Si19761

Completely understand where you are coming from and very grateful we delayed our move until our son was 7 months old. However, as bad as the paid arrangements are and the issues with holiday pay which has taken some getting my head around at least the childcare is cheaper and with a great work life balance we get time with our wee one. Had we stayed in the UK we were facing £40 a day for nursery and would have been getting home in time to pretty much bath and bed. Here we pay about that but in dollars and with a 10 minute walk to work via nursery and the ability to visit during the day if we wish life couldn't be better in that respect....

So whilst there are massive issues for the early days people do manage it but the longer term benefits for being here outweighed these issues for me.

AndyR

We have our first one on the way, due in Feb next year. We ended up in NZ by chance as we originally went to Oz so didn't know anything about materinity care here etc so we have been finding out as we go.

So far the care my wifes been getting during pregnancy has been brilliant! Yeah when we started looking at maternity/paternity leave it was a hell of a shock as back in the UK my wifes work paid 75% pay for 12 month, and I would have got 4 weeks full pay. Here she gets, what, 6 weeks half pay and thats it. Me I can have a full 2 weeks off at no pay(!) so I'm saving my holiday to use.

We are both on decent ish (circa 65k each) salary but my wife is going to stay at home as long as she possibly can, mainly because you dont get that time back and I'd rather bounce pay check to pay check for the next few years than have to put the kid in care straight away.

Yeah it seems really expensive having a kid here, but we are going to give it a go anyway as we love living in the country and can't wait to start a family.

Am Loolah

Credit to the OP for thinking through the implications of a pregnancy and child prior to falling pregnant. But I do also think if we over analyze these things we'll usually find enough reasons not to do it when often things can just fall in to place.

I fell pregnant with my first child when I was 21 years old and living in a one bedroom flat in London. I managed to get a job in a nursery after she was born where I could take her with me. I then got day release once a week and got a childcare qualification. By the time she was 2 I opened my own nursery where I was paid to look after other people's kids whilst having my own with me. I'd never have considered going in to childcare prior to having my own, but it worked out well for me and I had the nursery for 9 years.

You just never know how you'll cope or how things will work out ... Good luck whatever you decide.

BEVS

I don't know but they do seem to manage.

Expat friend of ours had her childrren here and they manage perfectly well . Kiwi couple we know that returned from Scotland to NZ a few years back have had 3 kids and are a very happy family. They rent their house. She has completed her teaching quals . Both families definitely have happy times.

The only difference between the expat family and the kiwi family is having family around them and in the same country.

Am Loolah

I'd certainly agree with that last comment. Although I never had much help from family in the UK there were there if I did need it.

Thankfully after a year here I found I had good enough friends with similar age children and the same childcare problems that we are able to help each other out as and when needs be.