Waking up in cold sweats due to move...

[I reckon...]

...that any kids have less to fear from being "expat brats" than they do from the high dangers of getting a kicking because they have a parent who uses words like "Stressamundo".  WTF?

[Jinty]

Moved bach to uk with a 6 and 3 yr old and was fine. Always a worry but not on the scale some have painted here!

[OP]

Jinty and other positive posters. Quite a few of my friends who have moved back to the UK after living here have all said that they "prefer it there". Not sure if you feel the same way, but if so why. With all the negative press, it's a bit baffling. None of them give me a straight answer, they just say "we just do". None of these people disliked living here and some were very upset to leave.

[Jinty]

Op, I enjoyed living in singapore and i've enjoyed being back home.  Both have very different things to offer, positive and negative. 

For me - I was getting a bit stir crazy in Singapore.  It's smallness, over crowded, lack of natural beauty, so much concrete, building sites everywhere, the overpowering heat (mostly with the young children). 

I've enjoyed the stunning natural beauty in the UK, spring, summer and autumn where you can go out all day without much worry to the sun, have picnics, enjoy the countryside and amazing coastlines, the kids can explore in forests and come back all dirty and muddy,  quiet and leisurely country drives, beautiful towns and villages, summer fetes, country markets - I could go on.  Those fresh blustery days where you just feel alive to have the wind on your face and the amazing feeling of the first spring sun on your face after winter.

feeling you can actually settle and make plans and belong (something that never really is there in Singapore).

The schools have been lovely - gentle and welcoming and the kids have been doing well and getting a good education - yes that's possible in a state school in the Uk.

Of course their are negatives and things I miss about singapore but I'll give you the positives of the UK.

[justback]

my kids are 2 and 4. so far the positive things that I can say about europe are:
- more playgrounds and better playgrounds ( with slides, swings, sand, waterplay, more challenging)
- forests
- more opportunities to go on small excursions without having to catch the plane: small country towns near by, going by car/train to all those different countries in europe
- bigger apartment
- fresh air (or so it seems with the cooler temperatures)
- more space

There are things about singapore that I miss but I will only write down the positive ones as the pp. I think there are advantages in both places. I just moved back recently (after 7 years) and I was scared but in the end we will be fine here aswell....