Spacecake799

We voiced wanting to return three years in. We mentioned it to the kids and our daughter had indeed at 16 just met a boy. She did agree to return but her heart wasn't in it. If asked about England she claimed she couldn't remember anything. So after making some plans I asked her again and she said. What if he's the one? What if I leave him and he was it and I never find anyone like him again. So we decided to wait a year and see if it ended. 3 years later my husband returned with our youngest ready for September. I waited until December when she had finished school and sorted her uni stuff. Yes we have left her there, with her lovely bf.
One thing we did do as he had never been out of the country is we paid for them both to come back with me for a long holiday. We went through the states then home. They returned to NZ 8 weeks later. It was our one chance to show them something else. They loved it. The bf talks about England all the time. I never give up hope.
Good luck

Choccie

Hi Vetnurse

In my opinion I would just get on and do it. Sometimes I think it is better to have a short time frame to get things done in as it focusses the mind and removes too much time for pontification!

As for your 16 year old - well ours has been fine but is still waiting to start college so in some ways I really wish I had pushed to come back earlier so he could have started last September. But we had a wedding to go to in December and our eldest was bridesmaid. Son also wanted to finish Year 11. Anyway hindsight is a marvellous thing so we play the waiting game till September. I went to loads of schools asking someone to let him sit in on some classes without doing any exams but they either put me off or ignored me completely. He now has a place at one 6th form but is hoping to get into a high school as they have a basket ball academy. The 6th form have been great and had him in for some base line assessments. If he wanted to do A levels they wanted us to get a NARIC assessment of his NCEA level 1 but as he is doing a BTEC they are fine without it. The high school have said that if he goes there he will have to do resit GCSE maths and English and I'm quite happy for him to do that as it will make it easier in the long run. Having said all that our other daughter has managed to get a good job without the need for them so who knows what will happen.

It's great news that your hubby has a job and house offer. My job is going OK and hubby busy applying.

I am with you on feeling that you want your 16 yr old to be happy. My poor boy was in tears the day we left but does seem to have got into the swing of things now. He is desperate for college to start but he has done the long stretch and the World Cup will pass another 4 weeks! At least he has some male company now his Dad is here. When we first arrived he was always talking of going back for the rebuild but that hasn't been mentioned for a while now.

Sorting out your stuff is probably one of the easiest bits and you have a house and job sorted so GO FOR IT !!!! The sun is shining, the mornings and evenings are lovely and light. We haven't felt threatened by gangs of hoodies and the shops are to die for after all this time! If that doesn't persuade your daughter I'm not sure what will!

Keep us posted.

Good Luck.