Are there any young familes in Branson? (Springfield, Ozark: relocate, luxury)

[josfari]

Hi
We are looking to relocate to Branson from Hawaii. I have a few concerns, I am a stay at home mom, 31 with a 10 mo old. I was wondering if there were any mom and baby groups? is it easy to meet other families?Is there enough to do in Branson ?
Also my husband is a chef, What are the odds he could find a job with winter approaching?I hear things shut down in the winter?
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

[Ciaerin]

well if it helps josfari im married and only 32. im not in branson, but im not far away. and aloha

[nanjosbrand]

Hi!
I am glad you asked this question. My husband and I have contemplated moving to Branson for about 4 years now. We actually bought a condo three months ago in Kimberling City that we rent out on a nightly basis, however, we have yet to take the plunge and move there full time. I have the same fear and question. Will I be the only "young mom" there? I am 29 with a three and two year old and I will tell you that there have been times when I have been there that I get dirty looks from some of the more "mature" people who are there when they see my kids.
The last time we were there, though, we all loved it and spent time there getting to know some of the locals better. People were nicer--I think cause we were there when it wasn't tourist season!
I have heard that you can do a google search on ozarks moms and there may be a forum group there where you can get to know some other moms with kids in the area.
I have heard that Branson is starting to become a more year-round destination, so I am sure your husband will be able to find work. Good luck in your quest in getting to Branson. Maybe I will see you there sometime soon!

[mrschilicook]

While I'm not one of those young mom's I can tell you that there are lots of young families in the area. While there are many retired or mature adults here, there are also lots of young families. Most of the people I meet around here are no older than 35....my dentist, my handyman, my hairdresser, etc...are ALL in their 20's or 30's. Yes, this area used to draw an older crowd for the tourist business but that has changed a lot the past few years. Lots of young families come here for vacations, for jobs, etc. fall in love with the area and move. The members of many young families have lived here their whole life. In the village I live in, there is a huge mix of ages. When we have community gatherings there are always huge numbers of kids under 15.

The food and entertainment businesses do slow down a lot in the winter between Mid-Dec. and April, but many also thrive on the local enonomy. Just depends on the "where" and "what" someone does.

Good luck on whatever you decide. And yes, check out the website Ozarksmoms.com They seem to have a great support group going on. I wish they had something like that for us boomers who retired out here.

[Paw Tucker]

Originally Posted by josfari

Hi
We are looking to relocate to Branson from Hawaii. I have a few concerns, I am a stay at home mom, 31 with a 10 mo old. I was wondering if there were any mom and baby groups? is it easy to meet other families?Is there enough to do in Branson ?
Also my husband is a chef, What are the odds he could find a job with winter approaching?I hear things shut down i
n the winter?
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

You won't have any problems as far as social acceptance being a 31-32 year old in Branson. There's lots of people in that demographic and yes many of them have children.
Your husband might have some trouble finding employment near winter. While another poster pointed out that many places stay open and thrive during winter the hiring usually takes place in early spring. Lots of layoffs will occur in the December/January months as the run up to those places are usually laying off instead of hiring so lots of people are out of work and looking for jobs,
Also when you say your husband is a chef, do you mean professional executive type chef or kitchen worker "chef"? If your hubby is a high caliber chef he should have no trouble finding a job as the kithcen manager of a local restaurant. However if he's more of kitchen support chef(not kitchen boss) the pay won't be enough for you to live comfortabley on by any means even in Branson. That brings me to my next point. As I do know lots of people your age in Branson, I know few ladies who are stay at home moms. Living well in Branson is quite possible but with a family it takes two incomes not so different from anywhere else. A lot of people in the area seem to project this place as being Americana all around 1950's nostalgic style, but thats not always the case. Some of those people have income coming from other sources (retirement) to fall back on which at your age is a luxury you wont have. Just be prepared for the changes and make sure your family can cope. Branson is a nice place to raise a family but you've gotta be prepared if you want your stay in the area to be a ball of happpy memories instead of a torn out page in the book of your life. Just plan ahead and be prepared to do what you have to in that first year or so. It would also help to have relatives nearby that can lend a hand if need be. I hope thats an option for you. Good luck!

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by josfari

Hi
We are looking to relocate to Branson from Hawaii. I have a few concerns, I am a stay at home mom, 31 with a 10 mo old. I was wondering if there were any mom and baby groups? is it easy to meet other families?Is there enough to do in Branson ?
Also my husband is a chef, What are the odds he could find a job with winter approaching?I hear things shut down in the winter?
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

There are lots of restaurants around but not many of them have the kind of cuisine that would offer a chef position that you could live on as the only income in the family. For instance, here is a job that was posted on The Missouri Job Service just today - note the salary!!!!

==========================================

Wage $8.50 Hourly Location BRANSON, MO, 65616

Experienced Chef.

Cookng is geared toward Deli food and Quiche and other specialities. Hours of work 8:30am - 3:30pm Open Date 7/22/2008 Close Date 8/21/2008

Experience 12 Months

Education Degree Required High School Diploma Skills Shift Day Availability Part Days Off Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Openings 1 Work Schedule 35 hours per week Lifting Capacity Driver License None Endorsements Job Benefits Commission No

===========================================


You might want to check out Springfield, which is much more cosmopolitan and has more opportunties for this type of career.

20yrsinBranson

[Paw Tucker]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

There are lots of restaurants around but not many of them have the kind of cuisine that would offer a chef position that you could live on as the only income in the family. For instance, here is a job that was posted on The Missouri Job Service just today - note the salary!!!!

==========================================

Wage $8.50 Hourly Location BRANSON, MO, 65616

Experienced Chef.

Cookng is geared toward Deli food and Quiche and other specialities. Hours of work 8:30am - 3:30pm Open Date 7/22/2008 Close Date 8/21/2008

Experience 12 Months

Education Degree Required High School Diploma Skills Shift Day Availability Part Days Off Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Openings 1 Work Schedule 35 hours per week Lifting Capacity Driver License None Endorsements Job Benefits Commission No

===========================================


You might want to check out Springfield, which is much more cosmopolitan and has more opportunties for this type of career.

20yrsinBranson

Woweee! Seems like the wages for cooks has plummeted since I have been there. A few years back it was tough to find cooks and they were hiring at $9.50 an hour. I know the availability of workers of any type is always in swing cyle. The kitchen managers/head chefs will pull anywhere from the low 30's to low 40's depeding on where the place is. Down from there there's an extreme drop off in wages between the head chef and the guy next in command of about 10-15 grand per year. That's usually always the case but in the big city there's a big difference in going from $60,000 to $45,000 than from $35,000 to $18,000 which is often the case in Branson. You gotta be in command in that town or it's TV dinners all around. I know from experience.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by josfari

Hi
We are looking to relocate to Branson from Hawaii. I have a few concerns, I am a stay at home mom, 31 with a 10 mo old. I was wondering if there were any mom and baby groups? is it easy to meet other families?Is there enough to do in Branson ?
Also my husband is a chef, What are the odds he could find a job with winter approaching?I hear things shut down in the winter?
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Hi josfari...although Branson/Table Rock Lake has historically been a retirement mecca, it has been changing for about the last 10 years. There are lots of young families around, and tons of fun things for kids to do. In fact, I can't think of a better place to raise children...with all the theme parks...water sports...go kart tracks...fishing...it seems to me that my next door neighbor's children are having a fantasy childhood!

The job issue is one where you will definitely do your due diligence. Talk to the restaurants. Spend a week here talking to everyone you meet.

Have you been here?

I had some clients move from Hawaii only to find that they really couldn't deal with the cold winters.

[Silvermouse]

Originally Posted by Paw Tucker

You won't have any problems as far as social acceptance being a 31-32 year old in Branson. There's lots of people in that demographic and yes many of them have children.
Your husband might have some trouble finding employment near winter. While another poster pointed out that many places stay open and thrive during winter the hiring usually takes place in early spring. Lots of layoffs will occur in the December/January months as the run up to those places are usually laying off instead of hiring so lots of people are out of work and looking for jobs,
Also when you say your husband is a chef, do you mean professional executive type chef or kitchen worker "chef"? If your hubby is a high caliber chef he should have no trouble finding a job as the kithcen manager of a local restaurant. However if he's more of kitchen support chef(not kitchen boss) the pay won't be enough for you to live comfortabley on by any means even in Branson. That brings me to my next point. As I do know lots of people your age in Branson, I know few ladies who are stay at home moms. Living well in Branson is quite possible but with a family it takes two incomes not so different from anywhere else. A lot of people in the area seem to project this place as being Americana all around 1950's nostalgic style, but thats not always the case. Some of those people have income coming from other sources (retirement) to fall back on which at your age is a luxury you wont have. Just be prepared for the changes and make sure your family can cope. Branson is a nice place to raise a family but you've gotta be prepared if you want your stay in the area to be a ball of happpy memories instead of a torn out page in the book of your life. Just plan ahead and be prepared to do what you have to in that first year or so. It would also help to have relatives nearby that can lend a hand if need be. I hope thats an option for you. Good luck!

Very good post!