

The neighbours were hideous to me, they would leap out of their apartment daily and berate me about bin management, DD's buggy and all manner of crimes against rules that nobody explained to me.

The woman at agency I rented my apartment from, which advertised in English to expats yelled at me for not speaking/being German (I do speak German but dealt in English with legal stuff like rental documents) after I complained that a large mirror incorrectly installed in the apartment had fallen off the wall onto toddler DD, resulting in a broken foot and a hasty ambulance trip to A&E. The flat was hideous and over priced, special expat rate.

Work expected me to come in routinely at weekends to deliver a project, even though I had no childcare then. The childcare I did have was an international nanny, which cost a fortune btw, not a nursery place.

All in all it was the most hideous time of my life and I couldn't wait to get out of there. I've worked in the UK, US, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, Holland and Australia and those months in Dusseldorf were by far the worst in every way imaginable.

Thanks! So it seems I stay where I am then. I feel I have a good life in the UK and I do not want to trade it for the unknown. I feel content here so no need to undermine this.