jlittle

Hello all - my first post, please be nice

I'm completely torn and after some advice.

I've been approached about a job in Gibraltar - I have two telephone interviews for a company next week and then am hoping to get over for an Interview shorly. Work isn't going great where I am now and i've had some interviews for jobs in the UK (I live in London), but the prospect of working abroad really does appeal to me.

At present I do not speak any other languages other than English. I'm married with two childred, one of which aged 3 and the other 9 months.

I'm worried about the culture in the UK, and what I am bring my children into, I don't want them turning into the kids that hang around our area in the streets at night but worry that as much as I will try and keep them out of harms way if they get in with the wrong crowd there is only so much that you can do as a parent to prevent things happening.

My wife doesn't fly, so getting to the area would take a long time (by train I suspect), and her parents don't fly either, and are based in Lancashire, so further still. At the moment we live round the corner from my parents so there is always a babysitter on tap if needed.

We've be giving up a lot to move across to Spain (and commute to Gib), but as far as I can see the pro's outweight the con's. Has anyone been in a similar situation and made the move? One of the main concerns I have is that if things with the job (If I get it!) muck up, i'll be stuck thousands of miles away with less carear opertunities than I have in London (I'm in Online Marketing at the moment).

Maybe it's the wrong time, I guess I just wanted to get some advice from people that have made the move to see if they had similar concerns and what experiences they have since had. Something to show my wife about the better quality of living would be good too!

Thanks
James

Mitzyboy

Well, you're talking here to someone who is half way through the experience. I've had somewhere in Spain for 18 months and we're just beginning to sell up to move there for good.
Your kids are an ideal age. Bring them here and they will be bi lingual as they grow up and they will quickly learn the language at a Spanish school. If you school them on Gibraltar of course the schools are English soeaking The cost of living over here is less in rural areas, so theoretically you have a better standard of living.
I've never travelled down by train. You could drive of course but it would be a bit of a trip!

If you have the offer of a job then you are well in front of others that want to make the move. A lot of them come over in the hope of finding work, and its not always that easy.

On balance from what you say the only real down side is your in laws. Thats a decision only you can make, but I'm sure they'd love to come and stay with you!! Its just working out how to get there. Theres a ferry route Plymouth / Santander, but means you still have to drive over Spain.

As I say, on balance I think you should go for it. Everything seems to be on your side!!

Good luck
JJ

lynnxa

ditto everything!!!!!!!!!!!! go for it! our kids are quite a bit older, but we've been here just over 2 years, they are already fluent in spanish to the extent that I can't tell them apart from their spanish friends and I think the standard of education, and the teaching methods here are great- better than in the UK

rickstevens

I've had numerous email conversations with the Gibraltar education department regarding schools for my daughter, and they tell me you have to be resident in Gibraltar for your children to go to school there.

If you want them taught in an english speaking school in Spain, the nearest one to Gibraltar appears to be at Sotogrande.

http://www.sis.ac/

lynnxa

You have to pay for that. With kids as young as the OP's spanish school is a good option, and they won't forget how to speak english as it will be spoken at home. Formal english lessons can always be had when they are older

rickstevens

Ooops forgot to mention the cost sorry. It isnt cheap either, our daughter is 15, and at the time we were originally planning to move over she would have needed a year at school to complete her GCSE's, it would have cost 15000 euros to send her to Sotogrande.

Think I'll give it a miss. I agree the spanish school would be better, I only mentioned the Gib school as somebody else mentioned about sending children there

jlittle

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Carol&John

Hi James,
Most parents have similar fears for their children's future, and not just in the UK. Also, count yourself lucky to have two sets of grandparents!
Have you both sat down and made your own lists of the pros and cons of such a move?
What are your wife's ambitions in 5 years time? While you are at work in the Gibraltar office, who can your wife speak to and what will your wife be doing (until the children reach school age)? Would spending 6 months in the new job on your own (to see if it suits you, but retaining a home base in the UK) be an option?
The children are resilient at that age; like sponges, they absorb new information quickly. Just make sure Mum and Dad remain happy.
All the best,
Carol
P.S. Have you ever thought of a change in career? Perhaps, teaching?

Unexpat

It's never the right time, but with young kids you are in a better position than you will be until much later. Get the kids into a spanish school - they will be far better for it - My brother came over with kids around the same age. Go for it, or spend the next few years of your life wondering if you missed an opportunity

lynnxa

state education starts at 3 here, so I'm sure your wife would soon make friends 'at school' without too many problems. By the time the younger one is at school, perhaps her spanish would be well enough up to speed for her to do pretty much anything she wants

coralsoft

Apart from the usual issues when moving to a new country, the only major difficulty appears to be separation from the UK family due to difficulties with flying. What are the issues here? Can you clarify a bit more? If it's something that can be addressed, then it might make things a lot easier and there may be solutions that can help but haven't been considered yet.

Chiclanagir

Reading between the lines are you really so unhappy in the UK. The worry about the kids growing up in the wrong company etc is something you will always worry about. As long as they are brought up well they will usually come through the otherside as reasonable human beings. Also it seems that you are close to the grandparents and if neither your wife flies or them there could be a lot of unhappiness. As coralsoft says you really need to resolve that problem.

kevray

On the other hand, you sometimes have to go against the grain. Both my wife and I have agreed that our future and that of our daughter lie outside of the UK. On the negative side my Mother and Father are in their late 80's and although in excellent health have said they will not travel to Spain, the Flights are too cramped and they are too old. We on the other hand are younger and will visit the UK as and when requested.
Kevay

coralsoft

My In-Laws are in their 70s/late 80s. They come out about 3-4 times a year. The old boy needs a wheel chair to get around the airport, but that's easy enough to arrange. Flights are booked over the internet and my wife usually checks them in on the web, too, so all they have to do is dump their luggage at the fast drop desk. It is an increasing strain for them - what they'll think of the massive new T4 complex at Madrid when they come out next, I dread to think. Up, down and trecks over acres of marbled hall like a Lord of The Rings set designed by Sir Richard Rogers.