Originally Posted by shell and mark (Post 4510789)

Debbie
i had a coversation with my sister the other day and we were talking about excactly the same thing,remembering when we all used to go off for bike rides all around the country lanes and our parents wouldn't have a clue where we were, we loved blackberry picking aswell and our Nan would make blackberry and apple pie...
They were the days Eh !!
shell

Originally Posted by P18PPS (Post 4510853)

Hi Debbie

Don't think your ranting at all, just airing your views, which for my part I totally agree with, inner cities in the Uk are awful places, I lived in Solihull and there were no go areas all around the city of Birmingham.

I think the point some others were trying to make is that wierdos and monsters that hurt children exist in every corner of the world, and those people who come to NZ should not let their guard totally down, as you said the crime will be lower due to the numbers living here, but that doesnt mean that for every x number of law abiding citizens their won't be x number of serious child molesters. That said we are far more at ease in NZ with our 2 daughters running around out of sight than we would ever be in the UK where we'd even be warey of our own neighbours.

We love it here, kids are allowed to be kids for longer - there doesn't seem to be pressure of growing into little adults from the ripe old age of 7 !!

Originally Posted by P18PPS (Post 4510964)

I know - what a dirty little bunch of hobbits are daughters are growing into!!!!

Originally Posted by P18PPS (Post 4510853)

Hi Debbie

Don't think your ranting at all, just airing your views, which for my part I totally agree with, inner cities in the Uk are awful places, I lived in Solihull and there were no go areas all around the city of Birmingham.

I think the point some others were trying to make is that wierdos and monsters that hurt children exist in every corner of the world, and those people who come to NZ should not let their guard totally down, as you said the crime will be lower due to the numbers living here, but that doesnt mean that for every x number of law abiding citizens their won't be x number of serious child molesters. That said we are far more at ease in NZ with our 2 daughters running around out of sight than we would ever be in the UK where we'd even be warey of our own neighbours.

We love it here, kids are allowed to be kids for longer - there doesn't seem to be pressure of growing into little adults from the ripe old age of 7 !!

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4510932)

Absolutely, and if anything I am still weary and no doubt will always be overprotective, I'm still adjusting to allowing my daughter to be a kid, the first time she was gone for longer than 25 minutes I started having palpitations, but she trundled home happy, but the other thing I see here is other kids...being kids and playing and we didn't see much of that in the UK.

For me seeing my daughter gain confidence and be happy and enjoy being outdoors is a huge reward for the move and yes also noticed that the kids are kids for longer and I really like the way the school tries to empower the kids a bit more, they have a jungle gym to play on at break, they can go out in the rain, and they must take their shoes or jandals as with my daughter off when they get to school. In the UK it was trouble if she wasn't wearing correct school shoes, no play it's raining and don't go on the grass it rained overnight so it's wet and slippy!

Debbie

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4510809)

Absolutely! My gran spent hours baking after we'd managed to get tons of blackberries down the woods.

I'm not having a downer on the UK but for me I just don't see how people can compare NZ to the UK, as I said the land mass may be the same size but due to the population, politics, lack of identity, political correctness gone mad we Brits of old leave our country because it's not the UK we loved as kids and I for one want my daughter to have the best opportunities life can give...in the UK that equates to money but here it's time, play, fun and happy childhood memories. Rant over!
Debbie

Originally Posted by sky (Post 4512057)

I spent a good deal of time knocking on neighbours doors asking if I could come in cos my mum and dad weren't at home. Not everyone has an idylic childhood no matter the shit hole or paradise they may live in.

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4512066)

I agree, and didn't have an idylic childhood myself hence wanting better for my child.

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4510712)

I know there are still dangers out here but on a lesser scale. In the UK it wasn't the occasional attack, it was something every week. We came from Nottingham known as the gun capital of the UK. Guns, Drugs, Rape and crimes against children became less shocking and more common place. We didn't live inner city we lived on the outskirts in a beautiful little village. But every day there was something sections of the City being cordoned off due to bomb threats or crimes became less of a fear and sadly more of an inconvenience and when crime becomes an inconvenience...e.g. peoples thoughts aren't for the victim more for the amount of time it has added to their journey home, that's when it's becomes common place but when you are living in it as much as you feel saddened it is far less shocking, out here there is still shock horror outrage and community support...look at the Dutch couple that were kidnapped whilst camping in Northland..such outrage and support. Two bodies found in a warehouse in Nottingham wouldn't even make the national papers. Mother shot in front of 5 year old daughter, 13 year old girl shot on way home from fair...it has become a way of life.

Of course the bad things still happen out here but on nowhere near the same scale as in the UK. The turf wars, the children being shot because someone from St. Anns mob dared to stray into the Meadows. The council estates with people terrified to leave their houses, petrol bombed cars, my mum was in her own back garden when a group of young children decided to start harassing her, they couldn't of been any older than 8 or 9 but they threw bricks and bottles at a 61 year old woman! The yob culture is virulent in the UK and it isn't here.
Debbie

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4510792)

The UK has bred a benefits culture, they have the highest teen pregnancy rates in the EU,

Originally Posted by phil01 (Post 4512066)

I agree, and didn't have an idylic childhood myself hence wanting better for my child.

Originally Posted by Nice Guy (Post 4513112)

For me it was a very easy decision..........revolved around sex.

Mrs Nice Guy promised me an enormous amount of nooky if we went and lo and behold I was really up for it.

The rest is history, as they say....................