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US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

View Poll Results: Where is it better to raise your kids?
US
7
18.92%
UK
17
45.95%
Either
3
8.11%
Mixture of both
10
27.03%
Voters: 37. You may not vote on this poll

US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

Old Mar 17th 2005, 9:53 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

I agree with what people are saying about it being up to the parent how scheduled your child becomes. I have 6 year old twins who have been here since they were 20 months. At the moment they are flopped down in front of the TV after an exhausting play date, involving colouring and a ball pit. I have heard of these overscheduled kids, but in my neighbourhood it certainly does not seem to be the case.

However, here is another thing to consider. I know we British don't like to talk about this but - FINANCES! When we were living just south of London, we had a tiny house and very little extra money to throw around. I didn't have the option of baby gym and all that stuff. Now we have plenty of space and enough money to take some classes when we feel like it. The only thing that has changed is our location. My husband still has 2 masters degrees and professional qualifications and he still does a similar job (just a bit higher up the ladder after 4 1/2 years). I know money is not the be all and end all and I would be the first to give up the money for a better quality of life, but I honestly think the quality of life here is better. And the space is wonderful, I notice when we go back to the UK how hard my kids find it in the much, much smaller houses we visit.

I speak regularly to my friends in the UK and would find it hard to think of their childrens lives and education as in anyway better than ours. We are very lucky to live in one of the biggest and best school districts in the country, but the opportunities they have here are far greater. My son has a learning disability which is addressed much better here than I think it would be in the UK. We have a much more culturally diverse population and much less bitchiness among the Mums which I really appreciate!

Of course when it comes down to it, life is what you make of it and as a caring and thoughtful parent I'm sure your kids will do well anywhere.
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Old Mar 17th 2005, 10:21 pm
  #32  
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Default Re: US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

Originally Posted by Englishmum
Oh bloody hell,
... We don't go to church anyway and I'm afraid this sort of voluntary work does *not* appeal to my 16 year old, he'd rather kick a ball about as well, but again, no-one seems to do that around here!
Heck.....we are soooo unAmerican!
I can see you and yours and me and mine are kindred spirits!

And those 'Proud to be the parent of an Honors Student at XYZ School'...


No, I am never going to become a true American

But do not despair: it is possible to get into a 'good school' despite being 'different'. I suspect it can even be a bonus. I'm sure admission officers get sick of reading all those 'I had this amazing epiphany when I saw the pyramids during my visit to Egypt' or 'upon graduation from your wonderful college I am going to end world hunger and bring about world peace' type essays!
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Old Mar 17th 2005, 10:40 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

Originally Posted by ukchloeinusa

However, here is another thing to consider. I know we British don't like to talk about this but - FINANCES! When we were living just south of London, we had a tiny house and very little extra money to throw around. I didn't have the option of baby gym and all that stuff. Now we have plenty of space and enough money to take some classes when we feel like it. ...

We are very lucky to live in one of the biggest and best school districts in the country, but the opportunities they have here are far greater.
Finances are definitely part of the puzzle -- it's the main reason we still have no idea when we'll start a family. At the moment, and for some time to come, we simply can't afford it. I just hope we get it all sorted while my clock is still ticking!

Funnily enough, I grew up in Fairfax (Annandale, to be precise). I'm a product of the Fairfax County Public School system -- Falls Church High School, Class of 1991. I agree, that school system is great -- or, at least it was when I was there.

Growing up in NoVA is spectacular, lots of community activities and parks and such. I've lived in Annandale, Fairfax and Centreville. Too bad I had to move to Richmond after my divorce because I couldn't afford to live there anymore. But I'll always be a NoVA girl at heart. Maybe one day, after Mark finally becomes a famous writer, we might end up there. (Although I definitely don't miss the traffic!)

~ Jenney
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Old Mar 17th 2005, 10:51 pm
  #34  
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Lightbulb Re: US vs UK -- Where is it better to raise your kids?

I've got two kids, one 4 years old and one 6, both girls. We've been in the US for 8 years now and they were both born here. Here's a few things I've learnt:

1. Where you live will determine what type of school you can send your kids to. For example, we specifically picked a house in a particular school district to make sure our daughter could go to a well equiped, new, well funded school. Just by living 10 miles away we could have been in the exact opposite. Generally, the richer the population, the better the school. Apparently, this is true in the UK too.
2. Private schools aren't necessarily better, just more expensive. You can think you're getting better schooling, but often in the States the private schools are private because they teach something the state schools can't - religion. That doesn't necessarily make them better or worse educationaly although some people think they do. I do like the uniforms some of the Catholic schools have are a good idea. If you're irrilegious then you probably don't care.
3. If your kids go to school in the US they will end up sounding American. I had a pair of friends who couldn't stand the prospect of this so they moved back to the UK. Now their daughters wear school uniforms and speak English with an English accent. Whoop dee do.
4. Even though my kids are young, I'm already getting that feeling that I shouldn't be clodhopping around the world because they need a steady education. For my parents, they fixed that by sending me to boarding school in England. From looking at my old schools' web sites I see that there are virtually no boarding students left, and I'm not surprised by the price they charge!
5. Whether it's the UK or the US, education is just not the same now as it was when you went to school. I hear complaints of grade inflation in the UK, how GCSE's and AS levels are nothing like the O's and A's we took, yadda, yadda, blah. I hear the similar stuff from American friends too. Basically, I've decided I can't use my personal experience from 15 or 20 years ago as a basis for deciding which country to educate my kids. They only way is to treat it on a case by case, what is my real situation basis.
6. You might not actually have a choice as to which country to educate your kids. I chose to come to the US but I can't see how I could ever get back to the UK without a severe reduction in standard of living. Having a better standard of living is an opportunity for education for my kids as much as school is. I don't think I could giving it up just for some questionable benefit of English schooling.

Cheers!

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