Korean Job Discussion Forums

Scott in HK · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 11:50 pm Post subject:

I am not sure what exactly the damaging influences of being raised in Korea are....I though parents raised children....I don't plan to raise my girls any differently just because we are in Korea. Unless you think being raised to be polite to their grandparents will in some way damage them...

if they turn out to be the half the woman my wife is than I think we will have added two terrific people to the world....(terrible sentence but the intent is there)

education wise...most of us are 'teacher's so I think we will be able to offset the strict rote teaching of the Korean schools with our own after school work...I plan to do projects with my girls to keep up their creative thinking skills and of course school them in the finer points of Canadian history and geography...as well as keeping them up with the literature....

we only plan to stay until the oldest is finished primary school....I am not too worried of any lasting damage...they won't have the same stress as other kids as I won't be putting any on them....knowledge wise...primary school is not that important...the foundations are pretty simple...if you do a little home schooling...your kids will be fine...

a lot of expats here in hk do a lot of home schooling...it is always an option....

and there is the benefit of becoming bilingual which has great cognitive benefits to children....balanced bilinguals who have a good learning attitude tend to out perform their monolinguals peers in school...

and finally...i really want my children to experience both cultures...i have said this in the past in other posts...i value my wife's culture as it produced her and her wonderful family....it would be a shame for my kids to miss the chance to know more about it....

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Batman:

I think you have some serious issues.

You didn't answer me on if your wife is Korean or not. I am curious what types of things a 14mth old could experience that would be "bad". That is what could happen here to a 14mth old that wouldn't happen in Canada?

You think Canadian schools are any better than Korean schools? I come from Toronto, and I can honestly say the level of education kids are getting in that district is worse and worse every year.

What are the damaging influences of being raised in Korea? If you wife is Korean I really want to know how you could marry someone who is obviously so "damaged".

You take for granted Canada has a lot of parks. If you want your kid to have access to them fine. However - note that most of the kids in the world don't have that luxury and there are a hell of a lot good, mature adults around the world who didn't play in parks.

Canada is great if you want a clean place to live - exceptions are mining towns and some towns along the Quebec City - Windsor corridor.

Expecting Korea to have the same access to fresh fruits and veggies as a Loblaws is like expecting too much. Go live as far north as a place like North Bay/Thunder Bay...in either Ontario or Quebec and you will see a lack of good fresh veggies and fruits too. I think Korea does alright with it's imported veggies and fruit. You can get them fresh, it will just cost ya more.

If you bought 3 boxes of kids clothes NEW and think that is cheaper than 3 outfits in Korea you obviously didn't look any furthur than a department store.

There is nothing wrong with using used clothes. We saved a bundle. Why waste cash buying new stuff when the kid will outgrow stuff in a month?

I doubt those stats on the birthrate. Last I looked at the UN stats on world birth rates Japan was the lowest.

Anyways you sound like you hate Korea. I can't understand why you are here, or why you stayed here so long.

Ody · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: over here

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

waiting on a response ...

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

batman · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:08 pm Post subject:

batman · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:15 pm Post subject:

[quote="Scott in HK"]we only plan to stay until the oldest is finished primary school....I am not too worried of any lasting damage...they won't have the same stress as other kids as I won't be putting any on them....knowledge wise...primary school is not that important...the foundations are pretty simple...if you do a little home schooling...your kids will be fine..."

Oops, there is that 'damage' word again. Quick someone jump on him.

"a lot of expats here in hk do a lot of home schooling...it is always an option...."

Spend most of the day as a teacher to my son.

"and there is the benefit of becoming bilingual which has great cognitive benefits to children....balanced bilinguals who have a good learning attitude tend to out perform their monolinguals peers in school..."

I agree on the benefits of becoming bilingual (or more). Besides English, his daily language lessons include French, Russian and Korean.

"and finally...i really want my children to experience both cultures...i have said this in the past in other posts...i value my wife's culture as it produced her and her wonderful family....it would be a shame for my kids to miss the chance to know more about it...."

That is a nice thing to say.

batman · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:33 pm Post subject:

[quote="Mr. Pink"]Batman:

"I think you have some serious issues."

Yes, about the environment and the education system in Korea.

"You didn't answer me on if your wife is Korean or not."

No, I didn't.

I am curious what types of things a 14mth old could experience that would be "bad". That is what could happen here to a 14mth old that wouldn't happen in Canada?

As a father, I hope that what happened to my son never happens to yours. And the fact is that it did happen here and not in Canada. Mute point. (Although if it had happened in Canada there would have been some sense of justice for my son.)

"You think Canadian schools are any better than Korean schools? I come from Toronto, and I can honestly say the level of education kids are getting in that district is worse and worse every year."

I have no intention of raising my son in Toronto.

"What are the damaging influences of being raised in Korea? If you wife is Korean I really want to know how you could marry someone who is obviously so "damaged"."

Talking about damaging influences and of 'so damaged' are two seperate things. You are just giving too much emphasis to my words.

"You take for granted Canada has a lot of parks. "
Don't you? Go look at a map of Canada if you are in doubt.

"If you want your kid to have access to them fine. "
You don't want your kid to have access to parks? To open spaces? To, relatively, fresh air? O.K. fine. But you won't find me jumping on you for your choice.

"However - note that most of the kids in the world don't have that luxury and there are a hell of a lot good, mature adults around the world who didn't play in parks."
And there are also kids out there who:
- live in slums
- are forced into military service
- are molested by their friends and neighbours
- don't have access to clean water, air, grass, toys, education
But these are not things I would tolerate for my son either.

"Canada is great if you want a clean place to live - exceptions are mining towns and some towns along the Quebec City - Windsor corridor."

Thanks for the replay of common knowledge.

"Expecting Korea to have the same access to fresh fruits and veggies as a Loblaws is like expecting too much."

Why do you think so? Korea has the 13th largest economy in the world. Has a decent location as far as trade goes (the hub of Asia and all). Imports approxiamately 60% of its non-rice foodstuffs.

" Go live as far north as a place like North Bay/Thunder Bay..."

Been there, done that. Not that far north really. Still seems kind of south from my perspective.

"If you bought 3 boxes of kids clothes NEW and think that is cheaper than 3 outfits in Korea you obviously didn't look any furthur than a department store."

Obviously.... not. The only time I have been in a department store here is when I bought my wedding rings. Most of my shopping trips are to the local outdoor markets. Didn't shop in department stores back home so why would I start to here?

"I doubt those stats on the birthrate. Last I looked at the UN stats on world birth rates Japan was the lowest."

Not concerned with your view on Korea's birthrate.

"Anyways you sound like you hate Korea."
No I don't. You are just reading too much of the wrong thing.
I like Korea but it is not a place where I would want to raise my children.
Just like I like Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Florida, Thailand, France, England, Russia, but I don't want to raise my kids in those places either.

"I can't understand why you are here, or why you stayed here so long."
That is because you never asked.

batman · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 3:37 pm Post subject:

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I feel really spoilt that I got to spend my childhood in new zealand, I think that new zealand and australia are probably the two best places in the world to raise children.

But compared to a lot of places (even in asia) korea is an ok place to raise a child. The problem lies in being a developed country, they are the ones that tend to have the lower birthrate as it's so damn expensive to have kids.