Family moving to China to teach english

[Bennett99]

Hi all.

We are a NZ husband and wide with a 10 year old daughter moving to China to teach English. Has anyone else taken their child with them? How did it go?

Many thanks

Robyn

[scottishlaura]

Just saw this - we moved here two years ago with our two sons, then aged 4 and 1. They love it, we love it and have no plans to move back to the UK any time soon. Feel free to ask me any more specific questions - where are you going to be teaching and how are you going to educate your daughter?

[Bennett99]

We are going to Qingdao. Not exactly sure where ye - still sorting it out.

For our daughter we thought we would do a mixture of local school and NZ correspondence school. I am hoping she will learn some Mandarin while she is there. The agency setting us up is organizing a school for her. It will be a bit hit and miss but if we keep up the correspondence school it won't matter. I have a heap of questions....sorry - I'll start with a couple. 1. Is there an age limit in China by which you are not allowed to leave them at home alone? I.e.in NZ we can not leave an under 14 home alone. 2. How safe is it generally for a white skinned/ blondish 10year old girl? 3. What should I not leave home without? I am planning to send over deodorant and a smoke alarm - anything else?

Thanks so much for your help

Robyn

[scottishlaura]

Your combination of schooling sounds good, friends I knew sent their kids to local school for a while but they found it too hard so ended up home schooling. For Mandarin you probably want to find a private tutor as they can work at her level.

I don't know of any minimum ages for leaving kids home. What many locals and expats do is hire an "ayi" - this is a cleaner/housekeeper/cook/nanny, basically they will do whatever you ask them to and will work part time or full time as you chose. This is not expensive (think rmb1000-1500 per month for full time, depending on where you live) and is a great way to make life much easier. Anyway, such a person could keep an eye on your daughter when you were out if you didn't want to leave her home alone.

Although your daughter will stand out and be noticed I think she will be perfectly safe. My kids are half Chinese but still stand out some, we let the older one (6 1/2) run around our compound himself or go call on his friends within the apartment complex and I think he is safe (safer than home probably as there are no cars within the compound).

To bring, mmmmm, you really can get most stuff here now. I would say basic medicine kit ie thermometer, children's paracetamol, some rehydration sachets in case of bad tummy, imodium for the same reason, as if your child gets sick the last thing you want to do is start hunting around the local pharmacy for medicine. Deodorant is a good one, also ladies shaving cream unless you don't mind using men's ones that smell of men IYKWIM. Toothpaste if you are fussy ie I have sensitive teeth so bring a brand from home I know helps. Shoes/underwear/clothes for you and your partner unless you are Chinese size. Good quality shoes for your daughter as I can't seem to find hard-wearing kids shoes here.

[BrandeX]

I have seen smoke alarms in the stores here. However I can't say I have ever noticed one in anyone's home. Everything in concrete anyway and not really susceptible to burning down. It would likely go off everytime a local person cooks their food anyways, which is maybe why I haven't seen them. As for school, foreigners are not permitted to attend school for local children, as you don't have hukou's. You will need to verify where they are trying to enrol you, intl. schools cost more than you will make, but there is some "kinda fake" style intl. or private schools around, which are also often a bit pricey. Personally I intend to probably leave before my daughter is old enough for school here.

Edited February 11, 2010 at 08:15 AM by BrandeX

[Bennett99]

Thanks for that - I will make up a 1st aid kit with that in it before we go.

BrandeX - you may be right about the school but the agency clearly told us that she had to go to school there. Will wait and see what actually happen in the end. It might be the 'kinda fake' type - they said there was money for her to earn by talking to other kids.

I appreciate your help

Cheers

Robyn

[BrandeX]

they said there was money for her to earn by talking to other kids.

That right there would make me be highly concerned personally with what their intentions are for my child. Don't forget schools, agencies, intl. programs, etc. are there to make themselves money. Foreign teachers are just tools, like a chalkboard or notebook. It is important to watch over your own interests as much as possible here.

[Lu]

they said there was money for her to earn by talking to other kids.

I agree, that doesn't sound good. The goal should be her education, her making money or improving other kids' English should be nowhere near priority.

[HedgePig]

As for school, foreigners are not permitted to attend school for local children

I don't think this is always true although it might vary from city to city.

Also, not all local private schools are fiendishly expensive (at least not here in Shanghai.) Our elder one is at a local private school. She seems to be the only foreigner in the school and certainly hasn't suffered any discrimination. In fact probably the opposite - she can get probably get away with more than most local kids can.

Local school will be tough though, especially if your daughter doesn't speak, read and write Mandarin. (Our daughter started at the beginning of first grade and although she was fluent in spoken Mandarin and could read quite well for her age, she was still behind many of the local kids.) If your daughter is in 5th grade, she will have a LOT of catching up to do and I don't think the school will help very much - simply won't be used to dealing with this. Teaching styles seem to be very rigid and repetitive in nature which will probably take some getting used to.

I also fully agree with ScottishLaura about safety not being a big issue. Although people will be curious about this foreign kid. It won't be hostile but might be annoying - depending on your daughter.

[Bennett99]

All very valid points. I guess the whole reason we are going is the cultural experience. Her educational needs will be met NZ correspondence school - so it doesn't really matter what happens during the school day except to be part of a culture and experience things that she doesn't have an opportunity to do here.