Hola
I may need to move my teenager to the Marbella area obviously, I know this is not a good time to uproot her.
However, needs must. My daughter is 13 has anyone or can anyone offer good advice - I already know the 'how could you be so selfish line'
R
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Moving Teenagers to Spain
I moved three teenagers. The youngest was 13.
Mine all went to an international school and will return to the UK for university. That was always the plan.
The 13 year old is now 16 and still loves it here. I recently asked him if he would like to return to England and go to college instead of taking his A levels here (the choice of subjects is quite limited in his school) but he was horrified with the suggestion!
Kids seem to have much more freedom here to go out and enjoy themselves. This weekend for instance it's San Juan and all night camping on the beach!
Mine all went to an international school and will return to the UK for university. That was always the plan.
The 13 year old is now 16 and still loves it here. I recently asked him if he would like to return to England and go to college instead of taking his A levels here (the choice of subjects is quite limited in his school) but he was horrified with the suggestion!
Kids seem to have much more freedom here to go out and enjoy themselves. This weekend for instance it's San Juan and all night camping on the beach!
Hi
Just to share my experience, my son was also 13 when we moved and we placed him in a Spanish state school which he loved. The problem was after school there was a very viscous animosity between the Spanish and English children up to the point of violence. We had to keep our children inside to avoid trouble. I know this was just one small gang of Spanish children but they certainly spoiled it for us. That wasn't the only reason we returned to the UK but was certainly a contributing factor. Now we are home my son has a very active social life and he can actually go out in the evening without fear of violence. Please don't let your daughters age put you off as the Spanish school were fantastic it was just the gangs always lurking around that put us off. Good luck
Just to share my experience, my son was also 13 when we moved and we placed him in a Spanish state school which he loved. The problem was after school there was a very viscous animosity between the Spanish and English children up to the point of violence. We had to keep our children inside to avoid trouble. I know this was just one small gang of Spanish children but they certainly spoiled it for us. That wasn't the only reason we returned to the UK but was certainly a contributing factor. Now we are home my son has a very active social life and he can actually go out in the evening without fear of violence. Please don't let your daughters age put you off as the Spanish school were fantastic it was just the gangs always lurking around that put us off. Good luck
Hi Rosie,
We were actually in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena, I know it was just a small group of Spanish teenagers but they were very threatening. They were just very anti English and seemed to be quite racist particularly towards English boys. As I said this wasn't the only reason we moved back to England my son had an illness that wasn't treated very well so we returned home. But please do not get me wrong the school was excellent, there was no more bullying than you would find in any state school and my son enjoyed his time there.
We were actually in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmadena, I know it was just a small group of Spanish teenagers but they were very threatening. They were just very anti English and seemed to be quite racist particularly towards English boys. As I said this wasn't the only reason we moved back to England my son had an illness that wasn't treated very well so we returned home. But please do not get me wrong the school was excellent, there was no more bullying than you would find in any state school and my son enjoyed his time there.
I think it depends on how your teenagers feel about moving. I was 14 when my parents moved here and i refused to come. Instead i stayed in England to complete my GCSE's. As i am not close to my familiy in England in the end i had no choice but to move over here after school finished. I have been here 2 years now and still hate it. I cant wait to find a way of going to college in England. ( but i dont want to go back to my own family) I have a younger brother who was 4 when we moved here and i think the so called 'Better way of life' was more for him than me. I now have a very good job in a company but this is not the path i have always imagined myself taking. Although i have friends in similar positions who love it here. But I think you and your child need to have a serious talk and make sure they are not just saying what they think you want to hear, I always new that living abroad was my mums dream and never wanted to spoil that.
Teenagers reluctant to leave UK
Thanks what a good reply. I agree with you and I will never force April to come to Spain until she is ready. Luckily for me she has a great dad in the UK.
I will suggest that she comes over for school holidays - although A is 13 it has to be her decision.
thanks for a great insight from a younger person's perspective.
Rosie
I will suggest that she comes over for school holidays - although A is 13 it has to be her decision.
thanks for a great insight from a younger person's perspective.
Rosie
We moved her with two teens aged 13(girl and 14 (boy) and a 3yr old ,she loved it and his still here and at first was always going back to the uk until the time came........ and now she says she can never see herself going back. Son knew what he wanted to do and we managed to get him into uk college 1 year early , (living with older brothers) towards the end of his course he was asked if he wanted to sit any GCSE's his tutor was confident that dispite his abscense from a uk for school for 3 yrs that he would pass his Maths, English and Science Gcse's with no problem 
, in the meantime he got the Appriceship he was after so the GCSE's went out the window he is now in the 2nd year of his Engineering Apprenticeship with a very large International Companyand loving every minuet of it, especialy as at every opportunity he is on a cheap flight over here to top up his tan, meet up with his spanish friends and keep his 2nd language 
If you have any probelms with the other children, speak to the parents because here they still have respect/fear? as do the teachers!! As for me I am so glad we made the move when we did.
, in the meantime he got the Appriceship he was after so the GCSE's went out the window he is now in the 2nd year of his Engineering Apprenticeship with a very large International Companyand loving every minuet of it, especialy as at every opportunity he is on a cheap flight over here to top up his tan, meet up with his spanish friends and keep his 2nd language If you have any probelms with the other children, speak to the parents because here they still have respect/fear? as do the teachers!! As for me I am so glad we made the move when we did.-
RichardCoeurdeLion
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daisylulu
Hi,
My daughter is a little younger at 11...we have been here since the end of January and she was very nervous about the move. We enrolled her at the small village school as soon as we arrived here, she is the only english child there and is loving it. The children and teachers were very welcoming and helpful. She knew a few very basic spanish words but is learning fast...as i speak she is sat here playing a board game with her spanish friend and chatting away in spanish. In the UK she was NEVER allowed out on her own but here she is out everyday with her friends and now that she is on school holidays they have started to go to the village pool.
We couldn't be happier at the way she has settled in and she is really enjoying herself
Good luck to you
My daughter is a little younger at 11...we have been here since the end of January and she was very nervous about the move. We enrolled her at the small village school as soon as we arrived here, she is the only english child there and is loving it. The children and teachers were very welcoming and helpful. She knew a few very basic spanish words but is learning fast...as i speak she is sat here playing a board game with her spanish friend and chatting away in spanish. In the UK she was NEVER allowed out on her own but here she is out everyday with her friends and now that she is on school holidays they have started to go to the village pool.
We couldn't be happier at the way she has settled in and she is really enjoying herself
Good luck to you
Hi Marina
I am so glad your son is enjoying his life, I am just curious as to what profession he will go into when he leaves education and whether he feel he has a good selection of career options to choose from.
I have found with my youngest son (he is 15 and there is a 14 year gap between him and my middle daughter) that children in England are very different now and have different expectations. We feel very safe where we live in England, and my son has a very active social life along with his friends, going to restaurants, the cinema and various music concerts and I certainly didn't feel safer when living in Spain than I do in England. But I miss aspects of Spain and hopefully once my son is established in his own life will be able to return for a few months at a time.
I am so glad your son is enjoying his life, I am just curious as to what profession he will go into when he leaves education and whether he feel he has a good selection of career options to choose from.
I have found with my youngest son (he is 15 and there is a 14 year gap between him and my middle daughter) that children in England are very different now and have different expectations. We feel very safe where we live in England, and my son has a very active social life along with his friends, going to restaurants, the cinema and various music concerts and I certainly didn't feel safer when living in Spain than I do in England. But I miss aspects of Spain and hopefully once my son is established in his own life will be able to return for a few months at a time.
I have one daughter in her second year of university (in England) and my eldest son is due to go this autumn. My youngest son will probably do the same.
It was always part of the plan that they would return to finish their education. I doubt if they will return to live in Spain as they will have many more career options in England, particularly as they do not speak Spanish fluently.
Where we are now is certainly not crime free, in fact the youngest was mugged only last week! All three have had their share of trouble from other teenagers but they all still say they feel much safer here and feel that they have much better social lives here (apart from my daughter who now seems to be taking her degree in partying!).
When we return to visit the UK, they do not feel safe going into town at night even though we lived in a lovely small market town. All of the night life in the town takes place around the town centre and there is little chance of avoiding the rif raf, whereas here, the area is much more family orientated.
It was always part of the plan that they would return to finish their education. I doubt if they will return to live in Spain as they will have many more career options in England, particularly as they do not speak Spanish fluently.
Where we are now is certainly not crime free, in fact the youngest was mugged only last week! All three have had their share of trouble from other teenagers but they all still say they feel much safer here and feel that they have much better social lives here (apart from my daughter who now seems to be taking her degree in partying!).
When we return to visit the UK, they do not feel safe going into town at night even though we lived in a lovely small market town. All of the night life in the town takes place around the town centre and there is little chance of avoiding the rif raf, whereas here, the area is much more family orientated.
Teenagers in Spain
Erm... Hi. I'm signed in under my step-dad's account. Just want some opinions. I'm 14 and just about to start my GCSE's. My mum and step-dad want to move to Spain. ASAP. My dad lives in wales so if I wanted to stay here til I finish I could but, I've always lived with my mum. Plus my dad's getting married in Oct to someone who's already done the kid thing and might not want me and my sis hanging around. I don't know what to do and would really appreciate your advice 
Thanks annie_d
Hi. thanks for replying so quick. I think ASAP would be this year!! I can speak very little Spanish. Just yr 7 school stuff. I really appreciate any advice so if any one else has anything to say please write 
I can speak very little Spanish. Just yr 7 school stuff. I really appreciate any advice so if any one else has anything to say please write 
What an awkward situation for you.
My opinion is that you would be best to get your GCSE's out of the way in the UK. If you have a career in mind that you want to follow then I think you need to be in the UK at this stage in your life.
Have you spoken to your your father about staying with him and his new wife? Are they any other relations to whom you are close who you could live with?
My opinion is that you would be best to get your GCSE's out of the way in the UK. If you have a career in mind that you want to follow then I think you need to be in the UK at this stage in your life.
Have you spoken to your your father about staying with him and his new wife? Are they any other relations to whom you are close who you could live with?
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