going back

[antonia]

Well the decision has been made and we are going back to the UK...not yet but planning to return July 2009 in time to get the children back into there old school. We have had a fantastic time out here and are not returning because we have failed, we just strongly believe that as a family our future is not here. Would like to have given it another year, but by going next year our eldest can spend the last year in primary school in the Uk and spend the next year playing catch up before Secondary school.

My emotions have been up and down recently, but now we have decided i am very calm and am looking forward to appreciating what we have here and enjoying life. Just wanted to share this with somebody as we are going to tell everyone in Dec when we pop back for a quick visit.

[dido72]

Good luck Jo it sounds like the right decision for you, all the best,

Diana.

[antonia]

Thanks Diana, i have just spoken to the boys old school. The headteacher scares me She has said that although they may be fluent in another language the eldest one needs to know his times table fluently as he will go into year 6 and the younger one needs to be able to read and write in English as although he has just started Primary year 1 here, he will go back to being in year 3...really scary..need to sort this out..but where to start?

[daisylulu]

Good luck to you, it can't have been an easy decision to make.

Louise xx

[BENIDORM]

Antonia,
I fully understand and respect your decision to return to the UK, if you don't think it is right for you and your family, then I am sure that you are 100% correct with your decision.

I made a similar decision 30 years ago, after emigrating to the USA, we enjoyed our stay there, but it never seemed 'quite right', I have no regrets about returning, and never looked back..

I would say that living abroad, Spain or anywhere else, is a challenge, and for many it really works, and I wouldn't want to put off anyway who is considering moving abroad, even if you return to your homeland, I'm sure that it makes you a much stronger person.

Antonia,I wish you and your family Good Luck and Good Health and Much Happiness for the future.

Regards,
Gordon

[antonia]

Thanks Benidorm.....BUT...guys please stop now as i am about to cry

[country boy]

Hey...don't cry, it's only two hours by sleazy jet, you can always visit. Perhaps you'll get rich and be able to have a foot in each country. ' Bon Chance' as the French say; also, the forums will still be here so you can keep yourself up to date .

[antonia]

Oh yes we will definately be back, here has been our home for the last 3 years and have made some life lasting friends...i will certainly bore you all at a later date whether here or UK...and lets face it you are really cool people even though i have never met any of you, you have all given me reasons to laugh

[Paula]

Jo, are you able to elaborate on why you have decided to go back? Understand if you would rather not of course! Just wondering if its down to a particular thing that makes it not the right place for you, like work, education, childrens future etc. It would be interesting to hear if you are able to tell us. I always think it is so much harder for families moving here (or anyone having to make a living) but on top of everything else having children to consider must make it doubly hard.
Hope things work out for you.

[princess peach]

Antonia it only feels like a few months since you have been posting on this forum,I have always found you entirely sweet with your comments.
I would like to wish you and your family all the best with your move when the time comes.
The hardest part is the deciding what to do for the best,and now the decision is made you can chill and enjoy just under a year that you have left here.(thats a long time)
Its nice to see a family putting the children first,obviously a lot of thought has gone into working round schooling for them and moving back to UK.

[Wicksey]

I'm sure that now the decision has been made, as Peachey said, you can enjoy the rest of your time here. It must be hard when you have a young family as I know of a few couples who are beginning to think about what their children will do, career-wise, as they are now growing up and approaching secondary school age. I don't have children myself, but I get the impression that the career opportunites would be better in the UK than Spain perhaps?

You can't get away from us 'orrible lot so easily you know .... we shall still be here, lurking on the A.com forum

[antonia]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Paula to answer your question, our reasons for going back mainly focus on the children and my husbands work. His contract is up June 2009, and we could maybe extend it for another year, but that would mean returning in 2010 and our 9 year old will go into Secondary school, but having missed the 1st year of it. If we go 2009 he will do last year of primary and allow him catch up time.Our younger son, 6, has a non inheriteded genetic disorder, and although he is ok at the moment we don't know what the future holds for him and we feel that we are not getting the support here that we would get in the UK..basically that's it...kids are going to be gutted, but it is up to us to decide what is best for them...if we didn't have children then it would be alot easier to have our future here..or elsewhere, but we can always retire here in the distant future

[Julie]

Hi Jo

Good luck with your futures xx

[min200]

We made the same decision for similar reasons last year. We have been back in the UK for a little over a year now and have settled back into life here with no problems. The one thing that has changed is our outlook on life, Spain gave us that. We are no longer dominated with the need for loads of money or high pressure jobs!

We live life to our means and are so much happier with the experience we have gained living abroad.

The kids settled easily back into school here even though they were disappointed to leave their spainish schools and have caught up with their education with no problems.

I know it was a tough decision but be assured that once the move has taken place things will settle quickly into your new normality.

All the best with it.

Nick

[Paula]

Sounds like a good idea getting back for your son to do the last year in primary school. I imagine there will be lots of things they will miss about their life in Spain, but equally I'm sure they will find other things available to them in UK that will soon get them settled and happy with the move. Kids are very adaptable at that age, much harder when they are teens!!
Hope you enjoy your time remaining here, and have stress free preparation!

[antonia]

Nick, nice to hear from another deserter Anything you can advise on ref the childrens education?

Paula, thanks..i think the beach is one of the things that i will miss..sad eeh

[oliveview01]

Folk often say to me when I go back to visit family ´ will you come back here´ as I say, at the present we are very happy where we are, but who knows what the future brings. If I were widowed I do not know if I would stay here alone. Our youngest son says he will ´put us in the very best home we can afford´ when we are old and decrepid
Good luck for the future. I hope your children can keep up with their Spanish, they are very lucky to be able to speak another language so young!

[Troglodyfae]

I applaud your decision as I am sure it was not an easy one. However your timing for your children is spectacular and also your selfless motives. In my experience, this would not have been remotely considered by a lot of parents.

From me and mine I truly wish you and yours the very best of happiness and luck, and hope that you will all be very happy.

Van XX

[anewlife]

Such a shame after 3 years, but I think you are making the right decision for your children’s education. Our son constantly moans about living in Spain and keeps saying ‘I want to go back to England’ but he is 13 and in his first year of secondary education (he was dropped down a year when we came, due to the language) so it would be difficult to go back and get him to integrate into an English Secondary school as I am sure he would find it difficult as I am convinced that the UK has a higher level of education (I may be wrong though). However, he does have his up and down days, last week I asked him ‘how was school today?’ and he replied ‘good’, so I’m not convinced he is truly unhappy here. He speaks fluent Spanish and is now learning French (and reminding me of the words - I have a GCE 'O' Level in French and couldn't remember the word for 'house'!!). He plays football most evenings for a couple of hours (I am sure he is waiting to be scouted – by whom I don’t know!!) so life for him in general is pretty good. He most certainly wouldn’t be able to do that in the UK because of a) the weather and b) the danger after dark.

Times are hard for me and OH at the mo, with the situation being as it is with the credit crunch, but when we sit and talk about it, we would rather be here and not have much money rather than in the UK and not have much money. Fortunately we still have a property in the UK. It still is definitely cheaper to live here on an overall basis.

I can’t leave here now anyway, as my father was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year and I have to be here to support mum and help dad in any which way I can, which includes taking him to Granada Hospital (a 3 hour round trip) for treatment and to see his consultant. But hey, what price health? They looked after me all these years, so now it is time for me to look after dad and mum and I don’t begrudge one minute of it because I love them both.

Hope it all works out for you on your return to the UK and wish you all the very best.
xx

[frog]

good luck,but you aint the first and you wont be the last