As a single mom, I
get so many surprised looks when I tell people that I taught English in Spain
last year and I actually brought my two
children along with me. As soon as they hear about my experience I always get
the same two questions:
First, why would I leave a pretty stable life to do
something like this? It was the right time in my life, my kids were at a great
age(11 and 9) and I had a career that I could come back to, so I decided to go
for it. However, I think the most
important deciding factor was that we all really wanted it. I have always
wanted to live abroad and my kids were up for the adventure.
Secondly, how did I do it?. To start, I simply Googled
“single mom teaching English abroad” and went from there. I had to weed through a lot dead-ends and roadblocks but I
just kept going. I finally found a program through the Ministry of Education in
Spain that didn't restrict bringing children along. However, they didn't provide any additional assistance
for bringing children and I had to do all the visa paperwork, register my kids in school and find housing myself, so it was a lot of
work. Also, I had to have all of my custody papers and agreements in order,
that is a dealbreaker, you can't get a visa without it.
Despite all the challenges, I can say without a doubt, it
was worth it. I loved teaching and working with the kids there. It was an amazing
life changing experience. We traveled
all over Europe and got to see life from a different point of view. My kids got
to see firsthand that different doesn't equal wrong, for that alone, I would do
it again in minute.
To any parents who are interested in teaching abroad, having
kids does not mean the end of your dream; if anything bringing them a long will
only enhance it. Don't be discouraged by the logistics. If it's something
you're passionate about, go for it!
Hello, I think your story is incredible. Don't you know I just started doing the same thing. I'm trying to get in your business but with the parent custody thing. Was it hard to get that done? I mean getting the father to sign his rights over. I'm asking because I'm thinking thats going to be the problem for me. I don't think their father will sign over his rights, just to be low down. But You gave good advice and I will try.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to say i am not trying to get in your business
DeleteHi, you don't have to get full custody, you just have to show that you have permission to take them. Depending on what country you go to, you may need a notarized letter signed by both parents with an apostille of hague. Check with the consulate of the country you want to go to, they can give you exact information. Hope that helps.
ReplyDelete