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Raising kids in New Zealand

Raising kids in New Zealand

Old Oct 31st 2013, 6:29 am
  #16  
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by davros1984
But yes, bet your two sons are loving it! Have they dated many kiwi girls? Not that they'd be honest or anything....
one did, the other wasn't here long enough. Both are now back in the UK
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 12:21 am
  #17  
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by trafford
It has been pointed out by many people here in the UK that I swear a lot. I drop swear bombs randomly. A UK policeman told me it was a kiwi trait he had noticed but that he would overlook it because it "didn't sound as bad" in my accent. Must say, it's been a bit of an achillies heel as far as teaching goes :-(
Ive been told here in NZ I need to swear more and dress less formal or people wont trust me.
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 1:30 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by kodachrome
Ive been told here in NZ I need to swear more and dress less formal or people wont trust me.
oh that's why I have no mates....
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 1:33 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

I really don't buy the view the Kiwis swear more. Certainly the ones i've met overseas don't. Americans would be the worst.
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 7:51 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Hi, My 16 year old daughter was on the verge of getting in with the wrong crowd in UK. At first she was horrified at the school uniforms (!) Now she is doing really well at school and taking her work seriously and declared recently that she would wear what she used to wear to school "even at Halloween!" I felt this comment spoke volumes. My son is 8 and is loving school, much more opportunity for sports to be taken seriously. A good choice for my kids and I won't be going anywhere until they have both finished school, hope this helps
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 8:33 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by sr71
I really don't buy the view the Kiwis swear more. Certainly the ones i've met overseas don't. Americans would be the worst.
Neither do I.
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 7:33 pm
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

I don't think they swear more, either. I think there's some cultural variation as to what is considered a swear- when I first arrived I used to correct children's work if they used bugger or fart, but then I was told that neither are considered swears. I think in some areas of NZ there's a habit of saying sh!t-yeah, but that's not heard all over.
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Old Nov 1st 2013, 8:09 pm
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

must be where we live then as sometimes it really is quite embarrassing. mind you the main person that comes to mind is from ChCH so maybe it's that ?
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Old Nov 2nd 2013, 8:45 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by sr71
I really don't buy the view the Kiwis swear more. Certainly the ones i've met overseas don't. Americans would be the worst.
FN Oath they don't
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Old Nov 4th 2013, 7:56 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by Catchafire
People come to New Zealand for a variety of reasons. But one of the most enduring is New Zealand is viewed as providing a better environment to bring your children up in.

Is that the case in your experience? What differences have you noticed?
Kids are encouraged to play contact sports, climb trees or climbing frames which are more than 3ft off the ground, they are given responsibility to do school crossing patrol... The list can go on
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Old Nov 6th 2013, 9:16 pm
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Having been involved in sport from a young age, I have long admired the Australian and Kiwi outlook on sport, from the bottom up.

This was typified by through my childhood with Australia producing world beating Cricket and Ruby teams whilst producing atheles and swimmers of a high calibre all with a relatively low population. Of course their current dip pleases me no end but I still admire what they achieved with their resources.

With NZ it's Rugby although to a lesser degree. It only something I've realised since being in NZ that the NZ Rugby press conveniently forget that Rugby is only a national sport in it's own country (and maybe Wales). Ignoring this, the All Blacks are arguably one of the most consistently high performing team in international sport - this has to be applauded.

And so on moving here I'm delighted to hear about colleagues and their sporting activities. One lady I work with has twin sons at uni who are aiming to be professional triathletes after they get their degrees and a daughter at the back end of her school days who does the surf lifesvaing and a husband who cycles a lot and does marathons and the like.

Whilst I wouldn't say this particular example is typical of familes in NZ, the fact that most people in most families I've come across seek to get involved in sport is a common thing.

Interestingly in my experience people my own age, on the border of gen X and gen Y, are the ones struggling find a balance between work, family and play.

My leisure time in Auckland is of far better quality that it ever was when I was living in London or before that, Hampshire.

The most recent example being Cricket practice. To get from work, to cricket to home in London was a logistical nightmare - getting home at around 9pm.

In Auckland it's a far more pleasurable logisitcal plan - getting home by 7.30pm.

The distance I travel from work to Cricket practice to home is pretty much the same in comparison.

Because of London trasport practice started later to allow people to get there as you had to deal with the rush hour.

Here, Aucklanders don't know what a rush hour is in comparison. There may be 'traffic' on the road. But it's rarely at a standstill in my experience so far.

As it is, I'm kind of hoping that as my daughter and any siblings grow up, should it be here (or in Aus) that they make full use of the sporting/outdoor/exercise opportunities available to them.

Keeping fit and having fun is one thing, but have been invovled in sport there is another element of playing sport that is forgotten in this equation; socialising.

I have no doubt that being able to converse with people of all sorts of backgrounds, with a common interest of whatever sport we were playing has enhanced my life no end.

In fact it's likely I wouldn't be using this website we're I not in constant pursuit of sport;

I moved to London with no sports clubs to join --> A fella at work ask me if I play Rugby, "I do" I replied, "how about you come and join my club" --> Which I did --> That weekend I play Rugby at his club and meet reasonable young Kiwi lady --> We become an item --> We marry --> We have a child --> I tout the idea of moving to NZ --> I join BE ...

And BE has been an extremely useful website, sometimes hilarious, sometimes infuriating, but on the whole I'm better off for it ... all because of sport
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Old Nov 6th 2013, 11:11 pm
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

I came here for my children. I agree that we can afford to live in a much nicer part of town then we could ever have attained in the UK. The first time I went to school I was like "EEEEK! There's a child up a tree and another swinging from the top frame of the swing... and nobody seems to care. OK. I need to get a grip." In the UK my children were told off for picking apples off the tree in the playground "because they might be dirty." Here they pluck them off the ground, chop them up and make pies in class!

And while I'm on it. I'd like you to tell my Kiwi husband that his education was at a 'piss-poor' university. The cheek! It's not the UK, the children still get a good education and it's much more well-rounded. Get over it.
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Old Nov 6th 2013, 11:51 pm
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Originally Posted by kitti
And while I'm on it. I'd like you to tell my Kiwi husband that his education was at a 'piss-poor' university. The cheek! It's not the UK, the children still get a good education and it's much more well-rounded. Get over it.
Too true

I was holidaying around the Nelson Lakes a few years back and a group of kids rocked up with on a shore of the lake for Geography lesson about Glaciers and Lakes.

Wish I'd had that sort of lesson growing up rather than gawping at a text book and the board at the front of the class room with an OHP projection (remember those?).
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Old Nov 7th 2013, 2:26 am
  #29  
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

Purely to play devils advocate for a moment, isnt anyone else concerned the very pro-sport culture has the issue that these arent jobs, they are past times. They dont produce wealth/national product, they consume it. There have been numerous articles over the last 3years that the perception of Knowledge, Science and IT workers (in NZ, not internationally) is warped by the media, who portray it as "not cool" and only of appeal to a limited sports stunted minority, which has led to a deficit of IT workers domestically, obviously something I personally took advantage of. But this isnt a good thing for NZ.

There is also the actual fact both adult and childhood obesity is off the scale in NZ, with it ranking between #2 and #4 fattest country in the world depending on report:
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=ne...02013&safe=off

Kinda weirdly at odds with the pro-sports national flair and support, but sadly obvious when walking around the street.

Last edited by kodachrome; Nov 7th 2013 at 2:29 am.
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Old Nov 7th 2013, 2:37 am
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Default Re: Raising kids in New Zealand

It's a good point you make, which is the reason I highlighted to the social aspect of sport.

Sport brings together all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds under the commonality of that past time. When I say sport it could be a tramping or fishing club.

Is IT uncool? My perception is that IT is coming over all geek chic, what with the rise and rise of social media?

As for obesity it's self; I think picking out one area of physical fitness isn't all that telling. It's possible not to be obese and still live a sedentary lifestyle and have associated health risks.

I've not come across a study yet that actually links obesity and low numbers of participants in sport.

New Zealand is an interesting case in point. Rugby, both codes, provide a game whereby the bigger people can get involved - so I would hypothesise that there are a relatively high amount of overweight and obese NZ kids also playing sport.
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