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Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Old Apr 8th 2007, 8:40 am
  #16  
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Originally Posted by Hilton`s
When we came out to Oz nearly 17 months ago, neither of our 2 sons, then aged 15 and 17, wanted to leave their friends. I have to admit it was hard for them at first but they both went to school, even though the 17 year old had left school in the UK and was in his 2nd year at college and have both made good friends and settled really well. The aussie kids seem to be really friendly and welcoming and the way of life is fantastic for kids/teens.

Good Luck.

Tracey x
Hi Tracey

I have a 15 and 17 (17 year will be 18 in January) both are bang smack in the middle of GCSE / A'levels. Can you tell me more about how your kids settled and how did the 17 year old cope with going back to school. My eldest has found a course at the Tafe central in Perth but as we are likely to be living in Rockingaham initially I'm concerned how practical it is for her to get to the college. I have thought about her going to school but wondered if she would be too old? Any advice from anyone who has gone through this dilemma would be fab.
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Old Apr 8th 2007, 9:42 pm
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Originally Posted by mrsdevilishdean
Great news might need to look you up when we land, be nice for Ben (my son) to have someone his age to chat to. We have even been looking at houses in Pacific Pines, is there plenty for teenagers to do there?
Jayne x
Pacific Pines has a skate park (which my 2 don`t use) and plenty of park areas but these are not generally what a 17 year old is interested in. I think you`ll find that once your son has started school and made some friends that, like mine, he`ll go off with his friends and find his way around on buses to various shopping centres, cinemas and of course the beach! If your son is
sporty there are plenty of soccer/football teams to get involvd with, oh and plenty of tennis courts.

Hope this helps.

Tracey x
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Old Apr 8th 2007, 9:50 pm
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Originally Posted by Wooders
Hi Tracey

I have a 15 and 17 (17 year will be 18 in January) both are bang smack in the middle of GCSE / A'levels. Can you tell me more about how your kids settled and how did the 17 year old cope with going back to school. My eldest has found a course at the Tafe central in Perth but as we are likely to be living in Rockingaham initially I'm concerned how practical it is for her to get to the college. I have thought about her going to school but wondered if she would be too old? Any advice from anyone who has gone through this dilemma would be fab.
We moved out here in Nov 05 and my eldest son was 18 on 1 Feb 06. He was in his second year at college in the UK and didn`t really know what he wanted to do regarding courses at college and also didn`t have a driving licence so it would have been dificult for him to get to and from Tafe here, so we went to the local school with both the boys and the head teacher said that my eldest could go back into school and do year 12 and my youngest son would go into year 11. This way my eldest son has got his year 12 leavers certificate and I have to say I think it is the best thing that he could have done because he has loads of friends within and around the area that we live in and I think settled well because of it. It isn`t at all unusual for kids to be at school until they`re 18 here.

Hope this helps.

Tracey x
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Old Apr 8th 2007, 10:18 pm
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

We came to Adelaide in October last year, and we knew that out of the 4 of us my 17 year old son had the most to lose by the move.

He had many friends at school and at his swimming club.

I think we made the mistake of waiting until January to get him into school, although we did find a swimming club for him straight away.

With access to MSN he was staying up late to talk to his mates back home, which made him more withdrawn to aussie life.

He's swimming training became less and less, and although he became a South Australian champion in November, he was still focused on getting back to the UK.

Since joining school he has made some mates, and he's off to Sydney soon for the school swimming team.........but when we ask him what he wants for his 18th birthday.........yes...a ticket back home.

We are hoping that by getting him driving lessons will help as all his mates seem to drive.

I know it's not positive news that you want to hear but I hope this helps.

It's only been been about 6 months since the move, so we do hope that he will begin to grasp the aussie way, if he don't, then we will have to accept that.........its our dream move and not his.
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Old Apr 8th 2007, 11:59 pm
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Hi Marjotom, read with interest your post as I have a fifteen year old daughter who appears very happy on a day to day basis but like your son, I know it would make all her dreams come true if we said we were going back to England.
Dont get me wrong, she has a lot of lovely friends and loves everything Sydney has to offer, but she misses her friends from her old swimming club etc too and spends a lot of time on MSN. We have been here for almost three years and have just bought a house so she knows we are here to stay.
We spent 6 weeks back in England during the world cup and both my girls were extremely distressed when it came the time to say goodbye.. in fact I think it was more distressing than it was when we first left the UK.
For the original poster, the lifestyle here if fantastic if you are a child/teenager, it is relaxed and easy with excellent facilities and opportunities, and not just for the sporty kid either. My eldest daughter has given up her swimming (which was her life in England) and is now doing karate with her younger sister and seems to have found a real interest in this. They are both healthy and have not had so much as a sniffle since we got here, I am sure being outdoors has a lot to do with this.
My youngest is almost 12 and would be disappointed if we took her back to UK, she lives the life of Riley here
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Old Apr 9th 2007, 12:07 am
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

am trying to convince my 18 year old son to come so have been watching this with interest.

Mine has dropped out of school as he says there is too much upheaval with us going to Oz he was in last year of A levels GRRR.

He has a driving license
and a girlfriend.

he wants to stay behind but sorting out jobs and accomodation in the little time we have left is futile


Kim
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Old Apr 9th 2007, 7:54 am
  #22  
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Red face Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

As regards the last few posts, this is what I am dreading as I would hate to see my son unhappy knowing that we, his parents, are the cause of it and if he was adamant he was going to come back to England I would not want to stay without him.
So I am determined to learn from other peoples experiences, so that I can give us the best possible chance of a happy new life out in Oz. I know that if his experiences are good from day one then we have a better chance. I wouldn't even entertain what we are doing if I thought that my son was not going to get a better life, we just have to make sure he sees this!
Getting him straight back into school is something we have thought of as it is a reat way to get him mixing and take his mind off back home so thanks for that feedback
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Old Apr 9th 2007, 9:44 am
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Default Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

Hi

In my opinion he will definitely settle better if he goes to school, even if it is only for year 12 as he will make friends and get a school qualification.

The fact that he is looking forward to emigrating means that he will probably settle really well. My son was nearly 15 when we came here and had no problem settling from the start. He has a lot more freedom now and says he feels a lot safer, especially when he goes up to the city, which is something he would not have done in the UK.

Just a word of warning - my friend's son wanted to go back to the UK after he had been here one year and he will now have to pay overseas student fees to go to college in the UK.

Good luck with your move
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Old Apr 9th 2007, 9:55 am
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Smile Re: Help us reassure our 17 year old son.......

kt.2006 - Thanks for your advice and reassurance, it is very much apprectiated
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