maddiemole

Hi ,myself,hubby ,nd little girl 6yrs old are moving out in 3wks time does anyone have any tips to make move go as smoothly as poss.We are going to send little one to Spanish school,and apparently we cannot register with the town hall until we arrive,after we have done this they will allocate her a place,is this correct info?Also I have heard that she needs some paperwork or to be checked by a doctor,or do I just have to bring her health record from UK to prove that her innocculations are up to date,any advice would be appreciated thanks.

maryann

Hi, where are you moving to?
You are right about the school. You cannot register her before you get here. You may have to pay for school books, also make sure you are totally happy with the school, it is very hard to change later. My 6 year old is in Spanish school. She became very frustated and angry to start with because of the launguage. She has been there for 6 months now and has really settled in well. Her school mates love her and cuddle and kiss her. It's best to leave them to thier own devices to start with so they can find thier own coping strategdys. Dont change the way you treat her at home, keep the boundries you have in the UK in place, dont chnage any rules. This may seem hard but it is famaliar to them, it is a comfort zone. If any thing give her more cuddles, and be tactile with her at every chance. This helped my little one.
Keep us posted and let us know how things go.

love

mary x x

pinklady

Hi
I would just like to say good luck with your move.You have a lot of guts and courage.I also want to move to Spain with my hubby and family.I have 2 boys one 17yrs and one 12yrs.I havent got a clue where to start.How do you decide what area in Spain you want to live in?Just like if anyone wanted to come and live in England.How would they decide?I would be grateful if you could give me any of your help.How did you decide on your area?

battlezone123

We moved to North East Spain last September. When we arrived we visited the school and asked if our three boys (aged 9, 8, and 6) could enrol there they immediately said yes and they started the next day. We did not visit the Town Hall. The only information they needed was a copy of the health records for the innoculations and also their school records. My eldest boy was given his when he left his previous school, and the school wrote to the youngest two's old school to obtain theirs. We had to provide three passport style photographs and also pens, writing books, crayons, plastercine, rubbers, glue sticks, washbag with soap and towel (for after PE), toothbrush and toothpaste (for after lunch). Their school is wonderful. The school bus originally came about 1km away from our house but they contacted the education authority who gave permission for it stop right outside our house. School dinners are free if you live far enough away. That is the only thing that our children do not like - school dinners and the fact that lunchtime is 2 hours long. The other thing is that the education year runs from January to December - and not September to August. My eldest son would have now been in Year 5 in the UK but has gone back to Year 4. This is not a bad thing - but he has just realised he will be attending school for a year longer than his brothers!

maddiemole

Thanks everone,Maryanne thanks for your reassurances,as you probably know the whole reason for our move is for a better lifestyle for our little girl,but on the other hand the most frightening thing is if we do the wrong thing for her,at 6 she already has a little network of friends ,and at the moment she has a lovely life in the UK,but we worry about her future here and things seem to be in a downward spiral,not to mention the weather which inhibits everything you do,so it is very welcome to hear that your child has integrated well and is enjoying life.Also Pink lady we are not that brave I am absolutley petrified but I know that if we don`t at least give it a go we may always have regrets.We are not going to sell our uk home at this stage,and we chose our area after 3yrs of visiting different places until at last we found somewhere we felt comfortable,we are going to Villajoyosa nr Alicante to begin with but we may eventually buy a little inland as you get more for your money,but who knows,anyway good luck with your move too.xx

maddiemole

Hi battlezone,thanks for info,my little girl has an August birthday so she is always the youngest in the class and sometimes can`t keep up so the Spanish system may suit her better,and I dont think anyone likes school dinners anywhere,I certainly didn`t.

maryann

If you are moving for your childs future you could not do a better thing, if you do it right. Lily continues her English work at home. I have a friend who sends me british work books that match what she would be doing in the UK. Lily's school hours are 9-2. She comes home for lunch and then we siesta with my baby. We get up around 4.30 and go to the beach or the park untill my hubby gets back from work. Then we go out again, eat dinner about 8.30-9. The children are in bed asleep by 9.30. And my hubby and I have the rest of the evening to our selves. However, if we go out the children come and are welcome everywhere, they are made such a fuss of thier confidence has improved.
We have a webcam and lily talks to her friends on the computer. I send pictures and drawing back and we e mail. We do get homesick, but we dont want to go back, its a very strange feeling. It is very hard to start with and you need to give yourself time to settle in. I have a wonderful relationship with my hubby now as well. We get to spend so much time together.


spk soon

love

mary xxx