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Relocating with young children

Relocating with young children

Old Apr 25th 2014, 9:30 am
  #1  
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Default Relocating with young children

Hi
My German husband is seriously considering looking for work back home now and we're thinking this might be a good move for our family with children, aged 9 and 6.
Firstly, we believe their higher education might be free for them and also it would be a huge opportunity to become bilingual. They do not currently speak any German ( nor do I!) It would open so many more doors for them in future!
I'd like to know how difficult life would be at school for them. We'd not be looking into private schools ( unless they are reasonably priced?) What would it be like to enter the school system speaking no German?
My other question is generally advice about moving with young children and at this point in their lives. Has anyone done this? They're pretty resistant at the moment!
My husband is in IT and is looking around the Frankfurt area.
Thank you so much.
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Old Apr 26th 2014, 7:44 pm
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Default Re: Relocating with young children

Originally Posted by cloudexplosion
Hi
My German husband is seriously considering looking for work back home now and we're thinking this might be a good move for our family with children, aged 9 and 6.
Firstly, we believe their higher education might be free for them and also it would be a huge opportunity to become bilingual. They do not currently speak any German ( nor do I!) It would open so many more doors for them in future!
I'd like to know how difficult life would be at school for them. We'd not be looking into private schools ( unless they are reasonably priced?) What would it be like to enter the school system speaking no German?
My other question is generally advice about moving with young children and at this point in their lives. Has anyone done this? They're pretty resistant at the moment!
My husband is in IT and is looking around the Frankfurt area.
Thank you so much.
I did it, but with much younger children (4 & 2 at the time). Language was absolutely no problem for them to pick up: they're language sponges at that stage. I think your 6 yr old still falls into that group, but I'd suggest that your German husband starts talking German at home to both, but especially the 9 year old, as I think at that age s/he'll struggle in Grundschule for quite a while if s/he hasn't got the basics.
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Old Apr 26th 2014, 10:22 pm
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Default Re: Relocating with young children

Originally Posted by cloudexplosion
Hi
My German husband is seriously considering looking for work back home now and we're thinking this might be a good move for our family with children, aged 9 and 6.
Firstly, we believe their higher education might be free for them and also it would be a huge opportunity to become bilingual. They do not currently speak any German ( nor do I!) It would open so many more doors for them in future!
Since your children are (apparently) also German citizens, based on your husband, it may well be important for them to learn German and be exposed to the culture. Has their German citizenship been documented (registration certificate if applicable, German passport, ID card etc). They can have dual citizenship.

On same subject, has your husband thought about becoming a British citizen before he leaves the U.K. As far as I understand, becoming the citizen of an EU member state no longer causes loss of German citizenship. Although he could for now return to the U.K. on a German passport, that could change depending on EU/immigration developments in future. Perhaps unlikely short term, but not impossible.
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Old Apr 28th 2014, 9:09 am
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Default Re: Relocating with young children

Originally Posted by cloudexplosion
Hi
My German husband is seriously considering looking for work back home now and we're thinking this might be a good move for our family with children, aged 9 and 6.
Firstly, we believe their higher education might be free for them and also it would be a huge opportunity to become bilingual. They do not currently speak any German ( nor do I!) It would open so many more doors for them in future!
I'd like to know how difficult life would be at school for them. We'd not be looking into private schools ( unless they are reasonably priced?) What would it be like to enter the school system speaking no German?
My other question is generally advice about moving with young children and at this point in their lives. Has anyone done this? They're pretty resistant at the moment!
My husband is in IT and is looking around the Frankfurt area.
Thank you so much.
Hi, just read your post and know a lot about Frankfurt (area). Moved myself at the age of 10, without a word of German. Schooling is free, however 9 can be a difficult age and I would recommend private lessons. The problem with schools in Germany is that the kids need certain grades to go to Realschule, or better Gymnasium and if they struggle with language Hauptschule won't take you far today. Frankfurt area is big, so where exactly? In my opinion Frankfurt isn't nice to live and rents are insane. You're better in smaller towns, villages but will need to commute if the husband works in Frankfurt and A3 traffic isn't great. What kind of life have you back home and what do you expect in Germany, will you be working?
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Old May 1st 2014, 7:03 pm
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Default Re: Relocating with young children

Originally Posted by Moses2013
Hi, just read your post and know a lot about Frankfurt (area). Moved myself at the age of 10, without a word of German. Schooling is free, however 9 can be a difficult age and I would recommend private lessons. The problem with schools in Germany is that the kids need certain grades to go to Realschule, or better Gymnasium and if they struggle with language Hauptschule won't take you far today. Frankfurt area is big, so where exactly? In my opinion Frankfurt isn't nice to live and rents are insane. You're better in smaller towns, villages but will need to commute if the husband works in Frankfurt and A3 traffic isn't great. What kind of life have you back home and what do you expect in Germany, will you be working?
A3 is not the only motorway into Frankfurt...
Frankfurt is what some people would call 'In' and has a now a good to top afterwork
hours, for all ages.The suburbs and city have various and diverse entertainment, including, English, Irish pubs, and The English Theater.

Travelling into Frankfurt from the east.... Hanau or further hard very hard.
Travelling from west... mainz, Wiesbaden and nearer, very good
Travelling from North or south again not difficult.
There is the U-bahn ( underground major suburbs ) easy reachable.
S-bahn from/to places like Darmstadt, Wiesbaden/Mainz, Friedberg,Kronberg, etc, make Frankfurt Easy accessable without car.
A5, A66 obviously get busy but no M25s.Again from east by car or train, very, very busy.

The Language with children....Questions only you know,
* Are they up for the move
* do they take to school
* unlike some, I dont think a 9 year old will necessarily find it difficult, each child is different, You and your Children could learn together now from uk, just simple phrases
with your partners help.play with words and pronunciation
* All do a basic course before you decide.There are ones for all kids.

* Financial side.
* Income doesnt need to be high, but reasonable, its all relative really.
* Rent can be high, compare your present area, with places within 50-70 km from work
* listen to your partner but look yourself,you and kids have to be happy, quicker over internet.
* Rent to buy possible.
*Buy .Young family get govt/council support for new build.
House prices tend to stay the same, its the land price in the various areas that make the difference.
* Prices depends where you chose to live.
* First Rent then buy, for kids sake and yours, try to rent where you intend to buy.
* In villages or small towns, dont expect regular bus service (even less on school holidays)

*Schools
* Chose where more German kids go to the School. ( blow PC for this post)
* Some Schools do have understanding on first year language learning needs.
* If it helps.. my kids were bought up German, my wife is German....but
* we met English kids in same predicament as yours, they were or all ended up like
my kids in Gymnasium, they to a boy/girl did actually say its hard , but worth it.
* Their ages spread from 5-14( now older) when they came over
* 3 kids we knew went from Hauptschule to Realschule, they enjoyed their school life
1 took her Abitur during her apprenticeship, the other 2 (boys)were ok, just normal
Work/Day studies during their apprenticeships.

** Me and my family moved from rent ( couple of times) to our own house.
WORK with 4 kids my wife decided to stay at home..Hausfrau ( bilingual marketing secretary before hand).
*** So live/lived near Bad Kreuznach/Taunus/Konigstein, Bad Soden.
Worked in central Frankfurt/Hausen/Eschborn.
My travelling time to work , at first 30-50 minutes. THEN 60-100 minutes.
All 4 kids over the years no exception, told me they were happy not to be brought up
in a big town or city.Yes I or my wife sometimes played taxi. ( No school runs).

Every poster will have their input, with good and bad experiences, simple really read
between the lines, let your kids feel the mood let them read the posts.
Try if possible to find a school with English pupils and ask if your kids could sit in
next to those pupils.
Some schools are coming to the end of the school year, so it maybe easier.

No Bible, just another view.
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