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My family and I live in Los Angeles where I'm one of the owners of a successful small business. We have a 2 year old and another one probably heading our way next year. My wife and I desperately want our kids to be more "worldly" (whatever that means) than we were, so we have lots of travel plans (we already took our son to Vienna and Munich at 6 months, and we're taking him on a two-week business trip in October to Europe).
My wife and I keep toying with the idea of moving abroad in a few years for a stretch, when the kids are old enough to soak it in. I have the luxury of our company having a subsidiary in Ireland, which qualifies me for a work visa there. My understanding is that an Irish work visa would create free movement flexibility for us to live elsewhere in the EU. The finances would be easy as I would continue to draw my salary in the US.
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
5,921 posts, read 13,853,608 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dyrewolf31
I desperately want our kids to be more "worldly" (whatever that means) than we were, so we have lots of travel plans (we already took our son to Vienna and Munich at 6 months, and we're taking him on a two-week business trip in October to Europe).
I really doubt if your two year old will become worldly at this age, but to go there and stay there for a few years, at a later time when your kids are at least around 6 years old at a minimum, if you only will stay for a few years.
The quickest way for your kids to get any European influence is when they go to local schools and NOT to some International School !!! We never were part of the Expat groupes there ! Impossible since we lived in a small town with more cows than people !
When we went, our youngest was two at the time, but we stayed for 11 years total !
All of them are multi-lingual, were way ahead of their peers when we returned and now have jobs with international firms, due to their native language capability!
BTW, if you plan on having kids, have them in Europe, way cheaper !!!
We had one born in Germany, Wife stayed in the hospital for 10 days !!!
She loved the pampering ... !
My family and I live in Los Angeles where I'm one of the owners of a successful small business. We have a 2 year old and another one probably heading our way next year. My wife and I desperately want our kids to be more "worldly" (whatever that means) than we were, so we have lots of travel plans (we already took our son to Vienna and Munich at 6 months, and we're taking him on a two-week business trip in October to Europe).
Sorry but I don't think your 2 year old would remember anything about Vienna and Munich when he grows up.
Your child will be surprised to learn he was a world traveler before age 2. If he spent a year in Europe beginning soon, he would probably not remember.
I really doubt if your two year old will become worldly at this age, but to go there and stay there for a few years, at a later time when your kids are at least around 6 years old at a minimum, if you only will stay for a few years.
The quickest way for your kids to get any European influence is when they go to local schools and NOT to some International School !!! We never were part of the Expat groupes there ! Impossible since we lived in a small town with more cows than people !
When we went, our youngest was two at the time, but we stayed for 11 years total !
All of them are multi-lingual, were way ahead of their peers when we returned and now have jobs with international firms, due to their native language capability!
BTW, if you plan on having kids, have them in Europe, way cheaper !!!
We had one born in Germany, Wife stayed in the hospital for 10 days !!!
She loved the pampering ... !
So ... , do not let anything stop you !!
This is the best advice. I wished my job offered the type of flexibility that would allow me to do this for my daughter.
This is great advice, thank you Irman. I'd love to hear more about your experience living abroad (work vs. lifestyle decision, where you were, etc.).
Quote:
Originally Posted by irman
I really doubt if your two year old will become worldly at this age, but to go there and stay there for a few years, at a later time when your kids are at least around 6 years old at a minimum, if you only will stay for a few years.
The quickest way for your kids to get any European influence is when they go to local schools and NOT to some International School !!! We never were part of the Expat groupes there ! Impossible since we lived in a small town with more cows than people !
When we went, our youngest was two at the time, but we stayed for 11 years total !
All of them are multi-lingual, were way ahead of their peers when we returned and now have jobs with international firms, due to their native language capability!
BTW, if you plan on having kids, have them in Europe, way cheaper !!!
We had one born in Germany, Wife stayed in the hospital for 10 days !!!
She loved the pampering ... !
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
5,921 posts, read 13,853,608 times
Reputation: 5229
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adhom
This is the best advice. I wished my job offered the type of flexibility that would allow me to do this for my daughter.
If you really want to do something like this,
then without quitting your work,
find what else you can do with a company
that has a division on Europe.
Google is your friend ....
Just going to Europe and hoping to get a job,
you need to be a superduper whatever in your field,
to be able to beat the locals,
and you need to speak the language pretty well .
I have always been convinced that if you really want something,
you will get it, but you have to really work hard at it !
Wishing for anything, does not get you anywhere !
My experience: Good!
My advice: Start preparing now, but don't hurry.
My familiy moved from US to Munich about 20 years ago, when I was 5. Dad applied for a job here in his company. Definitely mum's and dad's best idea ever!
Many US companys have their european head quarters here, Microsoft, McDonalds, and a dozen more. Also many big employers in Munich with units in US, which you can join, and after a while ask for work in their headquarter in The Reich.
I live in a village in the southern highland, lake district. Just 40 minutes by train to Munich city. Great place for kids to grow up! Countryside, but not an outback. A big city close by with all the infrastrucure and cultural life, and many good employers for mum and dad.
We went to normal schools for normal kids, no fancy international golden cage. We learned german much faster than our parents. I know other parents coming in from US and Canada, because I earn some money as a relocation helper for dad's company. Zero problems with kids, if you choose the right place to live.
I remember my childhood as a great time, skiing, swimming, wind surfing, playing in forests and abandoned farms. I don't think I missed anything in the US. And when my father had to go back home for his last career step recently, I and my brother stayed here, because we recognized that we were not abroad, but at home.
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