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View Full Version : Bringing up kids in Tenerife. Opportunity/Sheltered or a Good start in life?



Jabba43
27-03-2014, 22:14
In my younger years I was brought up in Australia and my parents did not want to live by the beach for the fear of their kids growing up to be beach bums, I actually tried it for a while in m 20's, belatedly :)

Tenerife is a fantastic place to live but for those of you with kids do you wonder if your kids will be at a disadvantage later on in life by not being near a large metropolis and being part of a larger country's education system?

Just wondering about other parents thoughts and if they plan to send their kids off to university to get a taste of the crappy hell holes we once came from.

Moderator
27-03-2014, 23:42
Retitled and bumped.

Lissalyon
28-03-2014, 09:47
I would thinktenerife would be a parents dream. All that sunshine. More daylight hours to do things.

If that's not giving your kids agood start in life.

My grandchildren don't go to school. They are 10, 7 and 5 this year. They dont have formal lessons. They mainly play.

They are three of the brightest kids You could wish to meet. Their parents are computer graduates and my daughter was in Mensa at age 12.

The oldest taught himself to read and the little one isn't far behind. All of them are creative. They spend a lot of their day making things or using technology.

Whether they will want to go to university I don't know. It's up to them. However, my daughter would give her right arm to bring them up in the warmth of Tenerife.

They go out about three times a week. One day unless the weather is really bad they spend most of the afternoon outside under the trees of a botanical centre with other home edders. I really admire their fortitude.

I. Annot think that being raised in Tenerife can bring nothing but good. It's very cosmopolitan for one thing. Much more than where we live.

essexeddie
28-03-2014, 19:37
Time will tell Lissalyon.

You have to wonder at times if its the best way to bring kids up in a metropolis, who knows. But a good education cant be bad. Can it? You don't want them to end up on a scrapheap.


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Jabba43
28-03-2014, 19:51
Lissalyon your grandkids are home-schooled? Not sure if I would do that either because of social interaction that kids need.

essexeddie
28-03-2014, 19:52
I agree.


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kathml
28-03-2014, 20:06
There's very little future for young people in Tenerife and I can't see that changing in the future the only career prospects for youngsters is on the mainland and that's where the brightest ones head for

Jabba43
28-03-2014, 20:16
There's very little future for young people in Tenerife and I can't see that changing in the future the only career prospects for youngsters is on the mainland and that's where the brightest ones head for

This is what the wife thinks :) We are only part timers here. I would like to come full time as I work online but she thinks there is more opportunity to grow back in Northern Europe.

On one hand I can see my kids playing outdoors and having happy faces on the other I can't help thinking I might be making them into islanders who will shun the continent later on. Even worse they might think why did you bring me up on that little Island in the Atlantic with limited opportunities :P

Would be good to hear from some "lifers" who have done a good stint.

essexeddie
28-03-2014, 20:40
You have to concur, without the sunshine what else is there in Tenerife?
Of course kids are happy just playing in the sun, who wouldn't be. But you have to face the harsh reality of life. Its not easy out there. Unless you are happy that you children will just end up as a waiter or window cleaner.

kathml
28-03-2014, 22:31
Not saying you can't have a good life here but if you really want to succeed as a professional it won't happen on a small island
You may end up a big fish in a small pool but you'll never become a big fish in a big pool here
It's a matter of ambition

Jabba43
29-03-2014, 07:57
You have to concur, without the sunshine what else is there in Tenerife?
Of course kids are happy just playing in the sun, who wouldn't be. But you have to face the harsh reality of life. Its not easy out there. Unless you are happy that you children will just end up as a waiter or window cleaner.

Sounds a bit grim eddie :) There is culture, beautiful scernery, santa cruz for some opportunities but i see what you are getting at. When your kids are old enough you would have to pack them off somewhere for some life experience.

essexeddie
29-03-2014, 17:54
Sorry if it came across as grim, I didn't mean it like that. I agree the Island is very beautiful but there is more in life. You cant spend all your life looking out at sea. There is a big World out there.
It depends on what you want out of life really. There are worse places to live I suppose.

bonitatime
29-03-2014, 19:40
I think it's a great place to bring up children. I always talked to both of mine about going away to study. And finally both did they are back here and working. The eldest I think will go again but the youngest hated being away. The island is for her and she is lucky to work in the industry she trained for.
I think when you talk to children you have to be honest with them and what the options are. Things are tough right now but they are tough throughout Spain.

ribuck
29-03-2014, 22:40
Lissalyon your grandkids are home-schooled? Not sure if I would do that either because of social interaction that kids need.

Home schooling is great because the children get so much more social interaction. Being sat in rows in a classroom is not social interaction.

There are great opportunities for those who grow up in Tenerife. There are entrepreneurial opportunities (e.g. property developer). There is much work for environmental scientists in Teide and other natural areas, and tourism offers more possibilities than being a waiter. Health care is sure to be a good-paying and secure profession, with the inevitable increase in retirees in Tenerife. There's plenty of opportunity for engineering work in Tenerife too. Santa Cruz is a world-class city with a great university.

Your children are unlikely to end up as super-rich bankers. But I think that's a good thing - those parasitic jobs don't lead to happiness anyway.

bonitatime
30-03-2014, 08:49
Home schooling is illegal in Spain

ribuck
30-03-2014, 10:33
Home schooling is illegal in Spain

How sad! The homeschooled children that I know in England are all well-adjusted, happy, capable kids.

Jon1988
17-04-2014, 13:13
What about the kids safety nobbody has evan mentioned this yet I have two girls and have just moved to tenerife im only a young parent 25 I been here alot as we have family here and the miss is currently working im not so im looking after the girls until they start nursery you have to look at the much bigger picture when moving like the way england is currently moving the wrong way how many young gangs stanbing crime rate so on and on yes it depends its does depend on where you are as for the child having less opportunity thats not true most the rich in the uk aint evan from the uk they go to school in there own country and choose to go to the uk for university witch is there choose so for the best start for a child tenerife is a brilliant place to bring them up and if the6 choose to go university in the uk then great if not there plenty of up and coming things in tenerife.

essexeddie
17-04-2014, 15:46
Mmmmmmmm :O

bonitatime
19-04-2014, 18:12
What about the kids safety nobbody has evan mentioned this yet I have two girls and have just moved to tenerife im only a young parent 25 I been here alot as we have family here and the miss is currently working im not so im looking after the girls until they start nursery you have to look at the much bigger picture when moving like the way england is currently moving the wrong way how many young gangs stanbing crime rate so on and on yes it depends its does depend on where you are as for the child having less opportunity thats not true most the rich in the uk aint evan from the uk they go to school in there own country and choose to go to the uk for university witch is there choose so for the best start for a child tenerife is a brilliant place to bring them up and if the6 choose to go university in the uk then great if not there plenty of up and coming things in tenerife.
I have been away 30 years things were not like that when we left but safety is a great thing here. I have never been afraid anywhere