Wait! So you are actually moving to Costa Rica? Are you crazy? What about the children?

A small part of you might agree with the family and friends that are slightly worried about you making the big move to Costa Rica. Even with the little voice in the back of your head worrying about how your children will adjust to their new life abroad, you are determined to give your family a better quality of life and a more positive financial future.

Such big decisions can be daunting, but rest assured, with the increasing number of expats raising their families in one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful regions, the growing international community that have set up home in the South Pacific have never looked back!

Making the move to the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica.

Meet Laura Johnson, a tropical biologist, originally from Nor, California who decided to move to Costa Rica in 2005. Starting her Central American adventure in Guatemala, Laura decided to move to the South Pacific of Costa Rica to find a more peaceful environment and for its abundance of exotic wildlife. With two children, a boy and a girl aged 6 and 8, Laura is happily raising her family in the coastal town of Dominical.

Living in the South Pacific will positively affect your child’s upbringing.

Many parents worry that living abroad could damage their child’s education, harm their development and their opportunities to interact socially. However, living in the South Pacific can be both beneficial and advantageous for your children in so many important ways, as Laura explains,”my children will be fully bilingual and they have a more global vision in life. They see a wide variety of economic situations in different households and understand that it is not important to have a lot of ‘things’ in life to be happy”.

But won’t the children miss their home country?

Whether we are adults or children, we can all sometimes miss the comforts of our home country. But for many kids living in the South Pacific, there is so much to experience and new friends to make, that there is not much time for reflection, only time to plan and look forward to the next adventure!

For Kim Reid, a native of Dayton, Ohio, she knew that the South Pacific would be a great place to raise a child. She explains, “my children experience so much nature and raw beauty. They don’t miss home, not even a little, it is so pure and amazing here”.

The benefits of living in the South Pacific are also beneficial for many parents. As Kim notes, “I go back the United States and parents are running themselves in to a cancer or heart attack zone with constant running! There is so much technology and a Go! Go! Go! Culture. Living in the South Pacific gets us out of the machine and gives us much more time quality time to spend with our children outdoors”.

Swap video games for a childhood filled with outdoor adventures!

Surrounded by a tropical landscape filled with amazing vegetation and living close-by to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you will find your children playing outside all day. There are an endless amount of activities to enjoy and although there is excellent internet access and cable available, Laura notes that “very few kids have any video games and are instead very in touch with the environment”.

Kim adds, “many people wait their whole lives to see a monkey, tree frog or surf a wave. All this is just waiting outside for my children to experience. They learn not out of a book, but understand firsthand how the ocean, rivers and jungles work”.

And how about their education?

So you maybe be very pleased to hear that your children will spend more time outdoors learning about the incredible ecosystem of the South Pacific, but what about formal education? What schooling options are there for your children?

A concern for many families, strong educational foundations are an important feature of the South Pacific international community. Established in 2010, the Escuela Verde Costa Ballena is a bilingual school that offers a comprehensive curriculum and prepares children to be both resourceful and independent while inspiring them to give back to their multi-cultural community and the natural environment.

Both Laura and Kim send their children to Escuela Verde, knowing that the school incorporates an ecological education into its curriculum.

So what are you waiting for?

With so many opportunities for you children to learn and grow into confident, caring and knowledgeable adults, have no doubts that in time you will be helping your friends and families relocate to the South Pacific too!

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.