Did you live overseas as a child, or a parent living overseas with their children ..

[cba]

If so could you give me your opinion on the following:

1. How easy did you / children settle?

1. was it a joint decision?

1. Did the kids / you go to private or local school was your experience?

1. If it was a hot country what was life like once the winter hit?

1. If you were a child what happened when you reached syay 18 or university age?

1. Do you think the county your in have enough to offer a child growing up into a young adult?

1. Do you / child always feel like an outsider?

Sorry for all the questions but I have being pressured severley by my husband to move. Not so simple when he keeps changing his mind where he wants to go and we have three young childre 7, 5 and 3.

He says I am a bad wife if I dont, but, I feel until he knows exactly what he wants then how can he expect me to forsee life in another county? sorry so long

quinne, you havent put me off, does not take much!!!

in laws live here but are looking to retire back there. dh thinks he could live there also but in reality he is not sure.

I could not move until i was 200% certain, i could not live in the pocket of the in laws i need to feel independent and sure of the county i potentially would move to .

dh does speak the language but i could not move unless i could speak the language.

Never say never but at this moment in time it is not right. I think i may have slight ocd traits where by things have to be researched in depth and a massive picture formed before i could dive in.

You watch i say all this and then six months there will be post saying I am off!!

With regard the inlaws in Croatia that is very often the case in Greece and Cyprus but I would not move to that.

Also education is the biggest hurdle for me.

Do you get back much for visits, if so what do you think once back, do you hanker to stay?

Do feel like Croatia is home, what do your boys think?

WE go back to the UK about three times a year. I used to tear myself away but now its getting easier as I get used to it, or maybe as we begin to realise that we will likely be home within the year...
Our sons know they are British and they do relish being with other English speaking children! However, for them the house we live in now is home and the village is the place the feel safest in and their friends are here. They see all the things that the UK has to offer - soft play, animal petting farms, adventure playgrounds, lots of swing parks, parks where you can play football, HUGE toy shops etc and they like it all but still its not home. We actually had thought of moving back to the UK earlier this year and DS1 was very much against it, though a lot of that was when he misunderstood that his toys would be left behind!
Its maybe something to think about if you are thinking of moving abroad for a few years - how will the children feel about being uprooted when you want to return to Britain.

At the risk of offending those who live in Britain (not my intention honestly!), after you live away for a while, you begin to feel that Britain isn't all that! Its got definite advantages, and for me it is home which is irreplaceable, however it seems to have really taken a turn for the worse in the last few years with binge drinking, a nanny state, political correctness gone mad, and a feeling that the government is at war with the people over car use and rubbish disposal! The positives are: a wealthy country meaning you can reasonably expect your children to be able to find a job when they grow up if they want one, supermarkets selling a good variety of food, the NHS, free education, good facilities for children, consumer protection laws that work, minimal corruption and a sense of justice/ fair play.

CBA As well as education you should really find out about the health service provision. Imagine your DS/ DD is ill and you think it might be appendicitis - what would happen?
Would you have to bribe the nurses to care for her/ him? Would you be allowed to stay with a sick child? How would you describe symptoms like a sharp shooting pain versus a dull radiating pain?? Its one thing to be able to order a beer or buy some bread but quite another to to ensure that the doctor making the diagnosis has been given all the info he needs regarding the symptoms. then there is the question of the quality of the treatment and aftercare...