Single parents teaching abroad
Single parents teaching abroad
I currently teach in the US and am looking to teach at an IS school abroad. I have a 6 year old who would be coming with me. I'm well aware of difficulties and wonders of single parenting (because I've been doing it for the last 6 years) but I'm interested in hearing about how that translates to living and teaching abroad.
kids overseas
Here's an ISR article written by a single-expat-mom overseas and an ISR blog about raising kids overseas that you may find helpful
http://www.internationalschoolsreview.c ... le_mom.htm
http://internationalschoolsreviewdiscus ... with-kids/
http://www.internationalschoolsreview.c ... le_mom.htm
http://internationalschoolsreviewdiscus ... with-kids/
I find single parenting a lot easier because I have help that I couldn't afford at home. I have a live-in helper so I can stay later at work if necessary and I can also have more of a social life. Having dinner ready when I get home and the dishes washed afterwards has been one of the greatest gifts that life has given me.
The challenges the same ones that I had at home.My daughter finds it a bit embarrassing because almost all of the kids in her class are in 2-parent households. It's just required some extra conversations that we probably would have needed to have in the US as well.
Absolutely no regrets.
The challenges the same ones that I had at home.My daughter finds it a bit embarrassing because almost all of the kids in her class are in 2-parent households. It's just required some extra conversations that we probably would have needed to have in the US as well.
Absolutely no regrets.
I have absolute respect for single parents living in international teaching. Single parenting is a huge task on its own anyway, but to look the challenges straight on and say "Let's get on and do something different and exciting internationally anyway" is very commendable.
Now, East Asia can be very challenging no matter what situation you're in, and I'd imagine living there as a single parent would be even more challenging. A lot of the big cities have little in the way of entertainment for kids and what they do have is absolutely packed all the time. Singapore is probably the exception to this to some extent as there really is a lot of greenery and parks. I've heard parts of Japan are great too but am yet to visit. Some of the quiter places in East Asia would no doubt be a lot easier though, such as Phuket, Bali, Chiang Mai, Penang.
In my opinion the UAE is a good place to be a parent. There are kids everywhere and there is a lot to provide for them for most of the time. Additionally, the school your child would be at would most likely have many nationalities, so it might be nicer than being somewhere with 1 dominant nationality where your child stands out a mile. There is also A LOT of additional help similar to that described by DCgirl available, and it's very affordable.
I hope this helps and all the best with your decision making.
Now, East Asia can be very challenging no matter what situation you're in, and I'd imagine living there as a single parent would be even more challenging. A lot of the big cities have little in the way of entertainment for kids and what they do have is absolutely packed all the time. Singapore is probably the exception to this to some extent as there really is a lot of greenery and parks. I've heard parts of Japan are great too but am yet to visit. Some of the quiter places in East Asia would no doubt be a lot easier though, such as Phuket, Bali, Chiang Mai, Penang.
In my opinion the UAE is a good place to be a parent. There are kids everywhere and there is a lot to provide for them for most of the time. Additionally, the school your child would be at would most likely have many nationalities, so it might be nicer than being somewhere with 1 dominant nationality where your child stands out a mile. There is also A LOT of additional help similar to that described by DCgirl available, and it's very affordable.
I hope this helps and all the best with your decision making.
Sorry
No the ME is not the best place for a single parent, and with the exception of a couple elite schools are mostly locals. Most of those kids are also going to have "entitlement issues". There is very little to do in the ME, and you have to go for the money.
Japan is pretty good for kids, but understand that in most asian cultures children focus on school. Thats pretty much most of their life. Other then that most kids spend their free time playing video games, or extra curricular. Id recommend a place like Singapore, or a major city with a tourist trade like Beijing, if you want family things to go and see on the weekend. The rural areas can get boring very quickly.
Japan is pretty good for kids, but understand that in most asian cultures children focus on school. Thats pretty much most of their life. Other then that most kids spend their free time playing video games, or extra curricular. Id recommend a place like Singapore, or a major city with a tourist trade like Beijing, if you want family things to go and see on the weekend. The rural areas can get boring very quickly.
Some people talk about the Middle East as though all the countries there are the same. However, anyone who has ever been to more than one country in the Middle East knows that the countries are very different from one another, and anyone that has ever set foot in ANY international school in the UAE knows that most of the students are expat. Only about 15% of the UAE population is local, and many locals choose schools that have a greater emphasis on local culture than international schools do. I worked in an OK school there (far from elite), which compared to other schools had “a lotâ€
*Sigh*
No there isnt a lot to do there, its a desert. Most of the schools are a big majority of local students. yes the elite schools are the exception, they are not the norm.
Dubai, attracts a lot of travelers from the rest of the middle east, who want to go shopping . No one is sitting down at the family table back in Surrey and saying "Lets take the kids to Dubai for the family vacation".
Yes, all the schools are basically the same, because all of those schools, you cant take out of being in the middle east. Its the culture, you cant separate the school from the environment and culture it operates in.
Dubai, attracts a lot of travelers from the rest of the middle east, who want to go shopping . No one is sitting down at the family table back in Surrey and saying "Lets take the kids to Dubai for the family vacation".
Yes, all the schools are basically the same, because all of those schools, you cant take out of being in the middle east. Its the culture, you cant separate the school from the environment and culture it operates in.
My Man Dave Jaw
You can always rely on him for accurate data!
"No one is sitting down at the family table back in Surrey and saying "Lets take the kids to Dubai for the family vacation". (A Psyguy insight!)
"Brits look to Dubai for holiday deals this autumn
"Sep 11, 2012
"LONDON, England - Dubai is the number one destination for holiday deals this autumn, and the second-most popular autumn destination overall after New York, according to new figures from the website dealchecker.co.uk.
"Dubai's profile as a holiday hotspot has risen dramatically this year. The number of Brits searching for cheap holidays to Dubai this spring and summer rose 36 per cent compared to the same period last year, and new ACI Passenger and Freight Flash Reports show that Dubai International Airport posted a 13.7 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in the first half of 2012.
"Mark Attwell, MD of dealchecker.co.uk, comments: "Cities across the Middle East and Asia have grown in popularity this year, from the relatively nearby Dubai and Istanbul to far-flung hotspots like Hong Kong and Beijing. From London, you can fly to Dubai in the same time that it takes to drive to Scotland, making this exciting and family-friendly city more accessible than ever.""
"No one is sitting down at the family table back in Surrey and saying "Lets take the kids to Dubai for the family vacation". (A Psyguy insight!)
"Brits look to Dubai for holiday deals this autumn
"Sep 11, 2012
"LONDON, England - Dubai is the number one destination for holiday deals this autumn, and the second-most popular autumn destination overall after New York, according to new figures from the website dealchecker.co.uk.
"Dubai's profile as a holiday hotspot has risen dramatically this year. The number of Brits searching for cheap holidays to Dubai this spring and summer rose 36 per cent compared to the same period last year, and new ACI Passenger and Freight Flash Reports show that Dubai International Airport posted a 13.7 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in the first half of 2012.
"Mark Attwell, MD of dealchecker.co.uk, comments: "Cities across the Middle East and Asia have grown in popularity this year, from the relatively nearby Dubai and Istanbul to far-flung hotspots like Hong Kong and Beijing. From London, you can fly to Dubai in the same time that it takes to drive to Scotland, making this exciting and family-friendly city more accessible than ever.""
*Giggle*
Deal checker is your source, really? (Incidentally, percent is one word not two [per cent], when quoting you should correct the error and follow with the term [sic] in italics. This is short for "sic erat scriptum", roughly translated it means "thus so written" [sic]}).
So they rose 36% over last year, what were the number of travelers last year. If there were only 100 travelers last year, a 36% increase would mean a total of 136 travelers this year. That type of increase is not impressive. Thats like these ME schools that site "a tripling enrollment", when they only had 20 students in the program last year.
So they rose 36% over last year, what were the number of travelers last year. If there were only 100 travelers last year, a 36% increase would mean a total of 136 travelers this year. That type of increase is not impressive. Thats like these ME schools that site "a tripling enrollment", when they only had 20 students in the program last year.
Abu Dhabi is a good place for families though Dubai has a lot more to do in general. I am not sure if many schools in the ME would hire single mums though but this something you would have to check.
Lots of Brits do come to Dubai. It has seen an increase after the uprising in Egypt. Personally I don't see it as a holiday destination. Many British tourists end up getting too drunk and end up in jail.
Lots of Brits do come to Dubai. It has seen an increase after the uprising in Egypt. Personally I don't see it as a holiday destination. Many British tourists end up getting too drunk and end up in jail.
Even though I've never been there, in this past year I've met two single mothers living in Abu Dhabi teaching in different schools. So, it may not be common but they're definitely out there. One seemed to be pleased with the situation and one was not but I don't think it had anything to do with being a single-parent.
I make a checklist of the things that I personally value for my family. Then I check those against any potential places that we might move. Everyone will have different standards. I try to make sure that my kids will have access to the extra-curricular activities that they really love-for us it's scouts. Safety is also a big factor. In addition, I want to make sure that the school has a mix of children so mine don't feel left out. And again, I make sure there is affordable help available. I've had to make some hard decisions but when you put it down on paper, it becomes much easier to see what you need to do.
I make a checklist of the things that I personally value for my family. Then I check those against any potential places that we might move. Everyone will have different standards. I try to make sure that my kids will have access to the extra-curricular activities that they really love-for us it's scouts. Safety is also a big factor. In addition, I want to make sure that the school has a mix of children so mine don't feel left out. And again, I make sure there is affordable help available. I've had to make some hard decisions but when you put it down on paper, it becomes much easier to see what you need to do.
Thank you everyone for all of the advice. I haven't ruled out the Middle East but have been focused primarily on Latin America or the Caribbean simply because it's a little closer to home and this is a new experience for me so I'd like to get my feet wet before I completely jump in. I plan to make a career out of this and am delighted at the idea of being able to live in different countries. Does anyone have any experience single parenting in some of the Latin American or Caribbean countries?