Germany sabbatical - is this a really bad idea?

[HerdofAntilop]

I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant and my brain is fried so sorry if this is a bit of a jumble...

My husband and I would really love to move back to Germany. We've lived there (separately) in the past. I'm not sure we're not a bit past it - he's 50 and I'm 34. We have a 3 year old and one on the way imminently. DH speaks no German. I am reasonably fluent verbally (or at least I was, and I'm confident it wouldn't take long to regain what I've lost) but can't write for toffee.

Given the German obsession with qualifications I'm struggling to see how we could ever live there full time soooo we're considering coming over towards the end of my mat leave (when baby is about 8 months) for a period of about 3 months to try and get our fix (and maybe do some sneaky, optimistic job hunting). DH will have to take an unpaid sabbatical to do this which will be tight but fingers crossed, doable. We visited Berlin in January and loved it but morning sickness has clouded my memory of our stay. I'm thinking we could stay in Freiburg for our sabbatical as it's beautiful and generally good weather. Hoping to find a reasonably priced zwischenmiete somewhere.

So assuming DH's employers give us the thumbs up and we can scrape together enough cash - do you think we're completely crazy? What am I not taking into account? Is there anywhere else you can suggest we consider as an alternative?

Heading off to bed now but will be back to read any replies in the morning.

Not at all crazy, although I think Freiburg is quite expensive.

It really depends on your qualifications/jobs and what kind of thing you'd like to do.

Can your DH definitely come back to his job?

Given the lack of language skills and the ages of your children I think you're absolutely barking. And I mean this in the nicest possible way.

You are probably better off brushing up on your language skills and exploring uK companies based in Germany to see if you can't get yourselves jobs FIRST.

Best of luck, but plan accordingly.

I don't think your barking as long as you can afford a 3 month holiday without any income, and paying for 2 homes at once (rent or mortgage on your current UK home plus the place you stay in Germany) and aren't burning any bridges in the UK - by which I mean your DH can absolutely definitely 100% return to his job on unchanged terms after a 3 month genuine sabbatical, and you are not giving up or renting out your UK home.

3 months is basically a long holiday - whether its mad depends only on whether you can afford no income and 2 homes for 3 months from savings. If you do find jobs whist in the country that's a whole new round of decisions, as to whether to permanently/ semi permanently uproot, but I'db say cross that bridge if you come to it and assume you'll be going back to the UK after 3 months when talking to UK employer and thinking about your UK home.

We moved permanently to Germany with a 20 month old and one on the way (7 months pregnant) and I had close to no German (the move was almost a split second decision when a too good to refuse opportunity came up for my German husband). So I don't think the ages of your children are remotely a problem - far, far better when they are so young and will be happy wherever you are, than when they are older and will miss friends, and have their schooling disrupted.

The differences Ilikedmyold... between your experience and OPs are quite significant.

1. Your spouse is German. Her's has zero German language and is now 50. He won't get a job unless its menial and requires no language.

1. Your husband had a job. They have nothing and no contacts.

They need to work on their language skills and job prospects before they are even remotely close to where you were. Those two things are key for moving to any country.

Yes weary but the other difference is she's only proposing going for 3 months without her husband resigning from his UK job.

3 months is nothing.

If they have the money to cover a 3 month holiday and don't give up their UK home or DH's job they have nothing to lose.

We've met a surprising number of people using 3 months or longer paternity leave to drive around Europe in a motor home with a toddler and a baby (usually they've staggered paternity leave and taken a week or so immediately after the birth and several months when the baby is 4 months old or so - portable but not brand new, and mother mainly over the birth). What the OP is proposing is the same thing but without the moving about, just staying in a short term lease in one place in Germany.

The OP would like to look around for job opportunities while in the country, but that's just looking, no commitment, no harm in looking... essentially she's just planning a 12 week holiday. Can't see a problem with doing that with a baby and 3 year old, the only thing it depends on is fairly hefty savings to cover the cost and the 3 months without earnings. As she talks of a sabbatical the risk is nil, as long as it is genuinely a sabbatical and he has a job to go back to.

She said she can speak German but not write it. Her husband has Zero German.

As someone living in Germany now Iliked...can you tell us what you think of their actual job prospects?

That would depend an awful lot on what their jobs are weary - I know lots of specialised and experienced IT bods who work here without speaking German. Various other experienced specific professionals would also have a very good chance indeed. Random office admin on the other hand - impossible.

That would depend an awful lot on what their jobs are weary - I know lots of specialised and experienced IT bods who work here without speaking German. Various other experienced specific professionals would also have a very good chance indeed. Random office admin on the other hand - impossible.

Either way what she's asking is not what her job prospects are but whether she'd be mad to have a 3 month sabbatical in Germany with a 3 year old and a baby - and she wouldn't, that would be perfectly feasible if she and her husband can finance it and have their current home and work to go back to after 3 months.

The sabbatical in her words, is to do this:

"Given the German obsession with qualifications I'm struggling to see how we could ever live there full time soooo we're considering coming over towards the end of my mat leave (when baby is about 8 months) for a period of about 3 months to try and get our fix (and maybe do some sneaky, optimistic job hunting)."

Ah well, its up to her isn't it weary but you and I are reading her post differently - you read it as 3 months job hunting, I read it as acknowledging they probably won't be able to move permanently but wanting to get a "Germany fix" by having a 3 month sabbatical, during which they will have a look around at the job market as a secondary purpose, but with eyes wide open to the fact this is unlikely to come to anything

Given the German obsession with qualifications I'm struggling to see how we could ever live there full time soooo we're considering coming over towards the end of my mat leave (when baby is about 8 months) for a period of about 3 months to try and get our fix (and maybe do some sneaky, optimistic job hunting)

To say what her and her DH's job prospects in Germany are (which I don't think is what she's asking from my reading of the post) Herd needs to come back and tell us what she and her DH do - if the one with spoken but ropey written German is a nurse or a secondary school teacher with ibacc experience and the one with no German at all an established and competent IT professional with a Masters and current experience their chances are excellent. If they work in generic office jobs or jobs/ professions you need an apprenticeship for or that are very language heavy they will have no chance... can't give an opinion without that information.

Sure, that's a good point Ilikedmyold...