Anonymous wrote:Yes. Military families do this all the time.

That is a VERY different situation. They are dropped into a ready made well established community with American families is the exact same situation who were all raised in the same system. Kids meet American kids, play on teams together go to school together, etc. you cannot compare that to a single family civilian move to Europe.

If they are not used to moving I would hesitate and I’m European.

I moved countries when my brother was 10 and I was 8. The adjustment was easy for me but hard for my brother. I actually think 10 is the age at which it starts getting harder.

I think it would be a great experience and there would be lots of upsides.

But don't assume that it will be an easy adjustment for the kid. It may be, but it could also be rough. A lot depends on the kid's personality, where he lands in Germany, whether he finds a good group of friends etc.

I think the perfect age to move is 8 or younger...

Definitely. I wanted to live somewhere else with the kids and we never did. Was just in Paris yesterday and still thinking about how it never quite worked for us. 3 kids was harder to thread the needle. 10 yo is the perfect age and it’s an amazing experience that you can’t replace. Do it!

It’s a great age to move.

Anonymous wrote:Depends where in Germany for me personally and size of opportunity.

If 1.5x his current comp then maybe to Munich or Berlin.

If twice current comp maybe throw in cologne and Hamburg.

If 3x current comp or more maybe flex beyond that but much of Germany is not charming bc so destroyed in ww2 and subsequently so would not be first choice

If it's a USG opportunity, none of this really applies. We had the opportunity to go to Wiesbaden/Mainz which is nice and very close to Frankfurt airport for trips home. There are lots of charming places to visit both in Germany and in neighboring countries. I wouldn't base the whole calculation on money.

Depends where in Germany for me personally and size of opportunity.

If 1.5x his current comp then maybe to Munich or Berlin.

If twice current comp maybe throw in cologne and Hamburg.

If 3x current comp or more maybe flex beyond that but much of Germany is not charming bc so destroyed in ww2 and subsequently so would not be first choice

We moved our 10 and almost 12 year old to Italy a couple years ago. We are still in Europe and debating whether to go back for all of high school or not. No regrets, but there are hardships at times. There would be at home, too. My kids have grown in so many ways because of it. We are DoD Civilians.

Anonymous wrote:DH has an offer in Germany that we are weighing.

Our only child is 10, and I know that’s a tough age to move across the world. Would you do it?

Its no big deal, lots of expatriates do it and its an enriching experience. If they attend American school, it would be great for mental health as they provide an instant community to kids and parents but german speaking schools would give them language and culture immersion.

Anonymous wrote:Germany? No. Somewhere else maybe

Nothing wrong with Germany. Great place for kids.

Yes. Probably not so much the Eastern part, but anywhere else yes.

Germany? No. Somewhere else maybe

Yes. Good age for it.

Yes 100%!

A friend moved her children to Portugal at around 8 and 10. She says it is the best thing they ever did. A military friend had his young kids in Japan for a few years, and it was wonderful for their family. YMMV with your family and with Germany.