YogaLilly

Oh this is great thank you so much for directing me to this! Very helpful!

Thank you so much for the helpful reply! I do think it’s a case of now or never as I definitely wouldn’t want to disrupt things for her when she’s older and much more settled. I hadn’t thought about the different school terms and what she would miss out on, thank you for bringing that to my attention. My ex partner would be able to visit us for up to a 2 months at a time so we could work something out. I’m also in the priviliged position of having a career that does pay much more in Oz, but it’s helpful to keep in mind the cost of living and childcare and how it might all balance out. thanks again for your reply!

Hi everyone, I was hoping to hear some stories or get some advice from those that may have been in the same boat as me. I’m a single mum to a 6 year old, I currently work as a medical professional and a senior lecturer. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to move to Australia. When I was a kid, my parents would buy my books about life in Oz and it honestly just spoke to my soul. Anyway, life took over and I ended up staying in the UK, getting married, having a child, and getting divorced. I have a pretty good life here, family support, friends etc. I feel like I’ve outgrown the UK though, my job is the same, the weather significantly affects my mood, there’s very little to do in the town I live in, and the cost of living is ridiculous. I visited Australia for the first time last year (Queensland) and I loved everything about it. Granted I was on holiday, but I could really see myself living there. If it was just me, I would have started the visa application process immediately , however with my daughter, I really need to think about what’s best for her. I have a good relationship with her dad, who said he would be fine with us moving over there and we could work out a schedule where she would come and visit for extended periods. My parents are supportive and said they would visit us when they could. I have some friends over there that would help with childcare/ general support. I guess I was just wondering, have any other single parents made the leap to Oz and it’s worked out? On one hand I feel my daughter would have a better quality of life in lots of respects, and obviously I would, but on the other I’m anxious about taking her away from family for extended periods of time, as well as worrying about such a major life change for her at a young age when there’s no guarantee it would work? Hearing others’ stories would be really useful! Thank you in advance