# Anyone with young famalies happy?



## dusty321 (Feb 12, 2009)

Hi All

I've been reading posts on here for a year or so now as we are getting closer to taking the plunge. It seems that it is all doom and gloom when someone mentions bringing children over. I just wondered if anyone has actually done this and remained happy! I have three children age 2, 5, and 12. I am currently running my own business in the import/wholesale and retail industry which would something I would like get into in Cyprus. It would be good to hear from anyone in this industry also. I know the average wage is low, but I couldnt live on the average in the UK either. I have never worked for anyone else, I have always earned my own living. Any advice and happy ending stories would be very much appreciated.

Regards


Justin


----------



## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

It is not all doom and gloom. On the positive side - short winters, it is very safe, close knit society, easy to make friends with other expat parents (not so much with Cypriot families), cheap fruit and veg, cheap rent - if you plan to rent, more quality family time, less pollution...

On the negative - VERY hot summers without many activities for little ones, horrendous drivers, frustrating to do business in the slower paced/different work environment, private schools are expensive and not always worth the money so Greek Schools will have to be considered, inconvenient store hours...

This is just a quick start, I'm sure others can add to the pros and cons of this list but these are my personal observations. It all depends where you are coming from, what you expect from it and how well you all adapt. Good luck!


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

There are lots of positves in living in Cyprus but from my experience with people I have met children make affording life here far more difficult than it is for a couple without children. 
Only today my husband and I were with a lady whose family are returning to the Uk because the cost of bringing up children in Cyprus makes it impossible for them to be able stay to here. They initially moved to Peyia close to the local school but their children were very unhappy there so they had to be moved to the international school. The cost of this became untenable and for the past year they have been receiving home schooling. The eldest is coming up to the age where he should be going to secondary school and home schooling is therefore no longer an option. This family have been trying to sell their house here for some time and now are leaving it empty to be sold (hopefully) once they have gone.
This is fairly typical of stories which we hear all the time. This family estimate that the experience has cost them around £100.000
I can only repeat what I have said so many times before. Please do your homework and your calculations very very thoroughly before uprooting your children and bringing them here.

Veronica


----------



## dusty321 (Feb 12, 2009)

Veronica said:


> There are lots of positves in living in Cyprus but from my experience with people I have met children make affording life here far more difficult than it is for a couple without children.
> Only today my husband and I were with a lady whose family are returning to the Uk because the cost of bringing up children in Cyprus makes it impossible for them to be able stay to here. They initially moved to Peyia close to the local school but their children were very unhappy there so they had to be moved to the international school. The cost of this became untenable and for the past year they have been receiving home schooling. The eldest is coming up to the age where he should be going to secondary school and home schooling is therefore no longer an option. This family have been trying to sell their house here for some time and now are leaving it empty to be sold (hopefully) once they have gone.
> This is fairly typical of stories which we hear all the time. This family estimate that the experience has cost them around £100.000
> I can only repeat what I have said so many times before. Please do your homework and your calculations very very thoroughly before uprooting your children and bringing them here.
> ...


----------



## dusty321 (Feb 12, 2009)

Sorry my reply ended up in the wrong box


----------



## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Hello,

We moved over in Jan with our three (7,6,2) and have had a mixed reaction to the place. Ok with two kids of schooling and taking a paycut to come to cyprus private was not an option for us and our kids are in greek school.. again there have been good and bad bits but the havent been hit or had heads down the bogs so not as bad as some people say. Like others have said it is so expensive here it is crazy.. I know some people will say the odd thing is cheaper here but forget it.. when you have kids you need to basically DOUBLE your shopping bills etc / monthly outgoings.. 

In the three months we have been here we have pretty much done everything in the south and most of the north so i can see how some would get bored here.. The killer for us though has been the fact that we will never be able to afford a house here so it is beginning to feel like an unobtainable dream. 

Ok you wanted positives.. The telly is all greek so and there isnt anything to do so you all speak more and spend time together.. sounds like a scarcastic remark but coming here has liberated us from telly and we dont even have one.. only thing i mis is Dr.Who and survivors.. 

Beaches are just great and will be even better if i get a boat or something.. 

Finally it isnt the UK.. and its nice to be the forigner/immagrant in someone else's country.. i dunno why it is just good! after years of the papers in the UK harping on about imigration etc it I just feel like 'cant beat em join em'... and once you have lived outside the UK you can see why europe's poor are heading there .. schooling healthcare etc


----------



## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

dusty321 said:


> But surley some people have managed it, even paying for private Schools? I often wonder how these people tried to earn a living. I think people go out with the opinion it is an easier way of life, I'm not so sure. Safer, yes, more Family time....maybe. I hear so many people say Oh I'll get a bar job, or I'll get a cleaning job, common sense tells you this will not provide for you and your family. I know of one person who runs a wholesale business doing pretty good, but he works very hard. If the likes of M&S, IKEA Etc open up over there, the retail, wholesale, import market must still be pretty good..............if you know what you're doing. I really do appreciate your views.
> 
> Regards
> Justin


There are opportunities out there to import and sell goods that are hard or expensive to get. But breaking into the market here is not easy for many reasons. But the most important is the fact that society here takes care of its own. If your are Cypriot, have Cypriot relatives or a connection in Cyprus then it will make a big difference.

M&S has had branches here for at least six years so they came before the crisis. Similarly IKEA has been preparing to open for a number of years. Both companies are very big. Are you REALLY intending to operate on their scale?????


----------



## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

M&S has had branches here for at least six years so they came before the crisis. Similarly IKEA has been preparing to open for a number of years. Both companies are very big. Are you REALLY intending to operate on their scale?????

M&S has been here for over 30 years. I think his point is that if companies that have done their research and decided to open here there must be buying power and room for others. And to this I agree. The retail industry here is in its infancy with M&S the only department store and another operation a department store wannabe. If you want to bring a retail operation and know what you are doing and have a good plan I think it could be very successful.


----------



## Cleo Shahateet (Feb 23, 2009)

I agree that if you have a good business plan, finances and know what you are doing you can do it and yes, there are some that have done it successfully and paid for private schools. Since you are entreprenurial minded, have never worked for anyone else and can support 3 kids in the UK plus you know that is not all rosy here and you don't expect it to be then, hopefully it can work out. I would just set some money aside in case you want to leave so you don't go back worse off than you came. 

I was also in your position - never really having worked for anyone else except the Marine Corps a long time ago and decided to move to Cyprus but the main difference is we had some connections and help from my wife's Cypriot step-father. It would have been much harder without him.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I didn't say don't do it. The point I was trying to make is that it is imperative to research and know exaclty what you are doing. Opening a retail business here is not as easy as it might appear. The big shops have power and don;t like competition. Lidl is in the process of trying to get in. However at the moment the building of the store which was planned for Paphos has come to a halt because the big supermarkets have got togther to try to stop it because Lidl refuse to go with their price structure. As anyone who knows Lidl they will know that their prices are much lower than most big supermarkets and the like of Papantonios and Orphanides etc are scared that Lidl will take their customers.

A new butcher opened not far from papantonios in Chlorakas recently and no sooner was it opened than it was closed by the evironmental health people because Papantonios reported them for being unhygenic. However they were given a clean bill of health and are now open again.
Look, I am not trying to say that no one should give it a go because life here is great if you get it right. All I am trying to say is that is important to plan well and make sure that you have a good plan and the finance in place to sustain you until you get established.
As Cleo said they had help from Cypriot relatives, for us it was easier because we do not have children to worry about so we do not need to earn nearly as much.

I wish you luck dusty and of course if you need any advice there is always someone here who has gone through it already and can point you in the right direction.


----------



## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Cypriots seem more than happy to pay way over the odds for stuff! I think importing is a great idea and have concidered it myself on a small scale.. however research the tax/duty stuff as thismay be the reason why not many people do it.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Cypriots seem more than happy to pay way over the odds for stuff! I think importing is a great idea and have concidered it myself on a small scale.. however research the tax/duty stuff as thismay be the reason why not many people do it.


There are quite a few shops in the Paphos area which import stuff direct from the UK and they do seem to do be doing quite well. The Cypriots are also discovering them and using them as much as the brits. As long as they don't get too successful and don't try to grow too big they will probably be ok, but if the big shops think they are a threat they will get closed down via some underhand methods. It won't be the f irst time it has happened.
The trick is to stay small, keep your head down and don't appear to be a threat to the big boys.


----------



## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

theresoon said:


> M&S has been here for over 30 years. I think his point is that if companies that have done their research and decided to open here there must be buying power and room for others. And to this I agree. The retail industry here is in its infancy with M&S the only department store and another operation a department store wannabe. If you want to bring a retail operation and know what you are doing and have a good plan I think it could be very successful.


Oh I understood his point but a small import/retail business would not have the same issues as someone the size of M&S, Debenhams or IKEA and just because it is working for them does not mean it will work for him. Its a question of scale. Besides, as Veronica highlighted, it will be more difficult to get established if the local 'big boys' think the new business would be a threat. 

Businesses like Discount 10 seem to be popular in the Larnaca area. More and more people are using them as a result of word of mouth. It shows it can be done and the owner would be an excellent contact for Dusty. 

But food is not the only thing that could be imported/retailed..... how about a business like Screwfix? electrical components and central heating stuff cost a fortune here compared to the UK.:eyebrows:


----------



## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

dusty321 said:


> Hi All
> 
> I've been reading posts on here for a year or so now as we are getting closer to taking the plunge. It seems that it is all doom and gloom when someone mentions bringing children over. I just wondered if anyone has actually done this and remained happy! I have three children age 2, 5, and 12. I am currently running my own business in the import/wholesale and retail industry which would something I would like get into in Cyprus. It would be good to hear from anyone in this industry also. I know the average wage is low, but I couldnt live on the average in the UK either. I have never worked for anyone else, I have always earned my own living. Any advice and happy ending stories would be very much appreciated.
> 
> ...


Hello Justin

I think I'm probably responsible for a fair amount of the doom and gloom you mentioned! For that I'm sorry, but I'm just speaking from experience. I work within the Education sector in Cyprus and see the difficulties young families have from the sharp end. I do know of many happy families, but also many who have given up on their Cyprus dream because of a variety of reasons - not all of them financial (although that is a big part of the equation). I won't repeat all the points I've already mentioned in other threads about the pros and cons of public versus private sector schooling, or long term prospects for children educated in either system, but will say something that I don't think I have said before. Often a major reason why many familes end up unhappy and resentful of making the move, is based on a mismatch of adult dreams and children's expectations. Adults dream of more family time, decent food, a more relaxed lifestyle, decent weather for the kids to play in - they then up sticks and move over without consulting their kids overly much about what *they* want out of life. For kids of a certain age (12 and up) their apsirations are to 'stay with their m8s' in the UK and conquer the lively teen culture there. They are dragged over kicking and screaming and are placed either in a public school where they often face bullying as the new (and to boot alien) kids on the block, and are forced to learn a new language and culture - or in a private school where they form their own counter culture which centres on how insensitive their parents are in dislocating their teen egos, and they moan constantly about how boring/unbearably hot/and teenager unfriendly Cyprus is.

Of course the above is a generalisation, some kids are more adaptable than others. In my experience, the happiest kids are either from extremely rich families that can afford weekend trips to theme parks in Paris (very rare), or have a broad family network to support them (where one of the parents has Cypriot roots). As always the root to success is meticulous planning and making sure that the kids are on board (and are given realistic information about what life is like here on the island for their age group to help them decide - and that varies a great deal from place to place). Unfortunately, some families do everything right and are very happy here, but despite their planning, wind up frustrated by their misundertsanding of the culture of difference, the way people do business here. I have seen many self employed parents regret that they can no longer afford to live here and have had to dislocate their children's education again by making the move back to the support structures that are available in the UK.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck, and I hope the forum continues to help in giving you the information you need to make your decisions.


----------



## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

kimonas said:


> Often a major reason why many familes end up unhappy and resentful of making the move, is based on a mismatch of adult dreams and children's expectations. Adults dream of more family time, decent food, a more relaxed lifestyle, decent weather for the kids to play in - they then up sticks and move over without consulting their kids overly much about what *they* want out of life. For kids of a certain age (12 and up) their apsirations are to 'stay with their m8s' in the UK and conquer the lively teen culture there. They are dragged over kicking and screaming and are placed either in a public school where they often face bullying as the new (and to boot alien) kids on the block, and are forced to learn a new language and culture - or in a private school where they form their own counter culture which centres on how insensitive their parents are in dislocating their teen egos, and they moan constantly about how boring/unbearably hot/and teenager unfriendly Cyprus is.
> 
> Of course the above is a generalisation, some kids are more adaptable than others. In my experience, the happiest kids are either from extremely rich families that can afford weekend trips to theme parks in Paris (very rare), or have a broad family network to support them (where one of the parents has Cypriot roots). As always the root to success is meticulous planning and making sure that the kids are on board (and are given realistic information about what life is like here on the island for their age group to help them decide - and that varies a great deal from place to place). Unfortunately, some families do everything right and are very happy here, but despite their planning, wind up frustrated by their misundertsanding of the culture of difference, the way people do business here. I have seen many self employed parents regret that they can no longer afford to live here and have had to dislocate their children's education again by making the move back to the support structures that are available in the UK.


Oh you are so right Kimonas. You have hit the nail on the head!


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I am glad to see that Babs and Kimonas are re-iterating what I have said. 
I have been accused of being a doom and gloom merchant and a killjoy in the past because I shattered peoples dreams of coming to live here. 
The thing is I could very easily paint a wonderful picture of life here and play down the negatives in the hope that I could pick up a sale or rental as a result. 
But if I did that I would not be able to lie straight in bed at nights with the knowledge that I might have contributed to jeopardising the futures of young children just to improve my own finances.
I speak the truth as I see it and although I know it upsets some people who dream of coming to live in the sun at least my concience is clear.


----------



## dalaney (Oct 7, 2008)

Hi

Cyprus is a lovely place to bring up children. My youngest child was very happy there and would move back tomorrow, if financially we could. He went to Pascal school in Larnaca and made some very good friends there. The international schooling system is miles ahead of the UK and my son is quite shocked at the behaviour of pupils here.

My oldest son however had left school when we moved over and found it very difficult to fit in and make friends. He also found it quite boring, once youve done the beach and water park thing, there isnt too much to keep kids occupied.

Financially we found it very difficult and used all of our savings after 2 years trying to build up a business. 
I think if we had enough savings to last another year we may have started making enough to get by, as things where just starting to improve.
But we weighed up the options of struggling for another year with 1 unhappy child or moving back to Uk where there are much more opportunities.

Cyprus is a very small island with a very close knit cypriot working environment. It is very hard for expats to make money there. 

My advice would be to make sure you have a lot of savings to cover yourself for at least 3 years.

It was a very expensive decision we made to move to Cyprus, but it is not one that I regret, and one day I hope to go back (probably to retire).


----------



## GeorgeGee (Dec 11, 2009)

I think what we all have to remember is that Cyprus is a tiny market, about the size of Leeds actually!
Retail wise it is controlled by the big boys, so going into the process of renting etc does not make sense anymore. Those that have used Cyprus as a base though and see the world as their market are doing great. My sister who owns a small clothes store, had her best year ever last year because she started selling online. This year she expects to sell more online than in Cyprus. 
For kids its great, the beach is free and playing in the neighbourhood is still possible. No doubt though Cyprus is more expensive for a family with kids. No regrets though as everytime time I pick up a UK paper and read about kids being killed/raped/missing then I know we made the right decision.


----------



## dusty321 (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks for all your replies, each one appreciated. It is also hard in the UK at the moment, and as has been said crime has gone crazy, another two teenagers stabbed to death over easter. Anything has to be worth the risk to remove my children from this. In saying that I would never make any rash decisions. We are popping over again at the end of the month for another look.


----------



## carolegan (Sep 1, 2008)

dusty321 said:


> Hi All
> 
> I've been reading posts on here for a year or so now as we are getting closer to taking the plunge. It seems that it is all doom and gloom when someone mentions bringing children over. I just wondered if anyone has actually done this and remained happy! I have three children age 2, 5, and 12. I am currently running my own business in the import/wholesale and retail industry which would something I would like get into in Cyprus. It would be good to hear from anyone in this industry also. I know the average wage is low, but I couldnt live on the average in the UK either. I have never worked for anyone else, I have always earned my own living. Any advice and happy ending stories would be very much appreciated.
> 
> ...


 Hi I moved here in Aug 2009 with a 6 12 and 13 year old, they go to a small private English school in Emba have made loads of mates at Brownies,dancing,football and Drama ,we have a business in UK so that sustains us fiancially but as for happiness we are very settled and have NO plans to return to the UK ,oh and recently started going to JC Fun club which seemed to suit all 3 kids


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

carolegan said:


> Hi I moved here in Aug 2009 with a 6 12 and 13 year old, they go to a small private English school in Emba have made loads of mates at Brownies,dancing,football and Drama ,we have a business in UK so that sustains us fiancially but as for happiness we are very settled and have NO plans to return to the UK ,oh and recently started going to JC Fun club which seemed to suit all 3 kids


Its good to hear of families who are happy and settled here. 
There is absolutely no doubt that if the finances are in place Cyprus is a great place to bring up kids. :clap2::clap2::clap2:


----------



## Guest (Apr 12, 2010)

Whats the JC Club and is it for boys or girls? we are moving over in June and im looking for football training etc for my little boy who's 8. 

Rgs Lynda


----------



## carolegan (Sep 1, 2008)

lyndamarcx said:


> Whats the JC Club and is it for boys or girls? we are moving over in June and im looking for football training etc for my little boy who's 8.
> 
> Rgs Lynda


Hi the JC Fun club is for boys and girls its afterschool care and a fun club during the holidays , they have all sorts of games and activities going on but if you are looking for football the Arsnal soccer school where my son goes is the best place i have found email me when you mov over and i will give you more info about it .


----------



## Guest (Apr 13, 2010)

carolegan said:


> Hi the JC Fun club is for boys and girls its afterschool care and a fun club during the holidays , they have all sorts of games and activities going on but if you are looking for football the Arsnal soccer school where my son goes is the best place i have found email me when you mov over and i will give you more info about it .


That would be great! Thankyou so much rgs Lynda


----------

