Leaving HK for the kids...

[GentleGeorge]

Helpers, parental choices and the CCP... Three topics to rile up the commentariat of GeoExpat

Did I mention that communist work units on the mainland provide no-cost childcare to free mothers up to contribute to society?

[ByeByeEngland]

My wife used to do childcare up until a few years ago. The vast majority of it was pre and post school before the parent or parents returned from work. For some it wasn’t a lifestyle choice it was a necessity and a significant bite out of their wage.

For us it was actually a master stroke. Wifey trained and started it after our kids went to school and I swear it was brilliant for our kids too. My wife loved working with kids. I was a bit worried at first but one of the best things we did and we have lifelong parent and mostly grown up children friends as a result.

I lived and worked in and around London for well over 25 years. Anyone that I came into contact with that had anything other than child care was rich enough not to need to work and probably also the sort of parent that would send their kids off to boarding school at the earliest opportunity. These are not normal people who raise families and live through the fun, the pain, the joy the heartache. We should actually consider neutering such offspring at birth. Give it a couple of generations and we’ll just have normal families

[bdw]

I guess I'm lucky I decided not get a full time helper in HK during the 12 years I lived there raising 2 kids. Now I left HK I can 'survive' much easier than the rest of you arsewipes since I have nothing to miss

[Aramis]

exactly what my folks did with mehated it

There are as many perfect parents as there are perfect kids...

[justjoe86]

Maybe the phrase "paved with gold" isn't the best term, I didn't mean that in the literal sense of course, but my point is not stupid at all, if "home" is really so much better, why ever leave it? I just get a little ticked off whenever people say "home" is so much better than where they are now, hey, nobody is stopping them from moving back.

And for the record, I think HK has MANY problems, which I have pointed out in the past repeatedly (i.e. pollution, rudeness, tiny and unaffordable housing etc), but I don't complain about that endlessly and say I wish I was elsewhere. I made my choice to be here, I will live with both its good and bad parts. Maybe some people on here need to remember that aspect of expat living.

Maybe because getting more than one perspective on life is always a good idea. I've learnt a lot having lived in both the UK and HK (about the good and bad aspects of both), have no regrets, but will likely move back to the UK one day.

How would you even know which is better if you didn't try both?

If you think of the world and your options as static rather than dynamic your mind is.. erm.. paved with shit?

[Coolboy]

Maybe because getting more than one perspective on life is always a good idea. I've learnt a lot having lived in both the UK and HK (about the good and bad aspects of both), have no regrets, but will likely move back to the UK one day.

How would you even know which is better if you didn't try both?

If you think of the world and your options as static rather than dynamic your mind is.. erm.. paved with shit?

Hmmm...tell me where exactly I said one should not get more than one perspective in life? And where on earth did I say the world is static? I'm just tired of the same old arrogant "home-is-so-much-better" schtick. Belittling the place where an expat is currently at seems insulting and a poor excuse for admitting they made a mistake for moving there. So I maybe I'm not the one full of shit?

[justjoe86]

Hmmm...tell me where exactly I said one should not get more than one perspective in life?

.....
Here:

Then why come to HK in the first place if the UK is paved with gold, why ever leave it?

If you never leave it, you don't get more than one perspective....

And where on earth did I say the world is static?

.... and that's the definition of static.

[Coolboy]

.....
Here:

And where in that sentence did I say one should not get a different perspective in life? I was criticizing those expats who adopt a superior and haughty attitude to their overseas place thinking home is so much better. They are the ones who aren't willing to get a different perspective on life.

Their place of residence may have changed, but their mentality has not.

[justjoe86]

And where in that sentence did I say one should not get a different perspective in life? I was criticizing those expats who adopt a superior and haughty attitude to their oversess place thinking home is so much better. They are the ones who aren't willing to get a different perspective on life.

Their place of resis3nce may have chsnge, but their mentality has not.

Erm...

They came to Hong Kong, got another perspective and it was different to yours. That's what you're angry about. They don't agree with you. Grow up.

I came to HK aged 23, in 2009, and now, aged 34, I'm going to leave soon. Do I regret it? No. Have I weighed up the pros and cons objectively? Yes.

A lot of others who you are belittling and criticising have made similar decisions with a similar process. People don't move their family to another country to piss you off.

[Coolboy]

Erm...

They came to Hong Kong, got another perspective and it was different to yours. That's what you're angry about. They don't agree with you. Grow up.

No, I doubt their perspective ever changed. They came with a set of assumptions and they simply look for things to confirm it. Tell them to grow up.

And no I'm not upset, just sharing a different viewpoint.