Job Discussion Forums

[LarssonCrew]

Agree with Markness.

For one year it may expose them to a new culture and a new language but they'll soon learn some pretty bad habits.

Relentlessly doing homework which creates a ton of pressure.

Knowing who to suck up to in the learning environment. Also, if they go to a normal school, are you ready to pay the bribes at the right time?

And the nationalism thing would drive me mad. If my kid was in school in China and they suddenly had a 'trash the UK for doing x y z' media campaign and the teacher and the students are talking about how bad the UK is, how awful will my child feel sitting there thinking 'wow I'm half English.'

Also, some things like military training, I would flat out refuse to let my kid go to that nationalist trash.

[nomad soul]

Instead of focusing on the cultural implications and quality of life for the OP's young children, it's moot at this point unless she can get a teaching job that will support a family of four:

[santi84]

Hi wiglsworth,

I am a mom of two children as well (similar ages). I wouldn't recommend this unless you had full teacher qualifications and could teach at an international school (with reduced or free tuition). Or, a less realistic option, an MA TESOL with extensive experience.

I haven't taught in China, so I apologize in advance that this is only a general opinion, but schooling for children abroad is difficult enough when you don't have any financial support concerns. Local schools can be problematic with language and cultural barriers. There is a reason expats prefer international schools, but of course, that comes with a price. I had one child in a local school, and it was a very difficult adjustment. We ended up leaving, because his disability could not be accommodated (severe language delay in L1, let alone L2). It could have been properly dealt with at a high quality English-language school, but not the local one.

With your lack of qualifications (the bare minimum for the industry), you'll probably find yourself constantly working. I'm not sure that's what you want. I teach ESL back home now (Canada), so it's the best of both worlds. A new culture and better weather would be nice, but with kids, there are hard choices to be made.

[nomad soul]

So true, santi84. In the families I know that successfully work/live abroad, either both parents bring in an income, or the sole wage earner possesses heavy-duty qualifications and experience that net him/her a job with a solid salary and rich benefits.

It's unclear if the OP's husband works or plans to gain employment in China.