[pitkennedy]

Hi Guys,
Can you help us. We want to move to christchurch, New Zealand. Our Son keeps saying he doesn't want to go. We have never been so therefore we cannot give any experiences. He was recently attacked, so all the more reason for us to want to go. We just want a better life for them. Can anyone shed any light on the place and what's it like.:raebanana :raebanana

[Andy-Dee]

For goodness sake don't let him see the school uniforms!!!

Other than that he'll have a great time, we loved Christchurch and are hoping to be there late this year early next. I'm sure there will be others along with 15 year olds to give more help.

[vixxann]

HI - we have a 13yr old boy so maybe somewhere near same opinions...

he loved NZ in general on our visit there this Easter. We spend a week in Christchurch and he really enjoyed having a good look around and seeing all the things he could do if he lived there (sailing, scouts, cycling, BMX tracks, all the playgrounds EVERYWHERE!, the cool libraries with playstations and cafes, the fab beaches for kite flying, surfing and just digging holes! shops in town, particularly any music shops and just generally getting to know and "muck about" with kids we got to know .

I encouraged him about 9months ago to find a penpal in NZ and he's been emailing a girl his age who lives in Christchurch - I think this helped tremendously as he could ask her his own types of questions, much as I presume I ask mine on this forum! He didn't meet her when we were there but is happy to still email and get general info etc.

He isn't so happy at his UK high school and was generally very pleased with what he saw over there. He liked the attitude of kids we saw and thinks there will be a lot less "trouble". Its awful what kids here have to see and put up with when they get into high school . I feel for your lad , its awful what he's had to go through I can imagine you cannot wait to get him away.

Good luck - let me know if you need any more info. :)

[migratory birds]

Zorbing? Bungee jumping? Snorkeling? A trip to Antarctica?

[willsken]

I also have a 13 year old boy. It took him a while to make friends and settle but now he has, he has a much better life. There is so much for them to do here. Mine are out most nights of the week with some club or another and Saturdays are the same. They have a lot more freedom here than in the UK. Life just seems, well, less aggressive over here. I never went to watch OH play footy in the UK as the whole atmosphere was off. Here we treat it as a family afternoon out, even the trip to the pub after the game is family friendly. Is he a soccer player??

One thing though, I was quite hard with the boys regarding coming. They were given no say in the matter. We told them we were moving to NZ and they had to get used to it. It did help that we came on a visit as it made them see it wasn’t so different to where they came from. I really would recommend coming out for a visit if you have kids (money allowing of course) I have a friend who is moving over and unfortunately she can’t afford a trip. She has encountered more negativity regarding the move from her children than I did with mine.


The penpal idea is a great one.... didn't think of that for my boys, wish I had.

[Ana&Steve]

Have you looked up NZ stuff on youtube? They have some pretty awesome videos of everyday life and of the breathtaking beauty of the place. (there are some really stupid ones too, so preview before you show him!)
Ana

[katandbob]

Hope he changes his mind - in my opinion its harder for the 15+ kids than say the 13yr olds, due to them starting to get independant and making bonds with their mates.
My son is here, but hes hardly happy, but he is in no doubt that NZ is better for him than where he left.
heres a thread started recently with a post on my sons thoughts and also others of all ages - before it got a bit sidetracked with smilies??? LOL.
http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=11810&highlight=kids+perspective

And also don't forget that Christchurch is a BIG city - it sprawls out into the suburbs and if you are from a small town it can be very daunting - We didn't like it, and I know my son thinks Invercargill is big enough, so I know that living in Chch would have been a bit of a harder life to get used to for him - and I am glad we made the desision to move further afield.

But it also has the added bonuses of having more Music concerts of the bigger bands etc in Chch than say what we get down here.
My son is not bothered, about going to concerts and I suspect that in a year or two he will set off and explore the Citys and other parts of NZ at his leisure.

Good luck

Kat

[Joanne100]

[QUOTE=Andy-Dee;136601]For goodness sake don't let him see the school uniforms!!!

:D Oh boy those knee high socks!
I too have a 13 year old but loves every min even school......... so it cant be that bad hey!
He will settle and he will make friends and he will wear the socks!

[james the mechanic]

Hi there,
Just tell him he can start to learn to drive at 15.

[pitkennedy]

great advice, much appreciated. I'm sure if he could find a penpal or similar would be great. He loves football, he will be relieved to know that football is played there. He thought it was only rugby.

cheers
Helen

[pitkennedy]

Thanks for the comments. He will be pleased to hear about the football. He loves football and plays alot here. This is one less hurdle.
Many thanks,
OH!! I agree the penpal is a great idea.
My daughter will be chuffed about the clubs.

[StevieD]

No Pakeha don't want their kids getting steamrolled by 18 stone south pacific island kids so soccer is finding a new upsurge in numbers :laugh (that came from one of my Kiwi friends by the way)

There is so much to do here, my son (nearly 12) was out on top of a local scenic reserve last night with the scouts, having an absolute hoot in pitch darkness with torches, doing some sort of orienteering - kids seem to quickly lose their UK expectations, not so sure about teens, but my two who are that bit younger are flourishing. Outdoors is a big thing here, our kids spend more time playing with their basketball net outside than indoors. PS2's don't often get a look in and they are eating/drinking a lot healthier than they were there.

Local parks are numerous and facilities free. Yes there are loonies here but that is the way of the world. Sure if he tried it he would love it - before he gets into the night clubbing/booze scene in Britain.

[pitkennedy]

We are grateful for your comments, they will all help to ease the hassle.
He is at that age where he just wants to stay here with his mates.
I will view the site soon when i get chance.
Thanx Helen

[pitkennedy]

sounds great to me. don't know about the bungee jumping though.
Thanx
Helen

[pitkennedy]

Thanxs, I hope so, it all takes time and it's very early days for us. Just hope his negative thoughts don't get worse.
Helen

[pitkennedy]

It sounds that good i would go tomorrow given half the chance. I know it won't be perfect, but gosh it has to be a better place to bring kids up.
Thanks for the comments.
Helen x

[pitkennedy]

Gosh, really, they must be very trusting. Do they not have the boy racers there then. Lol!! Plenty of them here.
Cheers
Helen

[pitkennedy]

I love the bit about less PS2's. He plays alot of sport, but spends alot of wasted time in my opinion on a machine. Here I am on this machine. LOL
It's sounds great.
Time for the ZZZZZZZZZ's
Helen

[StevieD]

Get to bed!! Take time to include your son in on your thoughts, teens are notoriously difficult at the best of times, and I'm sure he is feeling insecure in all of this. And mates are mates for life don't you know! :)

[thepiesleys]

Hi everyone

i'm sorry to put a dampner on this positive thread, but when you say there is so much more for kids to do here than in the uk what exactly?

My 14 yr old son has made a lot of effort to make friends he is a really sociable outdoor lad, and has just started to have a social life of sorts after 7 months. He plays soccer once a week and trains once a week (100 dollars to register and 100 dollars for his kit not inc boots) the rest of the time he goes for a coffee or an ice cream straight after school and then in home about 5 with the evening over. we have found no youth clubs or organised events that he can attend. There are a lot of clubs at the weekend - but mostly out of out price range ie sailing, kayaking - he does fish occaisionally - same as uk. It is as hard here for teens as uk. he has had his phone stolen at the cinema and been accused of shop lifting while i was actually with him in the store!

There is a huge culture of substance abuse amongst teens here even in the good schools we were told this by my son's teachers and by our doc,( and teaching in South Auckland myself, i can not beleive the no. of students i have kicked out of class for being stoned!, and although teenagers don't hang around or hanker after pubs they arrange huge parties at each others houses that i have so far managed to keep him away from. There is also a huge problem with graffitti and sometimes a negative vibe amongst the community for the youth here.

so in many ways it has the same problems/issuses as the uk.

My middle sn (9 ) plays rugby and yes 100 dollars reg. 100 dollars kit etc, he attends sea scouts which he loves and is well run (same as in UK) 40 dollars per term plus 100 dollars for uniform and my youngest goes to play gym and play group 40 dollars per month each again roughly the same as uk.


all the bungee jumping, quadbiking, zorbing etc are here but they are things most people can only do as one offs as treats or on holiday like we have, they are not every day things.

My kids are the same here as they were in the uk with the exception that my teenager is quieter verging on withdrawn sometimes not quieter in a positive way. - things are getting better in school for him and he has a small group of friends who call him and they have sleep overs etc, but as i said before i really can not say it is better - perhaps it was where we were in the uk, i feel there was as much or as little there with the bonus that he had had the same friends since year 1 and could always find something to do, he and his new friends tend to mope around with no real purpose .

He joined a shooting club here as he is a crack shot and loves target practice, but to his horror the next youngest one to him was in his 50's!


The thought that my son could drive at 15 and leave aschool at 15 really worries me - kids here seem to be younger or less mature up to year 8/9 and then at the end of year 10 can drive a car and srart work!!

For every horror story you can tell me about teens in the uk i can tell you one about NZ and good ones too. NZ is not doing my kids any harm but is not doing them too many favours either.

Yours - firmly on the fence -
Sue

[Sam B]

I can't be sure, because I haven't got any teenagers (yet) but I think it may be a different kettle of fish in the big cities as compared to smaller places such as Cambridge. There certainly isn't any graffitti here, and substance misuse does not appear to a major problem here, although I know that it is a big issue in Tokoroa and Putaruru where I work.

Things can't be perfect, because there are still a fair number of boy racers, but in general the streets are quiet and safe, and I have been very happy to let my children play out (the road was too busy for this in Cornwall). There are a wide range of after school activities, and this seems to be true for the high school students too, but nothing is free of course.

All school grounds are open for children to use in the evenings and weekends, and it is also possible to use the swimming pools at the weekends (insummer of course!).

I have never seen gangs of bored youths hanging out in Cambridge, but they must go somewhere - I don't know where, my children haven't got to that age yet. There's no end of space and wildlife, if your children are into that sort of thing.

I think my children are safer and happier here than they were in Cornwall, and it was pretty ace there.

[StevieD]

Sam, a boy got punched on the arm the other day as he was riding to school on his bike, it said so in the Cambridge Gazette! :laugh

And there was a fight last Saturday night..... drunken yobs LOL

[StevieD]

P.S. This is not a joke by the way, this is what is reported in the local paper in the police section each week..!!!

[Sam B]

Yes, and Stevie, don't forget there's been a SPATE of thefts of plantpots from the gardens of houses in Cambridge East. Ooer. (I'm quoting from the Edition police files section again!) So actually it's a hotbed of crime.

[StevieD]

Good points Sue, and as always it is down to perspectives.

In our particular case, coming from Liverpool area, which is well looked after as regards music/arts etc. we are short changed in that respect. Our kids had excellent tuition for a number of instruments, but that is lacking somewhat here at the moment. But for the sheer number of outdoor things that they can do, there is no comparison. Maybe you came from a decent enough area where there was provision to do all this stuff, we didn't. Things cost wherever you go if there is expense involved such as shooting/kayaking/sailing. But there is/was often a cost involved for things that our kids now do for free as a matter of course, such as skateboard parks, BMX parks etc.
I'm sure this isn't a matter of painting good or bad of things as we all know there are bad things wherever you go in the world, and NZ is no exception.
It is just that we have experienced far more for our kids to do here, or maybe it is easier access to it that is making it more noticeable in our eyes.

[thepiesleys]

I have asked this before and I'm going to ask again. Do anyones kids on here go out in the street to play? We live in a very built up area of east Auckland with a school 3 mins away that has 2000 kids and after 4.30pm you dont see any of them. It's odd to say the least. My eldest goes down to a local arcade and BK were a few teens hang out but my 9YO goes to friends houses, and occasionally goes to the school to play but you dont see groups of kids out playing like you so in the UK here in Pakuranga. My 9YO has made a friend with a lad and they have started calling for each other and his mum told us it was the first time he had had a playmate round - he's 10.

I have pretty much been tip to tip of NZ and on my travels I did not see children playing akin to what I am used to in the UK. The play parks are normally empty and when we tried to introduce gutter ball to some local kids they were a bit confused. As I am as to were all these kids go after 4.30pm.

Dan

[colandros]

I'm following this one closely.
We're in exactly the same situation, want to go to christchurch but our eldest is 16 (close enough) and has said he doesnt want to go.
my lad says he will miss his friends, the same friends he hasnt seen since he finished his last gcse exam :confused:
He's never been a sporty lad so i cant use the great outdooors to attract him.
He's happy to stay indoors messing about on msn messenger, playing his guitar and ps2 games.
I know moving will be so much better for him than staying here but i want him to make the decision to go and not have to resort to forcing him to go.

[StevieD]

I don't think the kids have to play out in the street! Our kids have enough room in the garden/yard to do all their stuff, and if they do want to "run their soft off" they go to the domain. Often see kids playing cricket, touch rugby, soccer etc. down there. The skate park has a steady stream of clients as does the BMX park.

As for gutter ball, there are no gutters round here that a kid not built like an All Black could reach with a large throw!! :laugh

Just got Kieran (almost 12) on my shoulder, he plays 4 square, basketball, nifty fifty, poison ivy, cycles, and there are sure to be others. Just asked hime the question where do you have more fun - and he says here without a doubt. There is more choice other than the usual football.
Yes, kids do tend to go to each other's houses a lot - but why not when a lot of them have a pool in the back, space to play without being cramped in tiny estates with the street often being the only means to play in many areas.

This is our experience here in Cambridge, our kids love it.

[Sam B]

I've seen kids playing out here quite a lot, kicking balls on the street and moving out the way as I drive past, riding bikes etc. In our last rental there was about 8-9 kids around the same age as our kids and they all played out, climbed trees etc. My kids have been playing out more than they did in Cornwall so far. We've just moved to our new street and I haven't seen any kids playing out yet, but there's a big park round the corner, so they probably go there.

[thepiesleys]

Thanks for you view Steve. I for one think that going out into the street/local field/park etc etc is a healthy, natural and important part of growing up. Develops relationships with your peers away from parental pressure, teaches invaluable life skills and garners a keen understanding of individuals. Plus you have a really good laugh.

Our yard, front garden and back garden are massive (I have to mow the thing - I should now :roll ) and the kids do play in it - esp in the summer with the water slide and trampoline etc - to damp now. But I would be alarmed if they played there all the time. In this area of the country a lot of back yards have bitten the dust to accomodate two houses on a section.

I think there has been a cultural shift in NZ regards children playing out - I have a kiwi friend and he assures me that he was alweays out as a child and a few of my mates at the rugby club say the same. But what of there kids? One has a 12 year old nephew he is close to and as he thought about it he agreed and said he rarly went out after school and was not sure why.

I make it a point to throw my kids out of the house when they get in from school and go and find someone to play with.

Oh Steve I hope those pools are heated cos theres no way I would be in one this time of year otherwise...:laugh

[Sam B]

I agree with you about the importance of playing out, and especially time away from watchful parents, but it does happen here. I'm not sure why kids don't play out around you Dan (Sue?) maybe there is more traffic?

My happiest childhood memories are long summer days playing out on the local tip/wasteground (classy!) with my friends.