In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi David and Linda
Not at all offended! I was just brainstorming. (Actually I think Italian schools are probably in a better state than English ones.) The reason has its origins in concerns I have about frail and ageing parents back in England! Don't know if anyone else has similar worries?
Katy
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi, We have been living in IT for 18 months, with 3 children who are now 7, 10 &11 whilst we had lessons for a year before we arrived we still feel our Italian is rubbish.
Our kids however were fluent after about 8 months of school, They have small class sizes and lots of attention, the teachers are very personal and friendly, (hugs and cups of tea if a child feels unwell)
Also being English, they are very popular as they can help not only the kids but also the teachers with their English!
They have made lots of friends and have settled into new life without any problems, We ask our kids on a regular basis if they would like to go back to UK just to see how they feel,I am sure we would have to drag them kicking and screaming.
I really think putting them in the local school has been a good experience and if you choose to educate them at home you may find they struggle to pick up the language and making new friends may not be easy.
This is a child friendly country where kids are listened to so see how it goes!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[QUOTE=herealready]Hi, We have been living in IT for 18 months, with 3 children who are now 7, 10 &11 whilst we had lessons for a year before we arrived we still feel our Italian is rubbish.
Our kids however were fluent after about 8 months of school, They have small class sizes and lots of attention, the teachers are very personal and friendly, (hugs and cups of tea if a child feels unwell)
Also being English, they are very popular as they can help not only the kids but also the teachers with their English!
They have made lots of friends and have settled into new life without any problems, We ask our kids on a regular basis if they would like to go back to UK just to see how they feel,I am sure we would have to drag them kicking and screaming.
I really think putting them in the local school has been a good experience and if you choose to educate them at home you may find they struggle to pick up the language and making new friends may not be easy.
This is a child friendly country where kids are listened to so see how it goes![/QUOTE]
I fully agree with the above comments. We came with our 2 girls (11 & 12) in Sept 04. They had had lessons in Italian before but hadn`t really learned much so they were in at the deep end when we came. However, after a year and a bit, they are fluent and it`s done wonders for their self-esteem. The social life is really good for them and I think children would miss out on a great deal by being taught at home. I`m not quite sure that I understand why having elderly parents in the UK means your children need to be taught at home Kaytee. Is it because you`ll have to make frequent trips back to the UK and you don`t feel you`ll be able to take them out of school? You`ll probably find the Italian school sympathetic to your problems.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
hmmm ...
Hugs for children when they feel unwell?? I'd love that to happen here in the UK still, but most politically-correct councils have by now set up rules preventing staff from doing just that... it 'might' be misconstrued!!! Mad sad world...
Lucky you!!! :)
PS Haven't got kids yet but already wondering where the best place to raise them would be....
Stephanie
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Katy, The Smiths in Puglia have already given the identical answer that we were going to make re elderly/frail parents back in the UK. Remember the Italians are very family orientated and doubt if it would cause problems if the need arose.
No sorry, but intrigued as to why you do not want your child/children to go to an Italian school? Surely it is the quickest way for them to learn Italian and for you all to integrate into the local community? I know that friends we have with young children settled in much quicker and thier six year old was able to help us with our Italian.
Hope you do not think us rude for asking?
Good luck anyway with whatever you decide and welcome to the forum.