Moving to usa with children-Let's discuss the challenges faced.

Re: Moving to usa with 15 and 10 year daughter

One curious thing about American public education is how uneven it can be.
It matters where you are moving to, whether you will be a SAHM, how long you expect to live in the US & the social maturity of the kids.
More later if you are able to provide details.

 

Re: Moving to usa with 15 and 10 year daughter

well as they are good students ,they will do well in US too...the only question is of social acceptance.....as teen would she be able to adjust to new envoirnment as I do remember at that age I was very friend dependent & vulnerable to the sort of friend circle I had.....

stiil a 15 yr old has a mind of her own .talk to her & ask her how she feels about starting with no friends,neighbours & with totally new envoirnment......
sometimes kids are keen to experiment wirh something 'New ' and may be happy for this change

 

Re: Moving to usa with 15 and 10 year daughter

Here are some thoughts:
The US has a slightly funky 'neighborhood' public school system. The school the kids are assigned to depends on the neighborhood you choose to live in (unless you opt for a private school). So priority one is to find the best school-district in the city you are moving to. The good schools are fantastic and the poor schools are terrible. So careful planning is advisable. Your daughters will probably be in different schools - the older one in high-school and the younger one in middle-school. These are usually separate institutions in the US. 9th grade is the beginning of four years of high-school. So it's a good time for the move, especially if you can plan it so that your daughter can finish school here.

Academically speaking, your daughters should have no problems fitting in, not after a CBSE education. The style of education here is a little different. It is structured differently and a greater degree of independence is expected. If you are a SAHM, then you may be able to help them adjust.

If you are planning to stay here for 3 to 5 years, then you may want to aim for some clarity re: long term plans. I know cases where the family arrived with kids just about the same ages as yours, stayed till the kids finished high-school. Then the parents returned to India, while the kids pursued their undergrad education here (and turned out remarkably successful). If your kids are bright enough to get a full-scholarship, then almost nothing beats a good US university. So, you might want to think ahead, at least in the case of your older daughter.

Socially speaking, things can get a bit complicated. If you expect to be in the Bay Area or somewhere like that with tons of successful Indian families, then a social circle may fall into place rather easily. If you are somewhere else, then teenagers being what they are, some adjustment-pangs may be expected. Dating etc. of course are a matter of personal preference - there are whole threads about that on IL, so dig around!

More later if you have questions.

PS: By the way, if I could save any kid from the 10th standard / 12th standard torture and trauma of an Indian school, I would! :twisted:

 

Moving to USA with 6 yr old son - Need suggestions

Hello,

We will be moving to USA in 2 months. I am bit worried about my son who is going to 1st standard now. Will he be able to adjust to the language and with other kids in USA. He speaks English but with Indian accent.
Any one of you have such experience with your kids.
What precautions or steps do I need to take care to make him comfortable after moving to USA. Please help.

Thanks

 

In my opinion, the U.S culture is not at all good for the teens which is difficult to accept and digest as well for the Indian parents who are from a traditional background. That too bringing the teen aged girls in this atmosphere is not at all advisable particularly if you are from a traditional family giving importance to our own traditions and culture.

However, it is okay with the 5 year old son who is in the 1st std as they won't find it much difficulty in communicating and will learn the typical American accent within no time.

 

If your kids are adaptive and good students then they won't have much problem adjusting. The teachers here are very approachable and give extra time to those who may need their help. We relocated from oversees assignment when my elder one was in 7th grade and she had no problems adjusting. She attends a public school. Now she is in 10 th grade attending a high school. As a mom I was anxious when she was starting high school as she was only 12, but so far all is going well. She is in 10 now and her day is pretty tight. They get a lot of home work ( this depends on the courses) and then there are other extra curricular activities in and out of school that keeps her busy. One thing I want to mention, as others have pointed out too, is that we made sure we chose a nice neighborhood with good school system. You can talk to the teachers ( make the most of the conferences), and email them your concerns if u have any. They keep posting on their school accounts and usually they are very good in responding to your queries. Almost all of the teachers I have met here seem friendly and very approachable. Councellors are helpful too.

Raising kids here is challenging. Especially when they enter their teens, it's hard for them and for us to balance it all, you know, teaching them our culture at home and then they are bombarded with the western culture in school, teaching them to embrace only the good and ignore the bad can be very tough...And we have made our expectations clear....I do not encourage hanging out with friends after school...of course there are exceptions during holidays/ breaks. The high schoolers here in honors /ap courses are super busy...they all have a lot on their plate...extra curr. activities etcetera. So enrol your kids in some activities. Our Weekends are mainly for family time, going to gym, temple ( whenever possible), watching our fav tv shows and shopping together.
Good luck with your move!