Moving Toddlers and Young Children to NZ

If you have young children and are moving to a new country you know the lengths you will go to to make sure they are happy and settled. So I thought it might be helpful to write about some of the things I have done to help my two girls settle in as quickly as possible and make them feel at home and part of the community. These things have also stopped me from going round the bend (if you have young children at home full time you will know how easy it can be for them to drive you completely nutty).

We have been living in our house for almost 6 weeks now without any of our furniture or toys so it has been rather tricky entertaining the girls (they are aged 4 and 2). We have managed to borrow a TV which has helped but we have no chairs or seats, so watching it is somewhat uncomfortable. This means that I have tried to get them out of the house as much as possible.

In Wellington there are an enormous number of play areas and parks which is great when the weathers good. They are all really well maintained and extremely popular. They have some unusual climbing frames and swings and are very imaginatively set out to look like pirate ships or cars. My girls love them. Its also a great way to meet other Mums and Dads. I have nearly always found someone to chat to and they can let you know about other places and activities available to entertain your kids.

One of the best things I have found so far and has been a real godsend, is the local Toy Library. You pay a small joining fee and then pay about $2 to rent any toy you want for two weeks at a time. They have all kinds of toys from car and Lego sets to ride on cars and bikes. Ours is extremely well used and every time we go the car park is packed with parents unloading trampolines and kitchen sets from the back of their cars.

I would also suggest one of the first things you do when moving to a new area is check out the local library. Ours is brilliant for kids almost half of it is taken up with children's books and they have a local notice board packed with all the activities available for toddlers in the local area. The library also runs its own "Story Time" for toddlers where they read books and sing songs for half an hour each week. DD1 loves this but DD2 kept saying "Its boring Mummy, Its boring" in a very loud voice so I think I will have to give our local one a miss for a bit.

From the age of 3 children can go to Kindergarten in New Zealand and they are entitled to 20 hours free childcare which can be used in any child care provider of your choice. I recommend that you check out your local Kindergarten as most are attached to primary schools and its a great way to introduce children to the school routine and they will meet other children there own age.

Our local Kindergarten was oversubscribed and when I first approached them they couldn't take DD1 straight away and we were told we would have to wait a few months. They suggested that we come and have a look around anyway and that I could bring DD1 down anytime I liked as long as I stayed with her. This is very different to the way pre-schools work in the UK. The ones I have been to back in England were reluctant to let me come down without an appointment and wouldn't have welcomed parents just popping in whenever they liked. Here however parents can pop in for a coffee and a chat whenever they feel like it. Its far more open.

DD1 has now started Kindergarten as they made her a priority and let her in early. The children there appear to run wild but they actually do have many structured activities available to them and the emphasis is on learning through play. When I lasted popped in there where several boys wondering around purring and dressed up as cats, they were all clearly very happy and enjoying themselves. Its a huge contrast to the way things were done in Belgium where children are expected to sit in a classroom environment from the age of 2 and a half. The facilities are great with a large outdoor area with a massive covered sandpit, climbing frame, swings and ride on cars. I think its a great start to school life.

Children in New Zealand actually start school on the day of there 5th birthday. Its made a very big deal, with a "Happy Fifth Day" celebration at Kindergarten before they leave for school. Consequently children in NZ are always looking forward to starting school.

Kiwis are into sport in a big way. There are masses of clubs and sport facilities to take advantage of. I found the best way to find out about a lot of the clubs was to pop into the local sports centre and swimming pool. I have begun to take the girls to "Kindy Gym" which is run weekly for pre-schoolers. They spend an hour dancing and jumping on and off trampolines, walking along bars and generally running around at great speed. Its really good as they are then exhausted for the rest of the day. Other clubs available include pre-school football/rugby, swimming, cricket, sailing and tennis. I am sure there are many more I haven't spotted yet. DD1 has just started dance lessons which she loves, mainly because she gets to dress up like "Angelina Ballerina".

Plunket is a good organisation to get into touch with as they can give you information on a lot of the facilities and groups for young children in your area. This is there website -http://www.plunket.org.nz/

Another good organisation in the Wellington area is Playcentres. They appear to be like a large playgroup organisation that also provides some childcare. I haven't been to the one in our area yet but as soon as I do I will report back. This is their website. -http://www.playcentre.org.nz/.

We moved to New Zealand because we believed it would be a better place to raise our girls and so far we have not been disappointed. One of the things I love is the number of kids you see out on their bikes and skateboards and playing in the parks. It reminds me of the idyllic settings you used to read about in books by Enid Blyton when you were little. Children have been out over the Easter holidays playing in our local park and wooded area, climbing in trees and building camps. This is the kind of childhood I want for my girls.

Top tips for what to pack in your luggage

I found it really difficult to choose what to take in our luggage - which has to last us for the first 3 months in New Zealand until the rest of our stuff eventually arrives on the container ship. That is if it hasn't been stolen by pirates.

We have now survived almost six weeks with only what we carried on the plane and have discovered some of the things we could have left behind and some of the things we should have brought. So here are my top tips.




1. Take a laptop or if you can carry it your PC. We found it a fantastic way to stay in touch with family. We use Skype which allows free phone and video calls to relatives back home. There is also wifi available in all of the airports so you can keep in touch during the journey. Having access to your email is also a must.


2. Make sure - if you can fit them in - that you bring sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases. These seem to be rather expensive in New Zealand. We are on a limited budget and we have found that buying these has been a bit of a pain. You can buy them fairly cheaply in shops like Warehouse but it is an expense we would have rather avoided.

3. Bring appropriate clothes for the time of year. Arriving in March meant that we went from snow and ice in Brussels to the end of summer in Wellington. We got off the plane wearing thick winter coats and scarfs and it was tropical in Auckland. (OK I know this is obvious but we were still surprised by the warmth of late summer in New Zealand).

4. Car seats - this was a real dilemma. In the end we left them behind to go on the ship. We managed to get car seats thrown in free with our rental car but as soon as we brought our own we had to go out and buy them. We managed to pick up two for about $230 in total. It was probably still cheaper to buy them out here than pay for the extra luggage allowance. I think it depends on how many child seats you are bringing with you and the age of your kids - as boosters are far cheaper than baby seats.

5. Shoes are expensive in New Zealand so pack enough to get you through 3 months and make sure they are flat ones as there are a lot of hills here. Moving from a city like Brussels most of my shoes were high heeled boots and shoes and not at all appropriate for beach/hill walking.

6. Rain coats/Pack-A-Macs. Weather in Wellington can change from one hour to the next so I would recommend that you bring light rain coats or jackets. I expect the weather in the rest of New Zealand is fairly similar.

7. If you have children I would recommend bringing a few favourite toys and books to make them feel at home. We brought a few well loved cuddly toys and some small plastic figures and cars which have turned out to be very useful when in a completely unfurnished house and makes their bedroom feel more like home. We have also found a Toy Library in our local town. It is brilliant and has been a complete life saver. So far we have borrowed scooters, ride on cars, doll houses and many other things which have really helped the kids settle in and kept them amused. Also make sure you find the local library as not only do the kids like the books but both myself and DH have found them useful in the evenings as we wait for the much missed TV to arrive.

8. Kitchen and cooking utensils. We didn't bring any of these as there was no way we would have been able to fit them in. If you are going to bring any of these the only way you will be able to do it is by hiring a crate and sending it separately with the airline. I have heard of some people who have emigrated and done this. It might be a very useful way of bringing heavy or bulky items like computers and duvets or dressing gowns with you. You could also pop in a few kitchen items as we have really missed our wok, cheese grater and casserole dish. It weird the odd things you miss. We have survived so far by buying a cheap set of saucepans (again from warehouse), 4 plates, 4 mugs, knives/forks and one sharp knife. This limits what we can cook but my DH has now perfected the art of making pancakes in a saucepan - highly skilled I think you'll agree.



So if you can afford it I would recommend getting a crate sent by air as you can then bring items that are expensive to buy and bulky.



In conclusion if like us you move over to New Zealand about 3 months before your furniture arrives then be prepared to rough it a bit. We have survived quite comfortably on inflatable mattresses and cheap duvets but I really look forward to getting our beds back and being able to cook a larger variety of food - not just stuff that can be boiled in saucepans!