Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

MP: I'll spell it out:

Yes they do have Carte Blanche at home: or we do is close the front gate. The eldest police the youngest. Older children and peers help. If something happens, they all come running. I am around with a ear out and patrol once in awhile..

My point about tracks and properties was that we live in places where there are places we all go, which is part of our community. I was replying to someone who was talking about rural Wales, and snakes.

And they play happily in other houses and blocks too.

We've had children from the suburbs who are too scared to venture out so it must be partly environment.

It is my common duty to teach my kids about life, and dealing with it, and that life is not one big supermarket.

As for Oxford, Etc and quality of life - I could manage Oxford : infact it was home from home all my childhood...but I could imagine someone complaining about it being elitist or not diverse enough.

PS When my 2 year old is with them they don't venture so far; he can't keep up and slows them down. His elder sisters are very protective. My eldest is remarkable in that way in particular.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

what about the snakes:eek:

and spiders:eek:

and peodo's:scaredhair:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

And the scary speedos.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Peedo's in speedo's who are weirdo's:eek:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

What's that gag? How far does a bloke have to be from a swimming pool before his speedos become jocks......

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

About two counties away.

Who the bleedin heck wears jocks these days anyway:unsure:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

I'm sorry but I have to laugh about the irrational fear of snakes and spiders being displayed here.

Very few Australians are afraid of these creatures in the course of their day to day lives simply because they pose very little threat to the average person and most people don't encounter them when out bushwalking or involved in outdoor pursuits because, as a rule, they avoid humans. ;)

You encounter spiders a lot more than snakes but even then they are mostly pretty harmless.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Isn't 'jocks' Aussie for underpants? That's what my only Aussie shag to date used to call his.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

One should put towel round ones butt once out of water.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

so there's no chance 3 small kids playing alone in the bush could come across anything of that nature:blink:

I must be livin in a different Straya:unsure:

was he a bogan mate:lol:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

He was a tosser - I know that much.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Actually I think the 'fear' of these creatures is healthy and far from irrational, they do pose a genuine threat and most of our friends are scared to death of snakes.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Yes there is a very good chance that young kids will encounter something venomous out in the bush.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Mate, I am sooooo glad I don't live where you live it sounds terrible.

BB

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

don't hold back on the praise will you mate:lol:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

specially the one eyed trouser snake:eek:

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

I fortunately haven't encountered any of those but they do like to hide in the bush :D

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

very good:lol:

I've heard there are more in Tasmania...

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

subtle....very subtle....

BB

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

For anyone who thinks climate shouldn't be key in a decision to move to Australia, see this news story on Sky today. Research indicates a disease called Rickets may have increased in UK children by as much as 260% in the period from 2001 to 2009. It is caused by insufficient sunlight getting through skin and supporting bone health. Kids suffer from terrible leg pain and in some cases find it difficult even standing up. Suggestion is parents are slapping on too much sunscreen.

Too much sun you get skin cancer, not enough and you can't use your legs!

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16097949

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

UK for kids IMO, Europe just an hour away and the culture and history of the UK is a great grounding for youth.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

I bet skin cancer is far far more common than kids who cannot walk because of lack of sun, and the UK gets plenty of sun anyway :blink:so what is the report on about?

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Walter, there is a chance, and it is low. Most Aussies I know are not scared stiff of them, or have an irrational fear - only perhaps a rational fear. I grant that snakes in QLD might be more aggressive.

I asked my eldest daughter what she should do if she or her friends got bitten and she jumped up into a pike and stood absolutely still....:p

I then told them that the others should come to us, go for help to the nearest adult or sensible teen (and there are many around) and call 000. If our kids are away on other blocks then there is always a parent around.

My 4 year old was more vague on the 000 thing.

The thing is, they are a team. I would not let a 2 year old out on their own, and maybe not a 4 year old.

But there is a a degree of safety in numbers (peer group) or when there are older kids present.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

General kids comment/ chitchat relating to kids in our neck of the woods, and their now (who knows what is in store for their future):

It's just occurred to me that a lot of established posters on this site who have children came to Australia when their kids were in secondary/on the cusp of secondary, certainly older than our kids who were born here and therefore did not grow up with 'Aussie conditions' (where have we heard that one before) : less snakes?....

My experience with primary kids, and kids in general is that they mix quite well and that they live an old-fashioned existence - (some people lament this does not happen anymore - et cetera - you get me).

We are semi-rural in an established village with a community feel, 50mins from Melbourne - more in keeping with a traditional UK village - I suggest this is hard to find - people on BE are very narrow in their definition of what is a 'village'. (Lots of places that are considered villages by expats are often not considered villages by others and this occasionally comes up. Berwick is not a village.)

So:this is not the outback, country, the suburbs, new or old, nor out on a highway or a single big block, nor Dandenongs. It's a village road, one of many that radiate out from a central village shopping hub with 1/2/3 and occasional 10+ acre properties. The village has a lot of instutions and organisations, creches, kinders, fire station, you name.

The kids attend a good public primary - and some attend a private secondary but not all.

Most people are in to the outdoors. They tend to be quite well equipped - interested in lots of things, and well-experienced too. It's amazing what people come from, or are going to. There are academics, tradesmen, teachers, professionals etc.

For those of you without kids at all, it is amazing how they look after each other. When there are 10, 7, 6, 4 (and increasing now 2 year old) playing, we find that this particular 10 year old is incredibly mature - she organises hats, acts as a second Mum etc. Most of the parents comment on how good this particular girl is. When she is not there, the 7 year old steps up and tries to fill her place. She becomes a different child! and it's clear she is learning from the eldest. She is a good deputy. And my 6 year old does well with her siblings...it's a sort of little hierachy, each kid stepping up. Obviously when there are younger kids around, without the elders, we step up our viligance - and we are always around.

Secondary school kids up to say 14/15 are more than happy to help look after younger kids. I seem to remember that in the UK when I was growing up there was more of a divide between secondary and primary but I can't be reliable on this one.

When my girls were 2 and 4, we would visit one particular property (30 acres - more space for mischief!) and the 14, 11, 8 year olds would whisk them away and keep them entertained. We trust these kids because they are very mature for their age - and their parents have brought them up this way. If their parents were inexperienced, ill-equipped etc then we would not allow this.

By the way on the subject of playing at home. I took caution when they were very young. But they seemed to grow into the space available- and it's only 1 narrow acre, which sort of makes it more complicated, but a third is wooded and there are corners etc. My girls never go near the shed, never touch tools or power gear.

My son, 22 months, (I lied when I said he was 2 ha!) is starting to come out of his shell. Now he - is far more interested in tools and machinery and will want to find the rideon mower, and sit on it, grab a hammer - you name it. The girls had no interest at all. So I police that particular bastard in a way I didn't with the girls! He's becoming my little off-sider. One day he will be useful.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

The number of people I see in FNQ, including young people, who've had a chunk taken out of them to catch a melanoma is pretty high and statistics are increasing. If it's spread through your system then it's incredibly nasty. I can't believe there are still people who sunbathe or walk around without cream up here. Seriously - I'm a happy lady when it's cloudy.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

This is being seen especially in communities whose dress code requires them to cover up.

Rickets is caused by vitamin D deficiency.

Obviously a balance has to be struck between getting enough sunlight and avoiding skin cancer.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

What is the best future?

There is one family we know, who we don't have a lot to do with who we would not leave our kids with.

They live in a home about 5mins from the big shopping mall down there. Some of you will know what it is.

They moved there, and I quote, so that she could 'shop when the kids are in school', and they all hang out there at weekends.

They visited us, and their son did not want to get out of the car because the driveway was not tarmacadam.

This is definitely, not the future my kids will have, and in my opinion, not a best future. I'm sure others would agree. Australia can be crap.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

As a child who grew up here my parents were the ones who introduced me to cultural pursuits. My brother and I grew up listening to Mozart & Tchaikosky and read about Rembrandt & Van Gough. It developed and fuelled sufficient curiosity and interest so much so that when we grew up we both travelled overseas to see for ourselves what the rest of the world had to offer.

As a parent now (to 6), your kids will decide their own futures, but at least you will give them a great foundation for a good life by being here. Education is world class, lifestyle is fantastic, they will grow up strong and have a healthy respect for the outdoor lifestyle and will be able to learn about the wonderful things available to them overseas as well as in Australia. They may wish to return to the UK as young adults to visit or holiday work, and I assume they will have a plethora of relatives to ensure their safety whilst they travel. Many families have their kids travel after their final year of school for their "gap year" and they live and work in the UK, so they can visit Europe. They then return for University study satisfied but still curious.

Can I tell you, so long as you are happy in your decision your children will be too.

Life is safe here, the air is clean and the weather is mild, particularly in Queensland. You won't take long to acclimatize.

Good luck in your decision and remember that as a parent you make the best decision based on the information that you have at the time. It won't be wrong either way.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

There's a lot of that going on. People are always off overseas, or going into Melbourne to explore all that stuff.

My eldest, the 6 year old......has been overseas 3 times, North America - and UK once. The 4 year has gone twice and both are bi-lingual. Even the little bastard cleaned me out and went last time.:thumbsup:

The future is where each individual can make it happen.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Cloud is good even though you still get burned through it, I much prefer a warm cloudy day.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

UV index is just as high on a cloudy day as a sunny day in Summer. People are more likely to get burnt because they see cloud and don't slip slap slop.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Yes I agree, a common misconception is you don't get burnt on a cloudy day.
Something else interesting is that rickets is increasing in Australia as well, if you read the story a few posts back it is being put down to sunscreen literally stopping UV from doing good and bad.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Vitamin d shortages are easily solved.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

Please tell me how?

I have vitamin D deficiency. Not thorough lack of sun, but through an Auto Immune disease - feel pretty crap right now so if you have an easy fix, please enlighten me!

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

One of my friends (in the UK) has severe psoriasis - the medication he takes for this messes up his auto-immune system (along with many of his internal organs :( ) He's also been suffering with chronic joint pain which apparently has been caused by almost zero vit d levels. He has to take a liquid form of it - two spoonfuls a day and his joint pain has disappeared.

Incredible.

Last year, during blood tests, it was discovered my vit D levels were very low, but I only take a tablet supplement. After he posted about the joint pain/vit D connection I upped how many I was taking from 1 to 2 but it hasn't seemed to have any effect on my joint pain, so I imagine the liquid form is much much more concentrated (I don't know if he gets it on prescription)

Anyway, the point of this waffle was just to say - have you seen the liquid variety, Wendy? Obviously it wouldn't be treating the cause of your deficiency but it could help alleviate the symptoms.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

I did not say an underlying medical condition can be fixed. The comment was in response to those who think Vitamin d deficiency needs to be part of life in shade or low light weather.
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

I had blood poisoning in 2009 which was misdiagnosed: for 3 days:curse:. 3 Doctors have told me since the bacterial levels in my blood were so high they could have have killed me.

Anyway, after this you can imagine my blood tests came back with all sorts of anomalies, at one stage I was told I may have an auto immune disease. Again, but luckily this time a misdiagnosis.

I totally gave up all junk and every spec of sugar, this is difficult it is in everything!! bread, sauce, meat U name it. Buy everything unprocessed, wash and clean all food ( to remove chemicals ). 6 months later my blood tests came back and have stayed at amazingly healthy levels.

I am not suggesting eating like this will 'cure' any illness, but even in one month there was a Dramatic improvement to my health.

Ive actually continued to eat like this, with odd blow out. Like yesterday I had a subway ( bread ) and 5 peanut butter cups:lol:, my stomach at end of evening went rock hard and to the size of 5/6 months pregnant.

Re: The best future for our kids. Australia or UK?
 

No, not seen it. I was just prescribed tablets by my doc.

I do have an appointment with a specialist on Tuesday though, so hopefully she'll be able to get me well again. I'll ask her about it all then.

Thanks!