Job Discussion Forums

[crstarlette]

I have two children and plan to have at least one more - we'll see how many it takes to get a girl. Anyhow, I am hoping to teach part time while my husband works full time as a journalist, and was just wondering how well this works out when living in another country, and possibly moving more than the average family. Does anyone else on this board have kids? I am thinking of homeschooling, but is the process of enrolling your kids in a school difficult? Is it a taxing life for your children and do they make a lot of friends? Anything else I should consider?

[Glenski]

Schooling is a major concern, as is making friends. Where did you plan to live? Japan? Germany? UAE?

You will have to consider home schooling vs. public schools vs. international schools. In Japan, international schools are very expensive.

What are your goals for your kids as far as learning a foreign language goes? How long did you plan to stay overseas? How old are your kids? Plunking them in a public school at too old an age will create some problems just with the language, if nothing else.

[Gordon]

To add to what Glenski said, you will have a hard find if not impossible time getting sponsored overseas for a p/t job. Who wants to go through all that effort with visas, housing... for someone p/t? Perhaps, if your husband finds f/t work first and then you can look for a job onvce you are in the country.
Yes, schooling is a huge factor. We have a child and another on the way, so schooling for us is a big influence on where we live. I don't care for the Japanese school system and may not be here when my daughter is in grade one. We'll see. I can't afford int'l schools in Japan either.

[ntropy]

When we are in Japan, my son attends Japanese public school. He did it 2 months last year and 1 month the year before. He is in Grade 3 now. He hasn't had any difficulty with the adjustment from Japanese/Canadian school either way (he is fluent in both, linguistically and culturally).

I am actually impressed with Japanese PRIMARY education but I worry greatly after that stage and fear he would have major problems after entering JHS which is a major reason we don't live in Japan permanently.

[Gordon]

[almuze]

I think some major factors, as everyone else has said , are, what country are you planning to live in? the cultural experiences for you and your kids will be very differnt depending on where you go. Also, how old are your kids? are they both school age? you said you were planning on having one more, are you planning on doing this in the foreign country?

We came to Turkey when my kids were 4 and 1, and it was a very difficult transition for them. The toilets are differnt (my 4 year old suddenly didn't want to go by herself anymore) the door handles are differnt (really, for a week she couldn't/wouldn't open doors by herself) the cultural expectations about childhood/child behaviour/good parenting are very differnt. My husband is turkish, so we have lots and lots of contact with "the locals" that you might not have. Maybe you might spend most of your time with other english speaking foriegners, which would also change your experience. I am glad that we came to turkey, but I have to say, when we came, everything in our lives drastically changed.

if you want more information you can PM me (we came from iowa, too)

Also, I think you could probably work part time no matter where you go, you could find some highschool students or housewives who want some private lessons, but I think homeschooling will make you and your children kind of isolated.