Maybe

Finally this topic is back on topic - quality of life for kids - as opposed to the Weather  though may of course have an impact on quality of life ( for kids) for all? 

Thanks for info - very useful as didn’t know about this ! 

The other thing to look into is education.  You can't wait till your daughter has finished her HSC and then move to the UK for her university - she'll be regarded as an international student and charged full fees.  So you either need to move early enough to meet the residential requirement, or you're going to be stuck until she finishes university (and then there's always the risk she'll meet a boy and won't want to come with you...!). 

... just wondering what age is the cut off point for being considered international student...? Thanks

Hi Questions,

Well, my husband is understanding, but confused - wondering why on earth I was so eager to do this - hence my earlier posts - feeling stupid etc... as it seems such a stupid, reckless thing to do. However, in fact I DID research it properly - I guess you can't quite prepare and control your emotions. I think you're right giving it more time while putting a time frame on it may be the best way forward - I for one is a little wary of acting on my emotions right now. I hope it goes well and in the right way eventually for both of us. Please keep in touch if you want.

The posts have definitely been helpful to me - makes you realise you are not alone in having doubts after such a big move! I think one need to be careful though in what to do in response - and read the posts as just other peoples experiences and realise we are all different and to find your own way. I haven't found mine yet - but at least I feel there are options - and none is right or wrong - as someone helpfully pointed out - if not sharing w family, or on this forum, or w friends or therapist - it is easy to feel completely stuck, I guess reading peoples stories experiences emotions opens up ideas/possibilities - which is a more positive place to be. 

Hi Questions,

Just to say - I feel for you - as I think I am pretty much in a similar situation - though arrived only recently. I have not quite decided what to do yet, but people on this forum have been very helpful. Though different experiences and different views, knowing other people have experienced these feelings which were unexpected for  me (having like excitedly initiated the visa the move etc) has helped me. I guess there is no easy answer as to what to do about it when and if.... 

On 03/03/2018 at 03:26, Home and Happy said:

Yes we did feel it was a HUGE mistake quite soon after arrival.   It was kind of fun for a few weeks after arriving, checking out all the very limited places of interest but the isolation & lack of variety in pretty much everything out there kicked in very shortly after. It  got to us in the end and we got out of that place while we could.  Life pretty much began again when we got back home to Britain.  You are seriously cutting yourself off from the world when you go away out there.  However, you need to try it yourself. Nothing can prepare you for living in Australia, being stuck in the same place day in day out and not being able to travel anywhere.  Day to day it is humdrum at the very best, very impersonal, totally zero community feel... mostly made up of a large transient migrant and interstate aussie population.  I totally get why young married couples raising small kids and old retired folk love the whole slowness of the place.  For us it was a big life lesson as to just how good we actually had it back home in Britain and all the good things we left behind.

Thanks for input - could I ask how long you stayed in Australia before returning back ?

..or decide to change w new experiences..? Comitting and choosing to change with the new experience..?

Yes, both look good in their own ways. I had visited before arriving & knew how Australia looked. Guess I never thought I would care about such things, as driving here is easy (despite long distances at times), but you can drive for hours and just see land land land however beutiful. Little did I know I would miss diversity in landscape much and driving actually getting to place however ugly at times (even if I see uk w rose tinted glasses at present do still remember some pretty grey & bleak places too!). Anyhow someone else  on this forum recently wrote;  preference comes down to what you value the most. Realise how lucky I  am to be able to live in such great places - but you can’t be in two places at one & I guess it is interesting though a little hard and complicated having made such a big move getting to know once prefences and values... 

Yes  I have considered it - might do if this continues... thanks 

Thanks it’s helpful to hear your experience -  I think our children are in the same uk school year and it’s reassuring to know moving is not an impossibility... 

Hi RMG,

May I ask how old are you children who wants to go back?  As per my previous posts we only recently moved here, but already homesick! We are now here more on a trial as my children are 14, 12 and 9 and may return within the year...

Thanks for your inputs. Still feeling sad, confused and in two minds & your right moving to a new country should not feel this heavy. I guess my reasons changed throughout the application process which took  a long time, in the sense that when I started to apply for VISA life in the UK was tough and stressful and by the time visa came through life was soo much better (actually really good) in so many ways, yet the excitement of getting the VISA proceeding with the plan we've had for a few years - moving as planned. Nothing is wrong with the situation and in fact Australia is all that we expected - however feels so  wrong... My eldest is homesick ... I believe I left it too late, and that the family will be split up across continents in only a few years  if we stay. I've spoken to my husband, we will review the situation in three  months. I may suffer from reactive depression, it is probably unwise to make decisions while still feeling unwell. Things are getting a little easier though - can't believe I'm writing this - feel kind of spoiled and greedy for maybe moving when there was no need to............ 

Thanks - helps to hear your views. I think it all makes sense - my children are usually happy go lucky and we're excited about the move - think their homesickness ( normal I guess)  is impacting on me and mine ( though try to hide) on them. Think it's time for me to step out of it, be an adult and lead the way, wherever it will take us, more confidently. Thanks again, it has helped talking through/ thinking though this here. 

Thanks for your kind reply. I definitely feel so stupid - though it felt this was carefully thought through it obviously wasn't. I even planned thought there would be some reaction/ stress/ depression upon arrival and thought it is something that would be pretty normal need to work through - though did not excpect feeling like this. I think my plan is to go back to original reasons for moving and review in a couple of months time ( 3 ?) returning immediately in this state of mind ( half depressed, feeling guilty, stupid) may be too rushed ....

1 months - but it feels so wrong...waking up in the middle of the night feeling so far away thinking of street lights ... we moved from

a big city to Sunshine Coast - it is so beautiful / just what we thought - ... but so far away w such great distances driving everywhere -  I knew this - but now it just feels so very wrong - I've been trying to hide it from the children - but they are homesick too - apart youngest one - think I left it too late ... question now is rerun asap

or accept mistake and do the most ...??  

Hi 

Reading w interest posts about returning to the uk - we have just arrived - but stupidly I feel it is a big mistake - I am thinking of returning to the UK within year - did anyone else feel it was a mistake from early on  - and would they advice to stay on see it through - or return back as soon as possible ( see it as a year out) I am thinking the latter my children are 9, 12 & 14 ...??