Food for thought for those with unenthusiastic older kids
 

Having read a couple of posts about families with older kids that are less than enthusiastic about making the journey to Oz with their parents, it suddenly struck me that some of my own experiences may be of some help.

When I was 14 when my parents decided to emigrate to Oz and naturally at the time I was going with them. I had an older brother and sister (5 and 7 years older) that were not coming. With all the various things that had to be sorted before they left I was 18 by the time they were going. 1 month before they were due to leave I decided I wasn't going! Just finished college, lots of friends, new job and I just didn't want to leave. I can remember how devastated my parents were but they decided to go and left their house that they were selling, for me and my brother to live in.

My parents had worked extremely hard all their lives in their own business and really deserved a less stressful life and hard earned rest.

They had an amazing time in Oz and really loved the place but after 6 months my mother decided that she missed the kids too much and returned to the UK. It caused major traumas within the family with everyone feeling guilty for various reasons and my father was never really happy back here. By this time my brother and sister had both left home and I was doing my own thing. I really wished they'd stayed.

They irony of it all is that now I'm I mum with 3 small kids and we are now moving to Oz ourselves in October. My father passed 4 years ago so my mother says she's still glad they came back because she'd be on her own now. My personal feelings are that we'd still have my father is he'd stayed in Oz.

My point being it will always be hard to leave family behind, but when your kids get to a certain age they go their own way anyway. If it is your dream to go to Oz and you have older kids not coming, don't stay solely for them, who knows what the future holds!

Love and light
Jerix

Re: Food for thought for those with unenthusiastic older kids
 

What a great post. Its good to hear everyone's view's on things.

We don't have children so there is just the two of us going over.

On a similar note, 16 years ago my aunt and uncle emmigrated to Canada with 2 of my cousins. Their oldest son was in the army here so stayed but the other 2 went along. My cousin who was 15 when they moved really didn't want to go. They bought a farm out there so they were a bit cut off from everyone but my cousin had to go to school every day and soon made some new friends. Now all these years later he is the one that has settled in the best and has a wonderful life over there. He has married and has a great job. Although he didn't want to go, he has made a great life for himself over there whereas the others didn't settle nearly so well and nearly came home.