Thinking about relocating from US with 3 kids.....

[US-BOS1]

I've been thinking about a relocation with my company.... I have three children under 5. I have concerns over Medical care and schools. Knowing the move wouldn't be longer than 5 years, how can I keep my kids up to date on US education?

Also, any recommendations on districts to live in with KIDS?

[Rexeter]

Hi. I live in New Hampshire and will be moving to Singapore this summer with my wife and two kids. Feel free to email me back.

Ron

[road.not.taken]

We moved to Singapore with three kids under 4 a while back.

Here's why you should do it:

Schools are excellent. Ours attend the American school (SAS), we thought we were on a two year assignment and it was paid in full by our company, so it was the most logical choice. There are many options to choose from from, for all budgets (however most do not follow a US curriculum).

Health care is absolutely top-notch, much cheaper and much more accessible than in the US, so it is just plain better.

Another big plus: For under USD $1000/month you can have full-time, live-in help.

Then there are all the other benefits: fantastic travel destinations, safe living environment, raising kids with a cultural awareness they may not get at home, etc...

US-BOS1, if you decide on SAS, you may want to consider living in the Woodlands. Not sure what your budget is, but with such small kids, it might make sense. It is a huge American community adjacent to the campus -- more built-in buddies than they'll know what to do with and proximity to their after school activities - this will be more important later). Other than that I wouldn't suggest the East Coast or West coast as the commute time to SAS is bad and the availability of school chums will be sparse. No matter what your budget, I would get the kids school sorted out first, then find a place within 20 minutes or so.

[rosborn]

I fully concur with road.not.taken about the upsides of living here. With a young family, with all upsides taken into consideration, we would not want to live anywhere else at this time.
Sure it's not perfect. It's hot and humid for starters and there's not decent beaches with clear waterways on an island, if you can imagine but really it's full of many firnedly expats and locals and making friends and finding communities is easy if you are willing to put yourself out there. This website is a good start.
I also suggest you do the research a little before you come about location of schools. The American School is near Malaysia and an American lady I know signed her 5 year old up before moving here and now had the pool girl catching a school bus at 7am to get there at 8.30 (from the River Valley Area). The there very good International Schools much closer and the community at these will be much more diverse (some have 80 nationalities!) and that may further enrich your life.
To name a few there is United World College, Overseas Family School, Tanglin Trust, Canadian School, Australian School, Chatsworth.
Anyway, do it, you won't be sorry.

[Rexeter]

Hi, Zialisa. Thanks for your reply about moving from NH to SG. I wanted to reply to you, but since I'm a newbie, the system wouldn't let me do so. I would love to correspond further. Could you PMl me. Thanks.

Ron

[road.not.taken]

The American School is near Malaysia and an American lady I know signed her 5 year old up before moving here and now had the pool girl catching a school bus at 7am to get there at 8.30 (from the River Valley Area). The there very good International Schools much closer and the community at these will be much more diverse (some have 80 nationalities!) .

Just wanted to clarify:

The SAS day starts at 8:00am not 8:30am -- and the children need to get there before the bell rings. Also, the latest statistics show that 50 countries are represented in the student body. I would agree that there are are good school all over, but I would always find the right school and then the housing.

[boffenl]

The American community here is quite large. I agree with most of what the other two posters have mentioned. I have a seven year old who attends a local school, but we have plans to be here longer than 5 years.

If your company will pay for SAS, it's a good plan to live in Woodlands for the kids sake. If your company doesn't pay for schooling, you may need to consider other options as most "international" schools are quite expensive--esp. for 3 little people.

The health care here is amazing. We've been very happy with the service and care we receive at the public hospitals and clinics.

Good luck! I don't think you would regret it!

[Rexeter]

Thanks, everyone, for your welcoming words and advice. I plan to home school my 9 and 7 year old children next year in SG. I know there are fine schools in SG, but my wife's assignment is just for one year and we want to travel with her on her business trips without worrying about the school schedule. I am an educator by trade so I should be able to pull this off. Mostly I'm worried about helping the kids to make friends. We are thinking of joining the American club and I'll get the kids into various lessons. Any other suggestions about how to help my kids meet other kids would be great. My 7 year old son is especially interested in meeting other skateboarders. We'll arrive some time in August, and I look forward to meeting many of you then.

Ron

[road.not.taken]

Sounds fun, and I'm a little envious. When you get here -- I suggest you see a doctor who can set you up with a prophylactic course of cipro or something similar for the kids. Depending on how exotic some of your destinations are, you may find you have to be a healthcare professional as well as educator. You may also want to get the kids some Singapore Maths textbooks and workbooks, all available at Popular bookstores here. A great way to supplement a US based curriculum. As far as the kids meeting other kids -- you may want to check out the offerings at SACAC or scouting.

[boffenl]

Hi Ron,

It's GREAT you'll be homeschooling your kids. There is a very large homeschooling community made up of lots of different people--some very similar to your own circumstance.

Joining a club is a great idea to get your kids new playmates. Join before you come so you can register for swim classes, and the other fun stuff the club has going on. I also know they do fun camps for kids designed around the SAS school holidays. That might be another easy way for your kids to make friends.

Good luck! You'll find lots of resources, but do try to plug into the homeschooling community soon. They'll be the most helpful.

[zialisa]

I agree with RNT, SACAC would be a good resource for the kids. Here's the link: http://www.sacac.com

[Rexeter]

I greatly appreciate the tip on SACAC. It looks like a terrific resource that I hadn't seen before. Does one have to be member of the Singapore American club to be involved with SACAC? I was looking into the club anyway, but I'm just curious. As for home schooling, the only links I'm finding for home schooling in Singapore seem dated and I wonder if there are some easy ways to get connected with that community. Thanks, everyone, for being so helpful.

Ron

[road.not.taken]

No, you do not need to be a member of the Club to be a member of SACAC. You may however, have to be a member of the American Association of Singapore (but I think that has changed). They are a helpful resource as well, especially if you'll really just be here one year.

http://www.aasingapore.com/