Korean Job Discussion Forums

[puravida]

I am wondering what other people have decided on whether to raise kids in Korea or in your home countries (my case Canada).

Which is is better and why?

What have you decided and why?

Financially, it is/can be better for the parent to be here financially but for kids, once they start going to school, I understand the system here is tough on them with the study-all-the-time attitude of parents so that they can enter one of the SKY universities.

I am sure there are expats married to Koreans who have decided to either stay here with the kid or stay here for a while till the kid is in elemenatary school then leave Korea.

[PatrickGHBusan]

[puravida]

Yeah but once the kids get into the Korean education system, it involves only studying since about the 4th grade these days I heard.

I know at one point in Canada you have to study to go to University but at such an early age sounds incomprehensible to me. There is not chance for them to be kids/be social since all kids here in Korea are going to the institute right after school till about 1am and then up early the next morning, like robots.

On top of that, say your child enters the system, then the parents has to pay all these institutes. The cost to educate your kid is more expensive than in Canada.

You could put the child in an International school but that would be expensive and basically you would be working to educate your kid mainly in Korea than to save somewhat here too.


Consider this, why would your friends opt to raise their kids here.

These are some of the thoughts i have.

[PatrickGHBusan]

I just told you some of my friends are raising their kids in Korea and are happy with how its going.

But really it is up to you and up to what you want. You seem to be reluctant to raise your kid(s) in Korea so that pretty much ends the debate.

I am simply telling you I have lived in both countries with kids and see each place a good palce to raise children, if the proper choices are made. Always remember parents play the key role in their childs education.

You mention hakwons...those are a choice not a mandatory thing. Most of my friends in Korea send their school age kids to a coupel fo hakwons a week. Those include piano, art and so on...activities your kids would do back in Canada anyway. In Canada my son attends 4 weekly 'hakwons': judo, swimming, drawing and skating. He loves each dearly.

Were we in Korea, he would not attend English Hakwons as he would not need them. He would most likely attend a couple of hakwons for activities like Taekwondo, Swimming, Arts....


This here:

[nautilus]

[PatrickGHBusan]

While what you say is interesting nautilus and partially true. Not one of us with mixed kids who chose to stay in Korea to raise them did it to 'diminish racism' in Korea..just saying.

[ekimswish]

My kids are half Canadian/Filipino and not old enough for schooling yet (baby and toddler). I would have little problem raising my kids here if their mom was Korean. But personally, neither their mother or I want to live here much longer. So I'm considering moving to Japan or Taiwan. The reason is in Taiwan they would learn Chinese - which I already speak a bit of - and it would be a lot more useful in the future. Also the weather is nicer. I can't really comment on Japan yet as I've never lived there, but I'd be willing to check it out for a year.

My only BIG problem with kids' lives in Korea - and most of Asia - is the absence of 'little leagues'. I grew up playing sports, and would like my kids to have the chance to play team sports competitively from a young age. It's not about psychotic competition; just having fun and belonging to a team. That's one thing I wish were here from back home that isn't really here so much.

[jvalmer]

[ekimswish]

Also would like to mention, and maybe this'll come off as overprotective or controlling or paranoid, but kids back home mess around a lot more and a lot younger with sex, drugs, and rocknroll! lol.... Don't attack me yet. I like rocknroll, so we'll take that off the list. I'm sure that kids do bad things in Korea at young ages, but I highly doubt at the same frequency or level as they are back home. The focus on education, whether too much or wrongly placed, is better than a focus on nothing. A lot of kids back home have nothing but time, space, and freedom to do things mom and dad would not approve of. I got two daughters, so living in a place with such liberally free kids as Canada would scare the hell out of me. I'd end up killing someone.

[tzechuk]

My daughter was born here and so far, she is raised here... her father is Korean, and I am Chinese, so people don't normally know she isn't 100% Korean until she starts talking to me in English...

She is 5 now and I am debating what to do -in the UK we send our kids to junior school before they are 6. I am told she is too young to go to a junior school here.. and if i wait until next year she will be way over 6, which I do think is a bit too late.

So... decisions, decisions, decisions.

[Mr. Pink]

Outside of the schooling concern, what other concerns do parents have with raising kids in Korea?

I hear the argument about open spaces and organized sports. Outside of those two things I can't see any major disadvantages of raising kids in Korea over your home country.

I've done both. My daughter was born in Korea. We went back to Canada when she was 3. Then back to Korea when she was 4-5, then back to Canada 5-6. Now we are in China and after that we are heading to Korea. (Yeah I know there was a lot of back and forth which is unusual, I was going back to school and had time off between a second BA and B.Ed program).

As someone who experienced what Canada has to offer here is what I sort of miss for my daughter:

- ice skating: she was really getting into it. I had heard that where I am now in China had an ice rink, and thus I thought no problem. They got rid of the ice rink due to lack of interest in this area. In Korea, that won't be a problem, I'll pay for her to ice skate either in Anyang or Seoul.
- soccer: she played on a team all summer and it was fun. She really loved it on real grass. To get that in Seoul is expensive and time consuming. They have it, but it is held near the Sports Complex, so if you don't live near there they bus your kid over.

That's it. Not much huh? Here is what she gets atm: Chinese lessons and piano lessons. That would cost a mint in Canada. I think her piano lessons are like $60 a month. Isn't that like one lesson in Canada?

Oh, and the school I work for has an afterschool activity of dance which she has taken to brilliantly!

Anyways, not to get too far off point: look at the positives of each and figure out what is best for you. Kids are pretty tough. They need love and friendship. If they have that, the rest is icing on the cake.

[brier]

My son is almost two. His mom holds a Chinese passport, and we are one a waiting list for a nursery school here in Korea. My wife and me don't have any problems using the educational facilities here, though we will relocate to China in about three or four years, which will open up a whole new set of questions. I really want him to learn Chinese. The missus, being ethnic Korean, her side of the family will make sure Jr learns enough Korean for speaking purposes, but I want him to have academic ability in English and Chinese.

[nickeb505]

i would have to say the biggest thing that concerns me is, diversity. I can't imagine being a young child in Korea much less and young child that everyone points at and asks, "where are you from?" all the time.
I know "drugs" are scary. Sex so scary too. I think most of the world grows up around drugs, and well most of us are here because of sex. I know for me if it wasnt for music and drugs, I wouldnt have turned out so well rounded. I don't think I would have gotten into books and ideas as much.
What I'm saying is, without drugs there would have never been the book "Junkie". Without "Junkie" and William Burroughs, I would have never had the urge to get off my ass and travel the world, thus bringing me to Korea where I've found my wife. Of course the drugs thing did hamper my grammar, oh well.
I say the longer you grow up or live in Disneyland, the more you start to believe it's real. If you're planning on staying here forever and not expecting your child to adapt to the outside world, let them grow up here. I can't wait to have arguements with my kids over Korean Nationalism.

[ekimswish]

[PatrickGHBusan]

The whole where are you from thing is overblown.

It may happen the first few days in a new school but then its business as usual....thats the experience of my friends and an experience my son had in his daycare.

After a few days no one asks....just another kid.