Help Australian Moving to the area

MBJ

Hi all,

My son is moving home after living in Australia for the last 20 years, he is returning home with his wife and 2 kids and i am worried about how they will fit into Charlesland. Any advice to make them feel at home?

goat2

treat them the same as everyone else in the familyi also have aussies related to me and they came home this yr after 30 yrs i was 19 when my sibling left and now i have reared a family, he came home with his family i had never seen, they stayed a few months and i had a ball with them, and my children and his children had a great socail life together, they loved it and were sad leaving us, but just treat them normally and have fun with them, dont bother putting on a front or making plans for them just leave them do their own thing, and they will fall in fine,

MBJ

thanks for your advice. i am just very concerned as his wife is leaving all her family, and after speaking to her she seems quite distressed over the move

Rasmus

Charlesland has all sorts of friendly people, I wouldn't worry about them not fitting in. There's especially a lot of young kids, and as the recreational and sporting facilities are excellent nearby, there's a chance to build friendships and networks.

Toto_02

Charlesland and Greystones is a great place for kids, Once you make an effort to get out, there is some playgroup on every day it seems. They will feel athome in no time I think.

cuddlycavies

There is one very obvious thing he's going to miss about Oz. Job security. I dont think his timing is good.

ciaran67

cuddlycavies wrote: »

There is one very obvious thing he's going to miss about Oz. Job security. I dont think his timing is good.

I have to agree. Been here two years, worst timing ever, and having to leave again. Sad about it cos i do like this old town of Gstones.

cuddlycavies

ciaran67 wrote: »

I have to agree. Been here two years, worst timing ever, and having to leave again. Sad about it cos i do like this old town of Gstones.

Same .came back 10 years ago. Australia for all it's material benefits, lacks soul or something. However we are learning that we cannot eat soul.

MBJ

the timing does seem to be wrong,but believe it or not,even though he has been there for the past 20yrs, he has over the last year become very home sick and feels he has to come home! This obviously makes it much harder on his wife and kids.

Rasmus

Is this a definite move they are making?

MBJ

Yes , they are preparing now and hope to be here Jan/Feb . I have tried talking with him but he is fully committed to coming back home and nothing is going to change his mind.

Blandpebbles

Mbj as someone who moved back to Ireland after 17 years and with a wife who had never lived here, my thoughts and hers...

Don't under estimate the effects of cold weather and dark nights. Mentally it's a killer.

Ireland is not the place it was twenty years ago. Mass greed and back stabbing (not trying to start a debate, just our experiences)

Family is good and they will need you to help them very much.

Will they both be working? They will need to get out and socialize. Your son's friends will have moved on and it will be like starting a fresh for them.

His wife will need to develop her own social circle and again this can be a killer mentally, back to my point on the greed and back stabbing.

I remember in the company I joined, my boss had lived in the uk for ten years and stated, man you will think every day what a mistake you made to come home and it will take at least a year to come to terms with ireland again.

How right he was.. It took us both a year to adjust, but work, family and new friends helped us through and we wouldn't go back for anything.. Just know it's not going two be easy.

Pm me if you need to talk about it more.

ciaran67

MBJ wrote: »

Yes , they are preparing now and hope to be here Jan/Feb . I have tried talking with him but he is fully committed to coming back home and nothing is going to change his mind.

Homesickness is a killer. When i left Vancouver and moved back to London it took about a month for my head to start echoing, what the hell have you done!

Langerland

Hi OP - will certainly be very hard initially for your daughter in law. Are the kids young? I'd advise getting them into some of the sporting clubs in the community - GAA, rugby, soccer.....it will be a great way for them to find friends out of school and also, an excellent way for your daughter in law to meet other parents in the area while watching matches etc.

If your daughter in law hasn't been here before however, I think the weather will be a nasty shock.

MrsA

Langerland wrote: »

If your daughter in law hasn't been here before however, I think the weather will be a nasty shock.

Depending on where they live in Australia it might not be that much of a shock, Tasmania has wet winters and dark nights, Victoria has cold winters as well and they are getting a lot of rain at the moment.

It is not all sunshine in Oz either.

I don't think his wife will settle in Ireland, I lived in Australia for 3 years and I think we made a mistake moving back to Ireland. She will regret it and she will miss her family a lot. Australia is a lot more friendly to families, and depending on the ages of their children they might never forgive them for this move!!