We are currently on an ex pat assignment in the UK (we are Americans). Turns out we'll be returning to the US earlier than planned. Is there anything I should know? Does anyone have any advice about helping the children adjust?

We will be in Ann Arbor come this fall.

Wonder if the NHS is different here in Wales. We do get our prescriptions for free, which you don't get in England.

I just got through discussing this with my son's neurologist. The dr. really wants my son to have an MRI at some point in the future. We are in the Uk

I don't know much about this issue. Please educate me.

My little three year old daughter was wearing one of her many "princess dresses" and I greeted her by saying, "Hello there prettiest girl!" She looked down at her dress, smoothed out the skirt and smiling said, "yes."

I am an American living in the UK. Some differences I've noticed: 1. When you go in for a doctor's visit, you sit down eye level with the doctor and have a conversation first thing. I've come in with typed lists of notes and suspected diagnosis and the doctors were pleased that I took an interest rather than offended that I was doing "their job". 2. Should you get ill out of hours, there is a help line to call to determine what needs to be done. I've found the help line to be wonderful. They take a long time to make sure every base is covered. 3. If I was too sick to get to the doctor's office, one would come to me. During the height of the H1N1 scare, they were advising people not to go into the doctor's office with flu symptoms and were there need of medical care, a doctor would come to you. 4. I'm in Wales so prescriptions are also free. 5. I have a specific problem that developed during my last two pregnancies called symphysis pubis dysfunction. It was painful (still is), and crippling during my pregnancies. I had one doctor completely blow me off and found it really hard to get care or even information back in the states. Since coming here, the second I mention it to a doctor, they know what I'm talking about. They are shocked that I did not recieve more treatment during pregnancy and I am booked in to see a physical therapist who specializes in spd next month. 6. Yes, there are waiting lists and it is a drag. But in a true emergency, there would be no wait. 7. The focus is more on preventative care rather than medical solutions. While I wouldn't say it's holistic medicine, there is a different focus. There are government programs to help with mental illness, stopping smoking, alcohol abuse, ect. Now, ask me about the UK home education situation, I may not be so positive. I have friends who wouldn't dream of emigrating to the US simply because of our health care system. And yes, there are horror stories of things that got screwed up, people dying ect. That happens everywhere. Socialized medicine or not. It is horrible each and every time a medical mistake happens. Simply horrible. I'm looking forward to many things about my upcoming move back to the states. I will miss so much about the UK, though. My friends I've met here, the sheer breathtaking beauty of things, and the medical system will all be sorely missed. I'm lucky. My spouse has a job that no matter what we will have insurance and I won't have to worry about paying for basic medical care. But, I'm eager to get things taken care of here in the UK before we go back that I don't know if insurance will cover. (My son's $1200 orthodics that need replacing for one. Insurance does not cover that.) :)

http://www.oyate.org/

What I think I'm going to do is buy Oak Meadow, have it sent to my parents' house in the US and when I visit go and look through it, take what I think I'll need over here in Wales and leave the rest for my mom to mail to me after we are settled in the states. I plan on having a nice chat with the OM people first explaining my child's special needs and also explaining my oldest's skills. Jo

Right now I kind of pull it all together. We use History Oddessy for History and REAL science for science. I like those two curriculums but it's still more prep work than I can keep up with right now. I don't mind stuff not being planned day by day. Right now I just plan a week at a time and we go through our weekly list. The older is very independent. I will miss doing things together if we do OM I think. But if we have more time, then we can do things together still. I will take your advice and call OM. I'm looking for just a list of things to work through during the week with the books, supplies, ect all very very easily obtained (like a list for me to gather at the start of the sememster) and we just do it. I like it to be rigourous for the big one but easier for the little one. I want math to be less of a headache for me. I want it to take no more than half the day leaving afternoons free for other things. I also want a daily housekeeper. :lol:

I am looking at Oak Meadow and so far like what I see. It looks easy to do and the planning has already done. I would have to put my 8 year old into the second grade for OM, but any other curriculum would be the same. I just wonder how hard it would be to do different things with both of them. It doesn't look like we'd be doing much together this way. I did join the yahoo group and I'm going to keep looking at WP and Sonlight.

Actually my older two are boys. My little ones are girls. Keep the suggestions coming. Thanks.

Basically I'm looking right now at both Sonlight and Oak Meadow. Obviously Sonlight isn't secular, but I know it can be made secular. I have a child who will be in grade 6 next year and a child who had learning delays in reading/phonics who will be (with the exception of language arts) in grade 3 next year. So, throw them at me. What do you like? What do you dislike? I'd like to cover American History with them. I have two small daughters who tend to get underfoot a lot. Oh, and about mid october we will be moving from Wales back to America. Should be a simple peaceful autumn. ;) Should that say burned out instead? Ugh. See what I mean.

Hi-ya! I am sort of your neighbor, I'm in south Wales. We use R.E.A.L. Science. It's a PDF download (though you may have to email her personally to work out how to pay with a UK bank account. We did.) and it is pretty fun. My fifth grader and first grader are both using it and are enjoying it though my older son could use something more challenging. I tend to just supplement with additional assignments and materials. We are doing the EArth and space one now. It's not in metric, though. So you may have to adapt it somewhat. Doesn't matter to us, since we are American expats and returning to the states next year. (Though to be honest, I'd prefer my kids to learn metric and I think the US should catch up to the rest of the world in that area...but I digress.) Jo

At that age, baby should be waking to nurse. I'd be worried about a4 month old who slept through the night.