Bob1

I think it's a bit sad that you feel the need to buy clothes from the UK - how long are you going to keep that up for? Eventually you'll get to know the shops here and find they are fine - more range in surf brands here for one. your kids will feel pressure to want the latest Roxy/Billabong etc - that'll hit about age 8 if not earlier. Betts for kids measure kids feet. Everyone wears trainers to Govt schools - lots of stores measure for trainers - Athletes foot for one. If you hang on to this needing everything from the UK frame of mind then you'll fail in Oz, get over it.

yeah - the Bogans from Rokingham are coming up to Claremont to steal their stuff! Lol

Anyone going to admit to using it and want to share their experience!

Kids stuff - Good Sammy's can't beat it!!

they come out when the weather heats up in November and are a real pain until the dung beetle hatches and starts to reduce the lava - just before Christmas in Perth. Does depend on the temp. though - if you go down south to Margaret River , they can be terrible over Christmas and new year - but have all but finished in Perth. So - yes, you were unlucky - worse time to come - 6 weeks of hell then they get better!

They are much more relaxed here and it is common practice. It is too far to go to the UK for two weeks with young kids and we used to take an extra week before or after the school hols. I always got the response from the teachers that travel is a great educator and never heard a negative word. I know families that take their kids out for a week in Bali without any problems - think they become more concerned the further up the school you are though. In a country that has Long Service Leave which was developed so that people could travel back to the mother country - they understand the need to travel.

think having a population of just over 1 million in the most isolated city in the world might just have something to do with it. Economics.

If you haven't got any kids then I'd try as rent close to the city as you can afford rather than suburbia - fun areas with a bit of life about them - Leederville, Mt Lawley, Fremantle, East Perth, Northbridge, Subiaco Claremont. If rents are too high there try Joondalup.

I read a research article some time ago about emigrating which said that between 3months and 6 months it is common for new emigrants to feel depressed - when you first arrive it is all new and different and you feel like you are holiday. At 3 months you suddenly realise it's not a holiday any more but it is at a time when you haven't had time to feel part of a community or become familiar with things like shops/TV progs/sports teams and made close friends. Also if you have moved from owning a house to rented accommodation you don't feel like you belong - you can't go and paint a wall, add plants to the garden etc. This is probably where the 'give it two years' advice comes from - certainly tell your self that you are in the natural, well documented depression stage and you'll come out of that soon. I have spoken to many people who have said they went through this - and I know I did. I had three moves to different countries in 4 years - the first was the hardest as I didn't know how to put myself out there and make friends. By the time I came to Oz I knew I had to say yes to every invitation, even if I really didn't want to go - as it might lead to something else. Keep saying yes for a few months. Also if someone said 'you must come for coffee some time" say 'I am free on Tuesday" - pin them down. So what you are feeling is perfectly natural, hang in there and it will get better. I have to say getting out of Secret Harbour might be a good move too - come nearer the city if you can into more of an established community.

Perth always seems to be defined by NOR or SOR but there is also the Western Suburbs for those who can afford it and East which has some nice areas too.

I see one of the negatives was listed as 'it's a University city" - I don't see why that is a negative, I'd see it as a positive. I live right next to a University and love the vibe it has.

I like some of this theory. The Aussie dream in the 4X2 modern estate can be a completely soulless existence.

I wouldn't live in Joondalup - I'd get further to the city. Places like Leederville, Mt Lawley, Cottesloe (if you can afford it!!), Subiaco, Fremantle have all got a buzz about them. Try and get a house share through gumtree.com. There a weekly, well known 'things to do' list that everyone under 30 knows who is a local! Sunday session at Cottelsoe being one! Leederville hotel is another night (Wednesday I think), and the Beaufort hotel in Mt Lawley another night. Northbridge is the restaurnat/night club centre - lots of backpackers round there so attracts a young crowd.

go on tripadvisor - he has a whole list of things to do, all reviewed. then look on Urban spoon for restaurants. Buy an entertainment book and it'll give you vouchers for discount on loads of attractions and restaurants.

It hasn't got the best reputation - http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/rockingham-makes-the-punch-bogan-top-10/story-e6frg12c-1225757775604 cheap housing - low income families - more problems - an equation that fits anywhere in the world. However - Star of the Sea is a great school!

Before this deteriorated in a debate re private/public education it was about whether Aussie or UK education is the best. Well here you go - http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading Aussie beats the UK hands down in terms of results. Perhaps the original poster would like to send her child to South Korea? A friend of ours in South Korea has a son who leaves the house at 6am to start school at 7.30am. He finishes school at 10pm - as the govt realised that all parents were sending their kids to cram schools after school so decided just to extend the school day. he comes home at 11.30pm. He is 15, and this is 6 days a week. If they don't fancy South Korea then rather the expense of sending their obviously bright child back to the UK they could try Kumon - full of Koreans - where she can do daily homework to her hearts content to extend her. She could also start attending special tutoring now specifically to help with all the entrance exams she can sit in year 6 for scholarships for the $20,000 a year private schools. That's be cheaper than moving the whole family back to the UK.

I'd try getting out of Secret Harbour first - move to Fremantle - got more of a buzz about it. Book a holiday to Bali (cheaper from WA then anywhere else) and see how you feel after that.

Ok - must just be where I live then and the folk I hang around as no one has ever used it and I've only ever heard of one family day care.

If you are not going to go private then you need to contact the Education dept re additional funding for your child - schools plus it is called. I'd try and choose a high school that has a Unit attached - even if he doesn't need one but the staff will have expertise and it could be a 'chill out ' zone if your child ever needs it. Comet Bay isn't very academic - 1% of the students obtained scores over 75% in the WACE exams last years. Depends what you are looking for.

some of the govt schools will allow children to attend for short periods - I know a Japanese family who come to Perth during the Japanese school holiday and send there child to the local govt school - I think it depends on the principal and if they have space.

A nursery is a place that sells plants in Oz - not a place for children. Some schools have pre kindy which starts from age 3. For 18 months you;d need a child care centre - you'd have to see where you end up living. There are very few 'child minders' like the UK - it is just beginning to start, most people use child care centres.

First - meet with the teacher and tell her about his reluctance to come to school. Ask about possible social issues - friendships - has he friends at play time, does he contribute in class verbally, does he work well with other children - this is so you can rule out social factors/bullying issues as reasons he doesn't want to come to school. Also - ask your child - he may be able to tell you why. next - ask the teacher what she is doing to help "he's writing is untidy" "what are you doing to help that?" (handwriting exercises, tracing patterns, looking at his pencil grip). "he doesn't want to write sentences" "what are you going to do to help that?" (give him shorter things, write the first two words to get him started, give him a timer and a reward if he does it in time, give him a cartoon and he fills in the speech bubble etc etc). 'He's not doing well in spelling" "what are you going to do to help that? (give him less words, easier words - which I hope are all sound based e.g cat/.hat/fat - if he can't read the spelling words he's been given then they are too hard). "his reading is going well" " what are you going to do to help that" - get a teacher assistant to hear him read every day, give him words on flashcards to do at home - may be five at first then build up on them so there is frequent repetition - lots could be done). "he's easily distracted" - what have you done to help that? when does it happen - all the time - when doesn't it happen, is it in all subjects or just the ones with a high boredom factor, has she shortened the task - eg cut up a worksheet into three parts and he does one then comes for some praise? Is he fine with maths and it is only reading? How is he at mat time - does he sit still and listen, can he follow instructions. Ask if he needs an individual education plan where she comes up with targets for him "Johnny will have a sight vocabulary of thirty words in 4 weeks time" Your job is to be his Mum - make reading fun, read him bedtime stories. The teachers job is to change what she is doing to make him succeed. If you see no change after this meeting then go to the Principal and it will be his job to check what is happening. Monitor what is happening. School councellor ( otherwise known as an educational psychologist anywhere else but QLD) would be your next option - they can rule out things like dyslexia. If you get the right tutor - it can actually be fun - at age 6 there would be lots of games involved and they are having one to one attention. I'd see how school goes - if they change anything, and if not get a tutor - the gap will just get wider and the earlier you do it the better. I'd also go and get his hearing tested - who knows he may have glue ear which just makes it harder to listen in class. reading in year 1 is all about sounds and blending - if your hearing is slightly off it is hard to hear the difference between the 'f' sound and eg. the 's' sound etc. He could also do with a phonological processing assessment - the school should be able to do this - basically can he tell you the last sound he hears in 'flag' , can he say picnic without the pic, can he tell you a word that rhymes with fight, can he tell you how many syllables in helicopter, can he tell you the odd one out from bag, bus, flag etc etc - all to do with hearing the sounds in words. If he can't do some of those then he needs help with them and no point flogging spelling! put the onus on the school!

Join a gym - one with exercise classes preferably. Contact the local council and see if they run any classes or need volunteers for things. Do an afternoon a week in a charity shop. Amateur dramatics - I know it sounds cliched but they always need help with things like sewing, prop finding, back stage if you don't want to be on stage. Buy a dog - people always talk to other dog walkers. Offer to babysit - if you are sitting at home each night then may as well sit in someone elses house and get paid!

have a look at this - check out the top ranking 50 schools - http://www.curriculum.wa.edu.au/internet/Publications/Reports/Statistical_Reports/School_Comparison_Statistics top ranking govt school in Perth - Shenton College, Churchlands, Rossmoyne, Applecross, Duncraig. Best all boy schools - Hale, Christ Church Grammar, Best Catholic (cheaper fees) John XXIII College Perth Modern is selective - if you have a psychologist report with IQ assessment may be worth showing them that and seeing if you have any luck.

There is Christ Church Grammar and Guildford Grammar in WA - both just private school with no entrance exams. The UK equivalent of a grammar school is Perth Modern School - govt selective school where you have to sit an entrance exam.