Children - Expat Magazine
Toronto, the capital city of Canada's province of Ontario and the fifth largest city in North America (after Mexico City, NYC, Los Angeles, and Chicago), is one of Canada's greatest places to live, if you have an active and outgoing personality. The city's landscape and lifestyle are the results of the fascinating mixture of cultures and subcultures. From the hospitality of the people and the vibrancy of city life to the job opportunities and the work-life balance, here are five reasons you will enjoy expat life in the metropolis of Toronto.
Netherlands
Rebekah is an avid traveler and blogger, born in Dublin, Ireland. After growing up with her parents in the UK, she lived in Germany, the Greek Islands, and South Korea. Back to Europe, she met her Spanish husband, and they got married in New Zealand. Today, they live in the Netherlands with their two kids. The author of Write Now Rebekah speaks to Expat.com about her expat experience and passion for blogging.
To become successful in your expatriation project and to make the most of your host country, you should be ready to accept changes in your lifestyle and everyday routine. However, we all have a few habits, favourite activities, or personality traits that we are not willing to compromise regardless of our location or circumstances. Expat.com has selected a few countries depending on your priorities in life to help you choose the most suitable expat destination for you, or to get a better understanding of your new country of residence.
USA
Working parents in the United States are facing daunting hurdles to find high-quality and affordable care for their children due to the country's inadequate childcare system. Each state has a unique setting, but what all states have in common are the high cost of childcare and the difficulty to access a system whose priority is not the welfare of parents, children, and professional carers.
A hefty salary doesn't necessarily mean that you can save a ton of money at the end of the month, or that you can afford big expenditure on leisure activities and luxury items. Cost of living has a direct impact on all of the above. Starting with the least expensive, we present to you America's ten most expensive metropolitan areas, where a six-figure annual salary for a family of three isn't enough for a comfortable lifestyle. After paying their taxes, debts, housing, and transportation, a family earning $100,000 a year is still struggling to get by in certain US cities.
Choosing your next destination, whether you're moving with your family or planning to have kids abroad, involves a lot of reflection. Children's rights and your responsibilities as parents; the environment; as well as access to education and healthcare are some of the criteria to be considered. Expat.com gives you an insight into the world's most child-friendly countries according to a study by KidsRights, an international NGO.
Once you have settled abroad, whether alone or with your family, you might find yourself wondering how to spend your time. Is there a better feeling that reconnecting with nature to become a mindful expat and, at the same time, rid yourself of the stress that comes with moving? To help you discover and enjoy your host country's natural wealth, here is an overview of the world's greenest cities, including parks, gardens, woods, and forests, according to TravelBird Index 2018.
Moving overseas will initially fill you up with excitement about the adventures to come, and gradually may bring up worries about practical matters. Regardless of how easy or tough the reality is during your time abroad, expatriation will be for sure a growth experience, from which you will learn a tone of things about yourself and your interaction with the world.
Philippines
After spending 12 rewarding years in Dubai, Arni and her family decided to move back to the Philippines and "set up their nest". Today, and after a decade of a hectic career-oriented lifestyle in the Middle East, Arni and her French husband run their business in the Philippino countryside. With every opportunity, Arni steals some time for blogging — what started as a journal filled with travel and culinary tips, expanded to be the record of an eventful life journey. Are you ready to join Arni in her adventures and get inspired?
Pregnancy can be a fascinating process yet a very stressful one. Preparation is key to ensure a smooth and uneventful birth and to welcoming your child merrily. Delivering in a foreign country can cause further anxiety due to the many unfamiliar circumstances. Check out our compiled guide to giving birth abroad, and get organised well in advance for the most important event in your life.
Globally, parenting aims at nurturing responsible and productive members of society. But the definition of a kind and successful citizen differs from culture to culture, depending on the ethics and moral values. Is your child-rearing flexible or do you implement discipline? Do you impose your ideas or let your child to discover their talents creatively? Expat.com has put together some of the most interesting parenting practices to show you child raising from a different perspective.
In spite of the fact that families around the world have unique structures and are affected by different socio-economic environments, they are the basic unit of every society. On the United Nations' International Day of Families, Expat.com presents the best countries to raise a family, as revealed by the latest HSBC Expat Explorer survey. Find out where you get high-quality childcare, education, and healthcare to secure a glowing future for your family.
When you find yourself in an international group of expats, conversations tend to turn into some competition about whose country has the best national dish and which is the most hardworking nation. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) debunks any myths that expats may have created with a thorough survey, which has measured the annual working hours in 35 OECD member states. Most of the countries ranked are developed, and some fall under the category of developing countries.
If you have travelled to your new destination only with your e-reader due to its practicality, but you are missing flipping through ink books, we have composed a list of the world's coolest bookshops in five urban expat destinations. You don't have to be the typical bookworm to enjoy the benefits of a nice bookshop — you may go for the good coffee, to meet other expats, or to do your work.
You and your partner are in a secure and loving relationship, which has to undergo a temporary physical separation due to set objectives for career growth or personal development. It is true that this sole expatriation, which can be anything from a few weeks to many months, can bring some uncertainties and unexpected difficulties in the relationship. However, we believe that true love doesn't know geographical boundaries, and expat life can be a valuable experience for both — the one who departs and the one who stays behind.
Expat life is professionally and personally rewarding, but it can also be emotionally overwhelming. Homesickness is a feeling of anxiety and distress, which can stop you from making the most of your experience abroad. It is important to understand that feeling lonely, confused, and unable to adjust to the new lifestyle and environment is normal. However, the symptoms of missing home, along with the security and the routine that come with it should not be ignored or suppressed because they will devalue your expat project. We give you nine tips to overcome homesickness and start enjoying a fulfilling life abroad.
France
Nicole grew up in California where she had a successful career in finance, before realising that she wanted to become a pastry chef. She enrolled in a pastry school in Paris, left her life in the U.S. behind, and has now created her own little family in the Basque Country, where she is enjoying the finer things in life. She shares her experiences with Expat.com.
Moving abroad with your family is a daring project that requires proper planning. Quality of life, education, safety, health, leisure, work-life balance, etc., are some of the criteria that have to be taken into account. To help you choose your next destination, Expat.com presents the top 10 cities for expat families according to Homeday's Family Index 2017.
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