OMG Tinytears, I read your thread and I cannot believe that people in this day and age, and in the UK can live their lives like that!!!!

I can tell you that the "youth" was the reason that we moved here to Canada 7 months ago. And I can also tell you that they are NOT the same here in Canada!!!!

I have found kids to be polite, respectful, and never answer back to elders!

I have had conversations with teachers here and they all LOVE their jobs. I have told them stories of how teachers in the UK are leaving in droves and they just can't believe it.

Just keep your head down now girl, it will all be over soon.

Have a safe xmas....

In Toronto you need only be cautious of the downtown east, say Jarvis or Sherbourne streets, and parts of the suburbs. As a tourist you're not likely to wind up in a dodgy suburb.

Have to say the youth we've encountered here have been really pleasant, even communicate with our two very young children - never seen that in Europe.

The adults are really nice and friendly too, so I guess the good behaviour just gets passed down?

The first time I took the kids skating to our local outdoor rink in Edmonton, I was sorting my little girls skates out and a couple of lads in their teens just took over and helped my lad. Then they saw that I hadn't done my daughters up tight enough and did hers too.

I was so shocked, they were great with them (then 6 & 4).

We are now in Sherwood Park, I am not nieve, I know there are the 'little sods' out there but it is no where near the level of the UK.

This is certainly a better place to raise a family.

Fingers crossed for you Tinytears, we lived in Leeds for 6 years and remember it well!!!

Linda

This is so good to hear because we wondered whether we were looking at it all through rose coloured glasses, when we came over for our recci, where were hit by how polite so many people and the kids seemed to be, we went to the park attached to the school the kids will hopefully go to and the kids came over to talk to my three, they were all polite, friendly and my lot wanted to go back in with them (they aren't babies either and are old enough to know better). We ended up letting them go there most days by themselves and yet to that point they hadn't even played outside the front here. First time we let them wander on their own we sneaked along behind them but by the end of the second week we had no doubts that it was safe for them to do so.

Thank you for sharing, it really helps.

When we were over we got hopelessly lost when we were downtown and asked directions, someone actually drove us to the DVP which was about 10 minutes out of their way and then they headed back to where we first met them, we couldn't believe people were so friendly. Obviously there are going to be bad eggs everywhere but I just want the kids to grow up in a safe(r) environment, we had a night of nightmares when the kids eventually settled last night and I am exhausted.


I'll bear that in mind, thank you.

Thank you, you have made me feel so much better. I hate that we feel like this in our own home, we have "better" periods but not much better and it feels as if we are literally trapped in a nightmare.

I'm really glad you posted this, it has lifted my spirits somewhat.

Thank you everyone for replying. The police knocked on at about midnight (great that will definately make us a bigger target for the kids in the future) although of course they had gone by then. My nerves were that shot that I fell asleep at about 3am finally, although the younger two kids both had nightmares so it was a very disturbed night.

We have our local MP and councillor coming to spend the evening with us after Christmas, so we will see what they say then. Apparently though there is some sort of undercover operation going on and things should improve "drastically" within the next two weeks - yeh right!

I just hate it here and am literally counting down until we leave.

Are you sure your moving for the right reasons?

I mean so far it really sounds like the only reason you want to move to canada is because you hate the uk.

There are lots of reasons we are going, law, order, society, standard of living, different way of life, I have several siblings there, uncles, aunties, nieces, nephews, my parents are moving out there (though not quite yet), outdoor life, opportunities, to give the kids every possible opportunity, financial reasons. There are loads of reasons to go, the only reasons to stay is that I am leaving family behind, my father in law doesn't fly and that will be difficult but we haven't just suddenly thought hey lets up sticks and go on a whim, this has been planeed for many years.

Nowhere did I say ever that the ONLY reason I was moving is because of these little bastards, although you are right I do hate it here.

Sorry its just you only really mentioned push factors instead of pull factors and I genuinly feel that pull factors should be stronger than push factors.

I'm moving to canada because of all the friends I made there whilst on an exchange program. I dont like the UK but I dont hate it, its just I have a better life in canada. Going out making films, going on road trips or just hanging out.

What part of canada are you moving to?

It's ok, I'm tired and touchy today!!

It sounds really cool what you are doing. We are moving to Toronto which is probably a little bit more suburban than I would like but it is where our family is and that is important to me. My uncle has a property on a lake and we will no doubt spend a lot of time there with the rest of the family. Eventually thought I would love to move somewhere quieter but probably not til the kids are all grown up.

I also think moving to the suburbs would make us feel less isolated, the kids are already booked into summer schools and so on so hopefully they will have a fabulous social life, this is what we are after really.

That sounds cool, though to be honest, if your in toronto you're really not that isolated. I'm moving to Regina, sasketchewan most of my friends come from towns that have a popultion of 1000 or below now thats issolated.

If your really, really worried about youth crime, those are the best places to go because everyone knows who you are and who the kids are which makes it impossible for them to do anything bad.

After living in sasktechewan and then going to toronto I really didnt like it but that might just be me, its not one size fits all.

If it was just me and my husband and if we were younger with no kids, I'd love to go to somewhere really remote but I think that the choices we have made as a family are probably best for us as a family.

Where we want to go there is a very young and vibrant family based community with lots and lots of things to do for kids and that is our dream really, maybe when the kids are grown we will retire out somewhere quieter which is my dream.

I'm actually really excited again today. We have taken the for sale sign down today so it ceases to be a big red rag to ranging bulls, although of course the house remains on the market.

I just can't wait to go, I think it is the waiting that is the worst part of this whole thing, because life feels on hold.

Just to, once again, stick up for the UK - the kids around here are also polite, respectful and never answer back. My children go out and play in our street and we have no problems, have never come across a 'yob' in my life. I know I've said this before but have to say it again, not all kids in the UK are bad and there are still some areas where kids are pleasant and law abiding!!

Tinytears, sorry to hear you've had such an awful time. Must be terrifying for you.

Had a bad day eh! Keep your chin up you will be here soon. I know it doesnt feel like it at the moment but things will improve. Thoughts are with you, best wishes.

I have friends and relatives in places like Tetsworth, Chinnor, rural Cambridgeshire, rural Cheshire, rural Derbyshire, Dunfermline etc and they seem to match your description. I also have relatives in M/CR, outskirts of Liverpool, Sydenham and they tend towards the OP descriptions (although not quite as bad as her description).

You're more likely to get chavs/yobs etc in Moss Side versus Esher and Weybridge.