Another Would you emigrate if??

[greenfamily]

Would you emigrate and leave South Africa for New Zealand if you did not have children?

[brad77]

yes! thats what I did. There is no good reason to stay and wait to get raped and murdered. Good luck to you if you are willing to take the risk.

[Tania]

In the past I use to be one of those people that said, i will never leave....im in the saps and let me tell you - things are out of control
 

[Rhodan]

I'm going, although I don't have children. If I had kids, I would probably have left long ago.

[MJ]

Yes I still would go - another thing to worry about is the care in your retirement in SA unless you are fortunate to have a large nest egg.

[worsie]

I too in a way regret not going sooner, now that i have children its much harder. When I think back, i was worried back then of being able to support myself until I got a job, now I have that same worry but have to think about supporting my wife and kids too.

But hey, if I left all those years ago, I would not have met my wife - so actually i have no regrets about staying so long.

[zatexnz]

It sure is easier without the kids...  We did it the first time from SA to USA, without kids... (well I fell pg just 5 weeks before we left, but that doesnt count in this discussion).   It was so much easier.  Only two people's papers to get.  We were only two adults who don't leave things all over the place, so it was easier to keep the house in prestine condition to sell it.  We didn't have to worry about anybody else's emotional feelings.

Now it's so different.  We have an eight yr old who is so sensitive and had been acting up at school, because he feels angry that we cannot live in the land of his birth.  He's insecure because he doesn't know what to expect in NZ.... what will school be like, will he be able to understand the other kids?  Will they understand him?  Will his friends here remember him?  He will miss them...   for a long time, without our knowledge,, he was crying himself to sleep because we were not taking our cat along... now we are and he is so happy...  $3000 extra for the happiness of my children.  My 6yr old has less of an idea of what is really going on... she doesn't seem to really understand the distance involved, and the full implications.  But it's hard to keep the house clean with their toys keeping on migrating to the lounge. 

[Nolan]

Candice (6) is now starting to comprehend that we are moving to the other side of the world. She was asking us what the time is in NZ last night and asking if it is 'next to America', so out come the maps yet again. We are slowly winning.

As it is more difficult with kids, we have decided to see if we can leave end Oct / begin Nov  , so please hold thumbs that we get PR and everything sold before then 

[zatexnz]

I'll do more than that... I'll pray! 

We're going to have to arrange a huge Christmas get together for all who have arrived there this year... you guys that are already there.... start looking at venues and where is going to be most convenient for all to meet - seeing as we have members who will be settling all the way from Auckland down to Christchurch! 

[zatexnz]

Oh and Nolan, Heidi also asked yesterday... "what's it like now in NZ?"  So I go into explaining that we're going into summer, and they're going into winter, and she says "No, Mommy - NOW.... are they sleeping?"  So I looked up at the clock and said yes, it's the middle of the night there now, but it's really tomorrow night for them already.   she just scrunched up her freckled nose and said, "that's crazy!" 

[Nolan]

We are all going to all this trouble to 'prepare' our kids for the move, but within a month of being there, they will all be Kiwis anyway 

What on the otherhand are we doing to prepare ourselves mentally for the move, or rather the settling in process? We are easily able to justify and prepare for the move away from SA, but we also need to prepare for the move to NZ.

[Badprop]

Emotionally it is a roller coaster and man what a ride.  It helps chatting to other people in the same frame of mind and who understands what you are going thru.   

[Sandramiles]

Yes we would.  however having kids plays a huge part in the decision.
I agree that the kids will probably adjust much quicker than we will.

The wait is the hardest,our boys heard we going but my youngest seems to think the end of the year is a life time away ( he is 7) can't understand why we not going NOW? 

[natasjab]

I agree, it is more difficult when you have kids.  I always say that Dirk and I can sleep on a park bench and live from bread and water, but not the kids.  Both our kids Divan (12) and Ciara (4 in June) are looking forward to the "trip".  Ciara keeps on asking when we are going, December too far and I have to keep on showing her (10 fingers in the air) how many more "slapies".  Divan has other questions about school and karate classes.  The only thing that really bothers Ciara is the "stropie" that she'll have to drink when we get on the plane.  She heard us talking to my cousin, who left for NZ on 10 May 07, about the "stropie" that relaxes the kids and she's very upset as she wants to see everything her brother sees. 

[brad77]

Can I have some of that stuff too? I am tired but still working and it is 10.44pm! Reports due tomorrow!