Have you ever sent a kid back to the states to attend a year in elementary school with a relative? 1. Is it a good idea? 2. What legal paperwork is needed to have my kid attend public school while living at a relative? 3. What grade is best?
My eldest is in first grade. She has very good speaking skills in English though reading and writing have much room for improvement.
Looking forward to hearing your stories and advice.
Won’t you miss her?
First grade? No way. If we’re still here when our girl’s in high school we might send her back (preferably to a good prep school if sufficient grants are available) rather than make her endure the cramming and testing and general stupidity (or at least we’d consider TAS or TES then). But first grade, second grade, third grade? Surely they can’t be that bad here. Not bad enough to warrant such an extreme response. As EdgarAllen suggested, it would be emotional trauma for both child and parent. At least it would be for us.
Our girl starts first grade next year and we’re GLAD she’ll attend here, because we want her to have a very strong foundation in oral and written Chinese that won’t slip away after we return. Her oral skills in English and Chinese are both fine and she’s a great reader in English. I’m sure she’ll learn to write English easily enough at home. But we really want her to learn to read and write Chinese well. What a fantastic gift that is to give your child, simply by living here: the ability to learn English and Chinese simultaneously with minimal effort. Your child should later in life be immensely grateful for that gift you gave her.
Why send her back to be another boring monolingual american, but one who is lonely and sad and misses mommy and daddy, and they her?
No thanks.
Don’t send your child away unless its the last recourse possible and even then, try to re unite with the kid ASAP.
I can’t imagine not tucking my kid in day after day or being so far away to not be able to wipe her tears. Language, Math skills, social skills, everything can be learnt and unlearnt. But how does a little girl cope when all she wants do is run into your lap, plant a kiss and resume her fairy games??? This is primary.
I’ve heard that with careful choosing, local school up to around at least junior high is very good here, until they start the drilling and exam prep that they laughingly refer to as “education.” I’m hoping I’ll be rich and famous enough by the time ours is ready for that that the extortionate fees of TES will be achievable. Otherwise he’ll need to get his schooling overseas. But NOT until he’s a teenager.
Sending a wee kiddy away to school? GOD! NO! 
[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]Have you ever sent a kid back to the states to attend a year in elementary school with a relative? 1. Is it a good idea? 2. What legal paperwork is needed to have my kid attend public school while living at a relative? 3. What grade is best?
My eldest is in first grade. She has very good speaking skills in English though reading and writing have much room for improvement.
Looking forward to hearing your stories and advice.[/quote]If your daughter is an American citizen or a permanent resident of the US, then she can legally attend public school in America. Otherwise it’s illegal and she would have to attend a private school instead and that is expensive.
Yes, I’ll miss her. Yes, she’s an American citizen. Yet, she suffered the over “special” treatment due to her “looks”. You know… the “cute syndrom” that is so talked about here in other threads.
Now she gets these inane conversations like…
-“Foreinger!”
-What foreingner? I was born in that hospital (pointing to the hospital down the street) over there. I speak Taiwanese and Chinese
(Dumb look from classmates) oh.
Next day… again.
These are not from her classmates persay. I’d say from people who are in the other classrooms.
Maybe a certified summer camp. I’d just like her to be in a muti-ethnic English evironment for a short time Also to get her sentence patterns straight as well. Two weeks out of a month vacation back home would be a better choice. Thanks for your thoughts.
And yes, Sandman. I can’t imagine not tucking my wee little one into bed at night or not taking her to school.
[quote]Now she gets these inane conversations like…
-“Foreinger!”
-What foreingner? I was born in that hospital (pointing to the hospital down the street) over there. I speak Taiwanese and Chinese
(Dumb look from classmates) oh.
Next day… again. [/quote]
Look on the bright side. If you sent her to the Yook, chances are she’d be getting “Fucking Chink.”
Only if there was nothing funnier to take the piss out off.
Sandman, I agree with you… These kids just haven’t seen a foreigner before and they no not what they say or do. They are not really mean. The other day I was in the park with my daughter and a kid greeted me with a happy “Fuck you”.
I asked my daughter to cover her ears, whipped out my pocket dictionary and recited the the meanings of Fuck you to the kid. Never saw a kid turn redder. I said. Is that good conversation. He agreed not.
In the Yook, they’ll say it, know it and mean it.
By the way… I was saying FUCK to everyone when I was trying to buy a new oven to make pizza. I think they thought I was looking for a Fucking Machine! Damn fourth tone words… It’s a set up…