Would you move to Singapore with teens/tweens?

[Anonymous]

For Singapore, yes, absolutely. For most other Asian cities or countries, no.

Send the kids to an International school, preferably one with an IB. This overseas experience will help, not hurt, US college admissions, because living overseas is a kind of good differentiator. Singapore is safe and almost everyone speaks English.

SG does take its laws very seriously and they all are enforced very strictly. So explain to the family that SG is different from the US, meaning absolutely no drugs, no underage drinking, and no jaywalking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just told our oldest about the possibility. She’s (understandably) surprised and a bit shaken but she seems to be considering it with a lot of maturity.
We will make sure our other kids know before we pursue any further.
If I work for a nonprofit that’s based in the US and I c a work remotely[b] I’ll have to look into the implications of living abroad.

Tax implications of this will be big if you are doing things aboveboard. Assuming Singapore even lets one do this (legally) . . . and then the US tax issues are important to understand as well.

[Anonymous]

I have friends with kids living in Singapore right now. Be okay with hot weather and random government decisions. But, it has lots to offer, great food, and a good jumping off point for travel. Also, good schools. I've lived with my kids in other Asian countries, probably considered less desirable, and it's all worked out well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For Singapore, yes, absolutely. For most other Asian cities or countries, no.

Send the kids to an International school, preferably one with an IB. This overseas experience will help, not hurt, US college admissions, because living overseas is a kind of good differentiator. Singapore is safe and almost everyone speaks English.

SG does take its laws very seriously and they all are enforced very strictly. So explain to the family that SG is different from the US, meaning absolutely no drugs, no underage drinking, and no jaywalking.

Shanghai?

[Anonymous]

Yes! Great city, wonderful opportunity for travel and they have one of the best international schools. Life changing experience for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friends with kids living in Singapore right now. Be okay with hot weather and random government decisions. But, it has lots to offer, great food, and a good jumping off point for travel. Also, good schools. I've lived with my kids in other Asian countries, probably considered less desirable, and it's all worked out well.

Where are your friends kids in school? And what part of Singapore do they live in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:American groceries there are super expensive, you are paying $5 for a cup of fage yogurt.
While they have a couple famous dishes, generally the local cuisine is pretty meh, and I speak that as an Asian person.
No outdoor activities can be depressing. You can go to surrounding countries though.

Who goes to Asia for fage yogurt?!

We found food- both groceries and eating out- in Singapore to be crazy cheap and so good. I miss the fruit and the excellent variety of local and international cuisine available. I think you would only be disappointed if you eat a very plain American diet. We also spent more time outside there than most places we’ve been- it was similar to when I lived in NYC in terms of spending a lot of time eating outside, strolling parks, and walking to/from transit, except the weather was way better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For Singapore, yes, absolutely. For most other Asian cities or countries, no.

Send the kids to an International school, preferably one with an IB. This overseas experience will help, not hurt, US college admissions, because living overseas is a kind of good differentiator. Singapore is safe and almost everyone speaks English.

SG does take its laws very seriously and they all are enforced very strictly. So explain to the family that SG is different from the US, meaning absolutely no drugs, no underage drinking, and no jaywalking.

This would scare me with teens. Even really good non adventurous teens can make friends with kids who are bigger risk takers. The penalties are so high in Singapore that I would worry. I could never forgive myself if my teen was jailed in a harsh prison because I wanted to relocate for a cool job opportunity,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got back from Singapore.

I had my bag searched/xrayed and was put through a metal detector and wander before boarding the subway.

The newspaper had articles that explained how you would be jailed if you so much as wore an article of clothing taking a position on the Hamas, Israel war.

When I left, the pat down at the airport wasn’t messing around. Like, he should have bought me dinner first, you know?

But it’s a safe, multicultural society of course. Just don’t confuse it with being free.

This. Also, make sure none of your kids ends up being gay.

[Anonymous]

Singapore is an advance and safe country, but other things to consider it is just a very tiny country, about half size of Rhode Island, you can go from end to end in just 30 minutes. Also housing is very expensive, if you live in sfh home here it won’t happened there, all flats and condo. Also, though the public transport is very reliable, owning a car is a luxury, the tax is more expensive than the car itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For Singapore, yes, absolutely. For most other Asian cities or countries, no.

Send the kids to an International school, preferably one with an IB. This overseas experience will help, not hurt, US college admissions, because living overseas is a kind of good differentiator. Singapore is safe and almost everyone speaks English.

SG does take its laws very seriously and they all are enforced very strictly. So explain to the family that SG is different from the US, meaning absolutely no drugs, no underage drinking, and no jaywalking.

This would scare me with teens. Even really good non adventurous teens can make friends with kids who are bigger risk takers. The penalties are so high in Singapore that I would worry. I could never forgive myself if my teen was jailed in a harsh prison because I wanted to relocate for a cool job opportunity,

Legal drinking age in Singapore is 18. My SIL lives there, and her two kids went to school there. Per the nephew anyway, he got the drinking out of the way before he got to college (he went to college in the US and now works here), so he knew his limits, and was the designated driver/holder of girls' hair while they puked in college. According to him and my niece, kids are much more cognizant of pushing the limits because they know that the consequences can be severe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d take them over there on an exploration trip and pull out ALL the stops and get them all the information. We’d tour schools together, see housing options, etc. I would even try to introduce them to some kids their age, ideally other expats, who could tell them what it’s like to live there.

I would paint the most realistic and optimistic picture of what life would look like and give them a taste of it.

If they really wanted to go and the family was all on board, then we’d do it.

This, so much this. This all day and every day.

Unless you and DH have lived in Singapore yourselves (and I hear it's a very cool place from many who travel there), you yourselves have NO IDEA what you'd be moving them into. Do your homework, and then all of you go on a visit to feel it out.

Just cold moving, one day they're here and then they have a new life, with no sense of what you're choosing for your kids... sounds like a horrible idea.

[Anonymous]

OP, when you say this, it is a huge red flag to me -- "We have visited Singapore (earlier this year) and I think we could handle living there for a few years".

Look, moving a family abroad, with two working parents, is a HUGE thing to do. Emotionally, logistically, financially... It can be great, it can be hard, and I am not addressing any of the SG or age-specific aspects here. It just is an all-encompassing thing, for the family, for a long while -- the prep, the move, the return. I would say, based on experience, if you are not itching to go, if you are viewing this as something you can "handle", chances are you will be overwhelmed by it when you are in the middle of it. Of course you are thinking about the fit for the kids as you should, but I just sense a lack of that spark in this idea, and without that spark, an overseas move is a hard hard thing to pull off happily or successfully. Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just got back from Singapore.

I had my bag searched/xrayed and was put through a metal detector and wander before boarding the subway.

The newspaper had articles that explained how you would be jailed if you so much as wore an article of clothing taking a position on the Hamas, Israel war.

When I left, the pat down at the airport wasn’t messing around. Like, he should have bought me dinner first, you know?

But it’s a safe, multicultural society of course. Just don’t confuse it with being free.

This. Also, make sure none of your kids ends up being gay.

Oh wow. SO MUCH MORE REASON TO VISIT FIRST and check out the actual schools you'd be considering. I had no idea it was THAT oppressive there, that is frightening. Technically probably "very safe", but only for those happy with the status quo/mainstream. I wouldn't make that move, and my daughter speaks Mandarin and though they don't speak it all that much there even though it's 1 of 4 official languages for Singapore, I'd been excited to visit. Now... not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d take them over there on an exploration trip and pull out ALL the stops and get them all the information. We’d tour schools together, see housing options, etc. I would even try to introduce them to some kids their age, ideally other expats, who could tell them what it’s like to live there.

I would paint the most realistic and optimistic picture of what life would look like and give them a taste of it.

If they really wanted to go and the family was all on board, then we’d do it.

This, so much this. This all day and every day.

Unless you and DH have lived in Singapore yourselves (and I hear it's a very cool place from many who travel there), you yourselves have NO IDEA what you'd be moving them into. Do your homework, and then all of you go on a visit to feel it out.

Just cold moving, one day they're here and then they have a new life, with no sense of what you're choosing for your kids... sounds like a horrible idea.

Op here - obviously we would not move without a very clear idea of what we are getting into and all the implications. For everyone. No one is talking about cold moving or not going to spend time there and see what it would be like.