Would you live in MENA if you had to?

[Aymsgirl 0]

My ex would fight me tooth and nail if I tried to take my kids. He will not even sign for their passport so they can visit my husband's family. I asked my kids once how would they feel if we moved and they started to cry. I just don't think they would adjust but my husband offered previously to coming here to put them in a private english speaking school. I just think for them it wouldn't work but its great if it works for others.

[~~~water~~~ 0]

I would , we are planning on moving to Egypt in a few years. I have two older teens so for the time being I need to stay put

[lion_lioness 0]

I have talked this out with my husband and if we didn't have another choice, we would have married and stayed long distance until my son finished HS. Now that he is here is isn't so sure he wants to live in Jordan right now (unless we had kids together). Even then, I think he would want to have a biz that would allow him the freedom to come to the states a couple weeks per year.

As for me, I would like to give it a try. Religiously, I think I'd do better there and if we have children together, I'd feel better raising them overseas.

We'll see what God has in store for us though....

[doodlebugg 10]

My ex would fight me tooth and nail if I tried to take my kids. He will not even sign for their passport so they can visit my husband's family. I asked my kids once how would they feel if we moved and they started to cry. I just don't think they would adjust but my husband offered previously to coming here to put them in a private english speaking school. I just think for them it wouldn't work but its great if it works for others.

Me 2. Plus my kids see their dad every Wed overnight and every other weekend AND 3 weeks straight in the summer and one week in the winter during vacation. Even though he's an azz he's still their dad and they love him tons so it would be cruel for me to take that away from them and my husband wouldn't want that either since he sees how much they love their dad.

[amal 4]

I have talked this out with my husband and if we didn't have another choice, we would have married and stayed long distance until my son finished HS. Now that he is here is isn't so sure he wants to live in Jordan right now (unless we had kids together). Even then, I think he would want to have a biz that would allow him the freedom to come to the states a couple weeks per year.

As for me, I would like to give it a try. Religiously, I think I'd do better there and if we have children together, I'd feel better raising them overseas.

We'll see what God has in store for us though....

preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa{{{

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[lion_lioness 0]

I have talked this out with my husband and if we didn't have another choice, we would have married and stayed long distance until my son finished HS. Now that he is here is isn't so sure he wants to live in Jordan right now (unless we had kids together). Even then, I think he would want to have a biz that would allow him the freedom to come to the states a couple weeks per year.

As for me, I would like to give it a try. Religiously, I think I'd do better there and if we have children together, I'd feel better raising them overseas.

We'll see what God has in store for us though....

preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa{{{

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Hey sister-love,

thanks for the shout how are things going? we need to catch up - gimme a ring some time girl.

did you hear about the new housing dev's over there. nice 2 br flats (brand new) for $25k jd, but you have to be a resident.

[amal 4]

I did hear about those. I say lets go halvsies and go play in Jordan lol. Our men can rent them, right?

[sweet_peach 0]

I would move there. Hayz and I have talked about moving there in a few years so its a possibility.

[palilover 1]

this may very well become a reality for us. We'll know in time. But this has been a hot topic for us as we've been discussing backup plans.

As for living in Palestine, I am not opposed to the idea. I like it there and I've met a wonderful family from Ramallah even. (we met in line at the consulate). I cannot live in my husband's area though as it appears to be more conservative. I would like ramallah much better and plus there is a school there to teach English in and I think ther eare some telecommunication companies in ramallah as well as I am in the IT field.

But the situation in Palestine cold change on a daily basis so I'm not sure about that. For that, I'm not sure I want to raise kids there. Really for politics I am uncertain.

But my husband has not been able to find work there so he does not want to stay there either. But he is not opposed to moving to another country if he cannot come to the US. He will go where ever we bothan live and work and be happy. Problem is my husband does not have a degree so in another country in the middle east, he would be more or less a migrant worker.....working a million hours a day for little wages for what he can do. (construction) And me, I am in IT, but I don't hold a degree either. So it would be hard I think for both of us to get jobs I think.

We are and will consider if it has to happen this way the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UK, Canada.

[Aymsgirl 0]

My ex would fight me tooth and nail if I tried to take my kids. He will not even sign for their passport so they can visit my husband's family. I asked my kids once how would they feel if we moved and they started to cry. I just don't think they would adjust but my husband offered previously to coming here to put them in a private english speaking school. I just think for them it wouldn't work but its great if it works for others.

Me 2. Plus my kids see their dad every Wed overnight and every other weekend AND 3 weeks straight in the summer and one week in the winter during vacation. Even though he's an azz he's still their dad and they love him tons so it would be cruel for me to take that away from them and my husband wouldn't want that either since he sees how much they love their dad.

I am in your situation except my ex doesn't see the kids that often and the summertime weeks he is to get them his mother does. It's all part of having a girlfriend thing...I'm sure you know it! But I don't want my children to look at me one day and say I took them from their father..in due time they will learn the "real" him but until them I will keep them here at home unless there comes a day when they look at me and my husband and say "Let's go!" Then we are outta here!

[mahboula 11]

I'd live there now if I had to. I would prefer not to right now though. We've talked about moving back there some day. I'd like to have plenty of money saved, have my oldest through high school, and finish some schooling myself. I do have two children, but their fathers are deceased, so there would be no problem with them leaving the country. I think though that I would give my oldest a choice to come or not, if the situation was that I had to go. As for my youngest, I think it would be a great experience for her. The language skills, the exposure to another culture, all the new friends...she'd love it!

[Henia 11]

Thx for ur input Henia. I was talking to a girlfriend of mine that had taken her 9 year old to Jordan for just over a year. She said that he left here in the 3rd grade and when they came back to the USA he tested at 3rd grade level again so he had to repeat the 3rd grade and had to work hard to get up to level again. My son has issues in school as it is and I surely don't want him to be set back any due to a country relocation. *sigh* difficulties difficulties...

Well it would depend on the child first (their learning level and style) but also how much effort you put in their learning. If you just let them go off to school daily without helping them at home then sure one would except failure. But working with them at work or even putting them in a private or public funded school for foreign children is good way to go! I know I am working really hard to get us in a situation where I can transport her to the International school. And another option is homeschooling ... I follow a homeschooling program with my daughter (this summer) to keep her up to date on subjects that I can help her with like Math, Sciences, English, etc. This way she isn't falling back if/when we decide to go back!

[Henia 11]

My ex would fight me tooth and nail if I tried to take my kids. He will not even sign for their passport so they can visit my husband's family. I asked my kids once how would they feel if we moved and they started to cry. I just don't think they would adjust but my husband offered previously to coming here to put them in a private english speaking school. I just think for them it wouldn't work but its great if it works for others.

Well makes sense for the ex's to fight for their children with all the stories in the media. Personally, I did not have a problem since my ex hasn't been there for my daughter since day one. I took the issue to court, loaded with all the evidence of him not paying a dime since her birth ... so he was cornered and really really happy to sign that paper saying he didn't owe thousands and thousands of dollars anymore. I am happy with my decision since now my daughter does know the feeling of what a real man/father is like ... not the promise breaking no-show who talks alot sh#t!

But if my situation were different with my ex, then of course my decison to come here live for any amount of time with or without my child would have different. Never would have left my child for any man!

We are and will consider if it has to happen this way the following countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UK, Canada.

I would not mind living in UAE either buuut I wonder what makes you want to live in KSA I am curious (sorry)!

[Henia 11]

I'd live there now if I had to. I would prefer not to right now though. We've talked about moving back there some day. I'd like to have plenty of money saved, have my oldest through high school, and finish some schooling myself. I do have two children, but their fathers are deceased, so there would be no problem with them leaving the country. I think though that I would give my oldest a choice to come or not, if the situation was that I had to go. As for my youngest, I think it would be a great experience for her. The language skills, the exposure to another culture, all the new friends...she'd love it!

Personally for me and my daughter living here with all the diverse cultures and the multi-language has beeen great! Plus so many life lessons for her ... plus the most important thing for me is the little stress I have here. Sure we have problems daily with the water, the neighbours, etc buuuut unlike in the US where with so much worries stress/anxiety literally slowly killing you!

[*Maureen* 0]

Thx for ur input Henia. I was talking to a girlfriend of mine that had taken her 9 year old to Jordan for just over a year. She said that he left here in the 3rd grade and when they came back to the USA he tested at 3rd grade level again so he had to repeat the 3rd grade and had to work hard to get up to level again. My son has issues in school as it is and I surely don't want him to be set back any due to a country relocation. *sigh* difficulties difficulties...

Well it would depend on the child first (their learning level and style) but also how much effort you put in their learning. If you just let them go off to school daily without helping them at home then sure one would except failure. But working with them at work or even putting them in a private or public funded school for foreign children is good way to go! I know I am working really hard to get us in a situation where I can transport her to the International school. And another option is homeschooling ... I follow a homeschooling program with my daughter (this summer) to keep her up to date on subjects that I can help her with like Math, Sciences, English, etc. This way she isn't falling back if/when we decide to go back!

i dont think i could never homeschool!my daughter would bring her homework home and say help me, she was in the fifth grade at the time and it's geometry! come on now!i wasn't exposed to geometry until i jr. high or maybe it was high school-don't remember and not to mention they teach this "new math" which still to this day don't understand how they even do multiplication.

That's great though Henia that you are doing a wonderful job with your kids, props to you!