Would You Move to Mexico With Your Kids?

Would You Move to Mexico With Your Kids?

How does moving your kids to a foreign country effect them?


Those are very good questions. Why would you want to sell
everything and move to Mexico (or any different country) with
your kids? My husband and I thought long and hard about that
question because we knew it would effect the rest of their lives.

It was not like we didn't have a choice; it was not an employer
requesting our move. There was no major reason, no urgency ...
only our desire.

Basically, we just wanted to do it! We actually felt the need to
show our children a different country, a different way to live
and a different culture. Plus, we are adventurers at heart. All
that being said, what would life be like for our kids?

In case you are considering moving to another country with your
kids, here is what we have found after almost five years of
living in Mexico, and we live with the results of our choice
every day.

We made the move from Canada to Mexico when our son was eight
and our daughter was eleven. Our son was very laid back and
loved the idea of moving to a place with palm trees. Our
daughter was horrified. After all, at age 11, she had friends
and a life.

It wasn't at all easy, as there were language barriers, new
schools, and new ways of thinking for all of us in our newly
adopted country. We have however, managed to get through it all
thus far and learned a lot in the process. Now our son is 13 and
our daughter is almost 16 and, as we suspected, their lives are
permanently altered. My husband and I like what we see though.
The kids now have a second language and a real understanding of
cultural difference and different ways of life. They don't see
one as being better than another, just different. That kind of
view has got to be good for the world.

They adapt to different situations without a lot of stress. They
are free thinkers; they question a lot and take very little at
face value. The downside is that they sometimes question their
parents' statements and challenge many of the beliefs we carry.
Our son now considers himself Mexican and has asked to school in
Canada for a year in grade ten. He tells us it will help him
understand the world better! We did not anticipate that - but he
was only eight when we moved and most of his memories are now of
Mexico.

Our daughter threw us a curve ball; she wants to continue her
university education here in Mexico. I didn't expect that. I
guess I just figured they would go back to Canada for university
or maybe somewhere else in the world to continue an exploration
on their own. But she wants to perfect her Spanish and pursue
teaching and possibly translation work. She also wants to
perfect her English skills by whatever means so that it benefits
her teaching and translation skills, and so that she can be a
writer as well. At this point she considers her home to be
Mexico.

Would I do it again? Things or situations crop up and I actually
ask that question - but the answer always come back to yes, I
would do it again.

Suzanne Marie Bandick is a life coach and the author of an
exciting ebook called "Only in Mexico, You Say? The Humorous
Side of Living in Mexico." To order or get further information
on living in Mexico, visit www.SuzanneMarieBandick.com

About the author:
Many people daydream about moving to a different country to find
a quieter life with fewer taxes, less stress and fewer rules.
The Bandick family did it! For the past five years, Suzanne
Bandick, husband Shawn and their children, now ages 14 and 16,
have been living their adventurous dream in Mexico. Suzanne is
an author and live your dreams life coach.