My company has just offered me a transfer from the London to Melbourne office.
Financially, we will be quite ok but our main reason for moving would be to have a better quality of life for our children. We plan to start a family soon and, having being brought up in a sunnier and "safer" part of the world, I am very uncomfortable about bringing up children in London.
So to those who have moved with young children, what is your experience in terms of quality of schools and how "happy" your children are compared to when you were in the UK? Do your kids do more outdoor activities now that the weather is better or has it not made a difference at all?
Location: South Gloucestershire thinking of the Redcliffe Peninsula
Posts: 896
Hi don't know the answer to your question but just wanted to say weare hoping to get to that area next year and our main reason is to give the kids a better life. From what I have read on this forum it would seem that most people feel the same. Best of luck !
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Cath, Matt, Jamie 14 & Travis 7, Agent appointed 12/6/08 House on the market 02/8/08 TRA lodged 19/8/08. Australia asap please!
Hi Walmington
Firstly, congratulations on the job transfer!!!.
I would definately take it. My children have never been happier. They enjoy going to school and have lots of different activities that they can't get enough off. We moved for our children and after 4 years in Melbourne we have no regrets,
My company has just offered me a transfer from the London to Melbourne office.
Financially, we will be quite ok but our main reason for moving would be to have a better quality of life for our children. We plan to start a family soon and, having being brought up in a sunnier and "safer" part of the world, I am very uncomfortable about bringing up children in London.
So to those who have moved with young children, what is your experience in terms of quality of schools and how "happy" your children are compared to when you were in the UK? Do your kids do more outdoor activities now that the weather is better or has it not made a difference at all?
Many Thanks
Hi
We've been here since January. We used to live in London and moved a bit further out each time we had a child. Our last fixed abode was Fleet in Hampshire. There's no way I'd raise a child of mine in London. In short we're really happy with the life Melbourne offers our kids compared to the UK and I think we lived in a lovely part of the UK too.
We both work full time and have a 4 year old and 1 year old. I was worried about the quality of nurseries and schools here compared to the UK. My daughter who is quite advanced for a 4 year old was devastated leaving her nursery and friends she was really close with. I needn't have worried. They settled within a couple of weeks and love going every day. My daughter has made some good friends now and rarely mentions the old ones or England. Sometimes they don't want to come home when we pick them up as they're having such a good time. We had them in a nursery in the CBD at first but changed to a local one so my daughter could make friends with the kids she'll be starting school with in February. They spend a lot more time outside and I think they are equally as good as the UK. Although the other day they didn't go out to play as it was 'too cold'!!! I had a good laugh as anything under 16 degrees is classed as cold. As it rarely rains they get to play outside almost every day unlike the UK.
As for schools, based on my visits to a local primary and a private one, they both seemed good. The local one bowled me over as the kids looked so happy and it had a lovely atmosphere with small classes. I've spoken to lots of parents at work and other expats who think the primary schools are excellent here but the secondary schools are hit and miss depending on the area. Even the headmaster of our local school said you need to go to private a secondary school to get a good education (he sent his own son to private school).
I think the main difference is the UK is completely fixated on exam results and not on developing well rounded kids. Here they spend part of the curriculum on social skills and teach respect for each other etc. plus lots of physical education (obviously!!).
It's a shame you didn't come and have a baby last year. They've just taken the baby bonus away ($5,000 per baby born) if you earn over a certain wage. I can't remember what the threshold is but if you both work you'll probably earn too much.
My company has just offered me a transfer from the London to Melbourne office.
Financially, we will be quite ok but our main reason for moving would be to have a better quality of life for our children. We plan to start a family soon and, having being brought up in a sunnier and "safer" part of the world, I am very uncomfortable about bringing up children in London.
So to those who have moved with young children, what is your experience in terms of quality of schools and how "happy" your children are compared to when you were in the UK? Do your kids do more outdoor activities now that the weather is better or has it not made a difference at all?
Many Thanks
What Australia has is better weather, So you have the choice to go out. You choose your own quility of life no matter where you live.
Geoffrey
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Kind Regards
Geoffrey (32, an aussie!!), Tracy (35), Jake (7), Jessica (2) & Joseph (1) :jiggy:
Hi Walmington
I've been in Melbourne since May this year so I can't tell you too much.
What I will say is that it helps to have better weather as you can go out a lot more than in England. At home it used to be costly to go anywhere as it would be indoor play centres.
Here there are parks on every corner (with decent play areas). My kids are young but so far they love the parks.
Good luck with it all.
i have been back a month now after doing a reckie in melbourne and the eastern suburbs. i have 3 boys and didn't take them with us but what we saw and experienced we know the boys will love it. the houses are bigger, the weather is good, although they seem to think 14 degrees is cold!! there was so much for the kids to do and they seemed to either get in free to most things or at a much lower price than the UK. i checked out primary schools and all the kids seemed happy and were always outside playing!! we are hoping to go to berwick initially and from there who knows! i have a friend who has been there 6months now and her kids aged 19, 17 and 15 are finding it difficult to make new friends but love what the country has to offer - they only want to come back to the uk to see family.
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25/01/08 started process, skills ass passed 2/7/08 police check 28/06/08,visa 175 applied online 6/7/08 meds 26/8/08
Hi sorry to hi jack the post but i've started a victoria social group if your interested come and join. If you go to USER CP and then click on SOCIAL GROUPS you will find us in there, its for everyone
Geoffrey
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Kind Regards
Geoffrey (32, an aussie!!), Tracy (35), Jake (7), Jessica (2) & Joseph (1) :jiggy:
I think its good for children here but it depends what their interests are. If its the beach and sport well there is oodles of that.
I have experienced what its like to be a teenager and taken to new country and it was very very hard.
I think the younger the children the happier they will be. Its hard to fit in when you are a teenager as most teenagers are going through all the stuff they go through. If the teenager is into sport great can immediately join a club, if not, its harder. If the teenagers are outgoing easier, but we are all different and expect some whinges from older children as they will miss their friends. This in turn makes the family unhappy.
My neighbour is a filipino married to an Aus lived here for ever and they have two children who are Australian and they are very very happy, her sister moved over here in the last year with her teenagers and they have been very very unhappy.
My best friend's son Aus lives in London has done for ten years not coming back here to live, my nephew born in New Zealand married to New Zealander lives in England and will never return to New Zealand.
