Singapore Expats

Posted: **Sun, 21 Oct 2012 11:27 am**

hello fellow moms,

I have found the few posts on this board very helpful already and am hoping I can get some input on our situation.

My husband is on the verge of being made an offer to move to SG. We live in the US right now and both of us work full time.

In reading some other forums and talking to one 'friend of a friend' who has lived there for 23 years, it looks like finding reliable childcare (what I would call a nanny here) is almost impossible? I am looking for someone that is fluent in English and will teach my younger one songs, play all day, setup playdates with other kids, craft etc?

I have two kids - a 5 yr old and a 1.5 yr old. My two biggest worries about moving there are childcare and the weather. I am seriously worried about how I will cope - I don't do well with heat and humidity.

I will be eternally grateful for any help you can give me or point me in the right direction!

Posted: **Sun, 21 Oct 2012 7:34 pm**

samjoy wrote:hello fellow moms,

I have found the few posts on this board very helpful already and am hoping I can get some input on our situation.

My husband is on the verge of being made an offer to move to SG. We live in the US right now and both of us work full time.

In reading some other forums and talking to one 'friend of a friend' who has lived there for 23 years, it looks like finding reliable childcare (what I would call a nanny here) is almost impossible? I am looking for someone that is fluent in English and will teach my younger one songs, play all day, setup playdates with other kids, craft etc?

I have two kids - a 5 yr old and a 1.5 yr old. My two biggest worries about moving there are childcare and the weather. I am seriously worried about how I will cope - I don't do well with heat and humidity.

I will be eternally grateful for any help you can give me or point me in the right direction!

You need a filipino maid - a well experienced one. It may take several tries before you find a good one but I have met some who can do all that. Find one with some prior experience with an expat family.

Posted: **Sun, 21 Oct 2012 11:50 pm**

thank you for taking the time to reply! I would appreciate any recommendations anyone might have for the following:

1. Areas we should explore to live in. My husband's office will be on Pasir Panjang road (mapletree business city?) and mine (if they let me move with the company) will be in Marina bay. Based on that and some of my research - it looks like east coast will be a good option for us? What is a good condo complex on the east coast to start looking at? We need a 3 bedroom place and would like to have some amenities onsite like a play area outside of the kids and a swimming pool and gym

2. schools and daycare - from reading on this forum since last night, it looks like daycare is a better option for my little one than a nany at home. Are there ones people recommend? How about schools? I feel like the SAS (american school) might be too far for my older one as well as I dont want him to have contact only with american kids - I would like him to integrate into the culture but still go to private school. Is this possible?
This is my biggest worry - I have never had the kids go on a schoolbus off by themselves. How will they cope with a new place as well as new routines?
I am also looking for a daycare focused on play and not just academics which I know is stressed on in Asia (I am originally from India)

3. Activities for the kids. My older one right now does karate, soccer, tball (baseball) and swimming on a regular basis (yeah it sounds a little nuts when I write it but it doesn't seem chaotic in our lives). Once in a while he is also enrolled in tennis, gymnastics etc. Will we have the opportunity to have such activities in SG - and are they all outdoors? How do the kids do this stuff with the weather?

4. Lastly I am very worried about the weather for myself. I hate being hot - is is really possible to live in Singapore and not be exposed too much to the weather? I am worried I will feel claustrophbic if I get there and can't deal with it and also can't leave!

Sorry to pour out all my questions and emotions onto the boards - I think I just need to put things down to gain a little perspective!

thanks in advance for your replies.

Posted: **Mon, 22 Oct 2012 9:28 am**

See in text.

samjoy wrote:thank you for taking the time to reply! I would appreciate any recommendations anyone might have for the following:

1. Areas we should explore to live in. My husband's office will be on Pasir Panjang road (mapletree business city?) and mine (if they let me move with the company) will be in Marina bay. Based on that and some of my research - it looks like east coast will be a good option for us? What is a good condo complex on the east coast to start looking at? We need a 3 bedroom place and would like to have some amenities onsite like a play area outside of the kids and a swimming pool and gym

East Cost is ok - see some property websites such as . dot com dot sg or similar. (Might be censored) to get a feel of prices.

2. schools and daycare - from reading on this forum since last night, it looks like daycare is a better option for my little one than a nany at home. Are there ones people recommend? How about schools? I feel like the SAS (american school) might be too far for my older one as well as I dont want him to have contact only with american kids - I would like him to integrate into the culture but still go to private school. Is this possible?
This is my biggest worry - I have never had the kids go on a schoolbus off by themselves. How will they cope with a new place as well as new routines?
I am also looking for a daycare focused on play and not just academics which I know is stressed on in Asia (I am originally from India)

You can find this all here. I would not recommend SAS from East Coast - it's a long way away.

3. Activities for the kids. My older one right now does karate, soccer, tball (baseball) and swimming on a regular basis (yeah it sounds a little nuts when I write it but it doesn't seem chaotic in our lives). Once in a while he is also enrolled in tennis, gymnastics etc. Will we have the opportunity to have such activities in SG - and are they all outdoors? How do the kids do this stuff with the weather?

Some of this is done indoors - but yes - you can do all of this still.

4. Lastly I am very worried about the weather for myself. I hate being hot - is is really possible to live in Singapore and not be exposed too much to the weather? I am worried I will feel claustrophbic if I get there and can't deal with it and also can't leave!

Absolutely! Spend a lot of time inside - hundreds of indoor aircon places. The morning and late evenings are cooler though.

Sorry to pour out all my questions and emotions onto the boards - I think I just need to put things down to gain a little perspective!

thanks in advance for your replies.

Posted: **Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:37 am**

samjoy wrote:thank you for taking the time to reply! I would appreciate any recommendations anyone might have for the following:

1. Areas we should explore to live in. My husband's office will be on Pasir Panjang road (mapletree business city?) and mine (if they let me move with the company) will be in Marina bay. Based on that and some of my research - it looks like east coast will be a good option for us? What is a good condo complex on the east coast to start looking at? We need a 3 bedroom place and would like to have some amenities onsite like a play area outside of the kids and a swimming pool and gym

2. schools and daycare - from reading on this forum since last night, it looks like daycare is a better option for my little one than a nany at home. Are there ones people recommend? How about schools? I feel like the SAS (american school) might be too far for my older one as well as I dont want him to have contact only with american kids - I would like him to integrate into the culture but still go to private school. Is this possible?
This is my biggest worry - I have never had the kids go on a schoolbus off by themselves. How will they cope with a new place as well as new routines?
I am also looking for a daycare focused on play and not just academics which I know is stressed on in Asia (I am originally from India)

3. Activities for the kids. My older one right now does karate, soccer, tball (baseball) and swimming on a regular basis (yeah it sounds a little nuts when I write it but it doesn't seem chaotic in our lives). Once in a while he is also enrolled in tennis, gymnastics etc. Will we have the opportunity to have such activities in SG - and are they all outdoors? How do the kids do this stuff with the weather?

4. Lastly I am very worried about the weather for myself. I hate being hot - is is really possible to live in Singapore and not be exposed too much to the weather? I am worried I will feel claustrophbic if I get there and can't deal with it and also can't leave!

Sorry to pour out all my questions and emotions onto the boards - I think I just need to put things down to gain a little perspective!

thanks in advance for your replies.

I can add my experiences to a couple of questions - I moved with my 2.5 year old and I wanted her in a daycare/preschool fullday system like she was used to in the US. And there are quite a few places that do it. You will need to look around a bit to find one that suits you. Yes there are places that put very heavy emphasis on education/enrichment etc but there are other places also. After a couple of missteps (one school had too much TV/DVD time and at another my daughter ended up being miserable) my daughter now goes to Shaws in Katong (no affliation - just a satisfied parent) and I am really happy with the way they blend learning with fun. She does go on a school bus. I have had many worries about this one but my daughter loves it and at the end of the day if she is happy I am happy. Most school buses have an "aunty" who helps them buckle up and ensures they are happy. They make their own friends and settle in quite easily. From my transition to Singapore (a year back) I have learned that kids adapt the fastest.

About the weather - yes it is hot but as mentioned before most places are airconditioned including buses and trains. Having said that if your places is further away from a bus stop or MRT station and you have to walk there - you will sweat. You do not have to stick at home. In my case, it is the allergies I get in Singapore that drive me crazy. Whenever the PSI rating (issued by the National Environmental Agency) rises my allergies get worse and I am still learning to live with it.

Do feel free to PM me if you have more questions and good luck with the move

Posted: **Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:40 am**

thank you wannamove and offshoreoildude. If you don't mind sharing, where do you currently live and would you recommend your condo complex to us? Please feel free to PM me with the info if you don't like to share on the boards!

Thanks for the link to the site for house searches - its so overwhelming I don't know where to even start looking - that site looks like a good place~

thanks for the recommendation of the daycare wannamove. I will check them out as well!

Posted: **Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:57 am**

samjoy wrote:thank you wannamove and offshoreoildude. If you don't mind sharing, where do you currently live and would you recommend your condo complex to us? Please feel free to PM me with the info if you don't like to share on the boards!

Thanks for the link to the site for house searches - its so overwhelming I don't know where to even start looking - that site looks like a good place~

thanks for the recommendation of the daycare wannamove. I will check them out as well!

I own my condo but would not recommend the area to you (St Michaels Road area).

Singapore Expats

Where can I look to see if moving to SG is even a viable opt

Where can I look to see if moving to SG is even a viable opt

Re: Where can I look to see if moving to SG is even a viable