So anyone thought of moving back/already moved back???

[Krikit 1,163]

You know, I've just read the same type of horrific story in the Canadian forum, but they are here in the US. I am just so sad for everybody going through these hard times.

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

Do you think, as a teacher, that the legislation surrounding disciplining a child (from banning spanking to parents suing the school because widdle Junior got a failing grade to children committing and getting away with increasingly violent crimes) has had a negative impact upon parental discipline?

That's part of it, I'm sure, but also that some parents are completely wrapped up in their own lives to be a real parent to their children. Also, there are far too many parents who want to be a "friend" to their children...never telling them "no," buying them anything they want, always believing whatever they say (children NEVER lie, do they?), coddling them to the point where they have absolutely no idea how to function on their own, bailing them out when they do something wrong (usually getting in trouble with the law), allowing their children to manipulate them because of a divorce, etc...

I teach high school (mostly 15-18 year olds), so I tend to see the aftereffects of bad parenting...I only see the students for about an hour a day, but, at the beginning of the school year, it usually takes me only a couple of days to identify those "bad" parents. There's a part of me that feels badly for the children; some of them are just a product of how their parents raised them. However, that does not alter my expectations of their behaviour in MY classroom.

[ladyynara 0]

Lack of parental discipline is everywhere, even in the US...since I am a teacher, I see it every day...most parents are good, but the ones who abdicate parental responsibility to someone else (teachers, church, the state) are the ones that cause the vast majority of the problem...I'm sure it's the same in the UK as well...

I wasn't saying it's perfect in the US by any means. My Mother in Law is a teacher in an inner city elementary school and the things she tells us these little kids do are horrifying. However, it seems like because the UK (particularly in the SE of England where I am) the population is so concentrated there is no escape from it. There are always kids hanging outside the local shops making trouble and scaring people and the police don't seem to care. I hardly ever see a police officer around here. I don't remember getting harassed like that anywhere of the many places I lived in the US.

[rebeccajo 14]

Bear in mind that once in the UK you are earning in pounds, not dollars.

The relative affordability of housing depends on where in the US you move from - from CA it's not that much of a stretch, especially if you move to one of the cheaper areas of the UK (which I believe the OP plans to do, if memory serves).

You're still taking your dollars and slashing them in half as far as immediate purchasing power.

Granted, if you are selling real estate in CA and have sizeable equity, you MIGHT have enough dollars to convert to some sort of 'start up' fund for the UK. But I don't believe the OP is a property owner at all in the US.

It's hard for a young couple to get a foothold in any country. Well, not 'hard' - but there's always some struggling at first. Establishing careers; learning how to budget for a family vs. spending habits from 'singlehood'; making wise choices with credit; purchasing a home. I guess if a young family wants to move to the UK to begin their life, they will ultimately be as successful as they would in the US. It's not like the two economies are THAT different.

For me as a middle-aged person, much as I love the UK and can surely appreciate the NHS, public transit, and the everyday conveniences I loved about life over there, I'd be pretty much scared to death to take my dollars over there right now and hope to find affordable housing. And I'm speaking of returning to my husband's birthplace in Northern Ireland where housing was VERY affordable until the very recent past (ie the price of real estate has nearly tripled since Wes left Londonderry in late 2005).

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Granted, if you are selling real estate in CA and have sizeable equity, you MIGHT have enough dollars to convert to some sort of 'start up' fund for the UK. But I don't believe the OP is a property owner at all in the US.

It's hard for a young couple to get a foothold in any country. Well, not 'hard' - but there's always some struggling at first. Establishing careers; learning how to budget for a family vs. spending habits from 'singlehood'; making wise choices with credit; purchasing a home. I guess if a young family wants to move to the UK to begin their life, they will ultimately be as successful as they would in the US. It's not like the two economies are THAT different.

I think it is harder to get a foothold on the property ladder in CA as it is in Northern England. Agree with your point it would be as easier for young people than someone older, though family support goes a long way in making a difference. You are discounting healthcare costs - the OP has a small child. This can offset housing issues significantly.

[Robyn-n-Kris 72]

This is something my fiance and I have discussed. We are going to stay in the US for quite awhile for multiple reasons but we are seriously considering moving back there down the line. Probably near 10 years or so but that can always change. But I am concerned with how high the housing market is but again, till we are closer to even thinking about it its not something I'm overly bothered with for now.

[rebeccajo 14]

Granted, if you are selling real estate in CA and have sizeable equity, you MIGHT have enough dollars to convert to some sort of 'start up' fund for the UK. But I don't believe the OP is a property owner at all in the US.

It's hard for a young couple to get a foothold in any country. Well, not 'hard' - but there's always some struggling at first. Establishing careers; learning how to budget for a family vs. spending habits from 'singlehood'; making wise choices with credit; purchasing a home. I guess if a young family wants to move to the UK to begin their life, they will ultimately be as successful as they would in the US. It's not like the two economies are THAT different.

I think it is harder to get a foothold on the property ladder in CA as it is in Northern England. Agree with your point it would be as easier for young people than someone older, though family support goes a long way in making a difference. You are discounting healthcare costs - the OP has a small child. This can offset housing issues significantly.

The healthcare is no small potatoes, for sure. You'll notice I put it at the top of my list. Indeed if we ever do return it'll likely be for that primary reason.

Edited February 24, 2008 by rebeccajo