Relocating Family to Argentina

[2ski]

I'm not sure how homeschooling could do a worse job that what most public schools have been doing for the past few decades. There are tons of online tools available now. There's frankly a lot of wasted time in a public school day even if you don't count the time to go to school and get home.

I'd strongly consider homeschooling if I had any school age kids. Homeschooling vs public schools are frankly close to opposites. Completely individualized lessons vs being part of a class with kids of many different abilities and behavior issues.

 

[left field]

The most interesting people I know are those who lived abroad as kids.

Patagonia is great. I wouldn't hesitate to move my young family there once you work out the details.

This move benefits 1 person: you. So if you do it, you better own that and not make any cop out bs excuses about how is better for everyone else and you're a martyr just going along with it. I propose a couple experiments before jumping in:

2. Buy plane tickets for your whole family from wherever you currently live to the furthest point in the u.s. and back again with no dwell time at the destination, keep yourself in airports or on the plane the entire time. Try to recreate the trip duration from your inlaws house to Argentina. Keep a log of how you feel during the trip, how your kids are, and how much fun you have.

Are you suggesting he fly from one side of the country and back again in one day just to see how his family will handle a 12-hour flight.

Here's how ... it will suck. As all flying does these days.

But at the end of that shitty day they will be in Argentina, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, and the plane will be forgotten five minutes from the airport.

 

[Terrapin]

There is an option to homeschool or local school. My mom taught at “international schools” all over the world. The schools are very rigorous academically & cater to expats, diplomatic staff & the children of foreign business executives. Think school uniforms and classically trained educators… maybe a little rulers on knuckles.

Not cheap, but an interesting option that I would consider if I wanted to live internationally & had the financial means.


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[Coveyleader]

The most interesting people I know are those who lived abroad as kids.

Patagonia is great. I wouldn't hesitate to move my young family there once you work out the details.



Are you suggesting he fly from one side of the country and back again in one day just to see how his family will handle a 12-hour flight.

Here's how ... it will suck. As all flying does these days.

But at the end of that shitty day they will be in Argentina, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, and the plane will be forgotten five minutes from the airport.

Actually that is true, but what isn't true is once you get on an international flight, and are being taken care of by international flight attendants, they take it as a profession, and the flight is actually more enjoyable. Once you take the connection in that country, i.e. Arg, it will even be better. US flight attendants are hags, on the other side of being happy.

I'd take a 10 hour flight from Miami or Houston to BA any day over a LA to NY flight. As a matter of fact, I'd take a round trip the same day back and forth from ARG before I'd do a one way here in the US.

 

[IdahoSwede]

I lived there for 3 months in college. Empanadas. How I miss all the empanadas.

 

[left field]

I lived there for 3 months in college. Empanadas. How I miss all the empanadas.

And ice cream, steak, and wine.

But yes, the empanadas are next level.

 

[IdahoSwede]

And ice cream, steak, and wine.

But yes, the empanadas are next level.

So true. Don’t remember the ice cream but the steak and wine. So cheap back then too. Probably not so much anymore with the inflation problems they are having.

 

[left field]

What I loved was the 10 levels of cooked temp for a steak that they hit every time.

 

[5MilesBack]

As a matter of fact, I'd take a round trip the same day back and forth from ARG before I'd do a one way here in the US.

Yep, we lived overseas for 6 straight years in two different places. We made the round trip international flights 7 times with the kids in that time. Most of those flights were excellent, and me being 6'6" they really went out of their way to always get us good seats with legroom.

As for homeschool, our two oldest started homeschool from the beginning and then switched to public school later on. Both were immediately put in the TAG programs (talented and gifted) because they were so far ahead. Both took most all of the AP classes offered and got college credit for them. Both graduated with very high GPA's.

Compare that to our youngest who started in the public school system here in the highly touted district 20. She always got straight A's but when we started homeschooling her in 7th grade.......wow, we discovered just how far behind she was.

As for Argentina, I was just telling my wife a few weeks ago that I would really like to take an extended trip down there for a couple months during their summer. It's an interesting place.

 

[isItFallYet]

If you end up giving it a shot and are part of a good outfit, report back! It’s on my list of places I want to fish!

 

[rileybassman]

My first wife and half her family were homeschooled. Her experience after high school graduation is very close to that of every other person we met that also grew up home schooled. Home schooling sounds like a good idea, but every single person who came out of it was way behind everyone else. It’s a lot of work to teach kids and once the fun wears off home school turns into no school, or barely half ass school. Other folks may have a totally different experience, we just never met anyone that wasn’t also playing catch-up well into their 20’s to actually learn the things they should have in heir teens.

Over the years a number of coworkers home schooled their high school age kids, and it was a lazy way of not having to deal with their problems in school and very little was expected of them.

Our oldest wants to home school his kids - neither his nor his wife have the interest, energy, or personality to teach kids - they like hanging out with them and doing stuff with them, but that’s not an education. He tries to get me in on it because I like to train smart motivated adults how to do woodworking and I remind him that I’m not interested in teaching kids all day or I’d be a grade school teacher - it’s real work.

It's work for sure and a family sacrifice... but I am very much in favor of homeschooling. I was homeschooled, went to public colleges and was top of most of my classes and have a very successful career... and my 20's were great I have many friends I grew up with who were also homeschooled and are very smart, intelligent, successful individuals. It requires BOTH parents to agree to the sacrifice and make their kid's education a priority. My wife choses to work evenings 4 days a week so she can be home to oversee their progress. I also knew people who were homeschooled that were lazy or had lazy parents... but reality is, I don't think they would have fared any better in a public or private education system... it's a wreck. Laziness and accountability are the problems... not homeschooling

It's not for everyone, but there are a TON of quality resources, streaming/DVD options, and support groups available. I believe education of a child is the responsibility of the parents and not the government or an education system. With all the crap happening in today's education system, I can tailor my kid's education to their strengths and at least feel safer about them not being bullied, shot, abused, taking drugs in the bathroom etc.

It's not for everyone - but it can be fantastic option for families whose values are supported and agree to make it a lifestyle

OP, sounds like an awesome opportunity to focus on cultivating a strong family bond and experience new adventures together!

 

[JFK]

Sounds like an interesting idea and one that could benefit the kids with a good life experience. Two things….1. Teaching young children things like reading, writing and math is a real skill. My wife is a first grade teacher with a Masters and there is theory, understanding cognitive abilities of young minds. It’s not impossible to do without training, but be honest with yourself about the homeschooling part of it and whether or not that will be successful. 2. I’d plan on being back to the US so they can make friends before middle school. Socially, they’ll be starting from scratch and those years can be brutal on kids if they don’t have friends.

 

[Ucsdryder]

How do I say this without sounding like a dumbass….

Have you tried to do 7th grade math lately?

Disclaimer…I graduated high school with a 4.33 (straight A’s with bonus AP class scores) and went to a very highly ranked college… not trying to brag, just trying to defend myself since I can’t help my 7th grader with her math. Rise over run…I don’t remember it…

 

[LeftyWilbury]

another vote for just doing it.
and not (just) because i miss the wine in medoza, the steaks in patagonia (and everywhere else), or the empanadas allll day long.
sure it's economy is in shambles. but the people are great. food is great. and once you get there you'll realize it stretches from tropical rain forest to deserts, to glaciers. take your pick of climate and settle down.

"education" is far more than learning to read and write and do maths.
but also, i can't do 7th grade math anymore either.

further note, unless something has changed since i was there in 2006, the empanadas in Uruguay suck balls. stick to the ones in argentina.

 

[TaperPin]

It's work for sure and a family sacrifice... but I am very much in favor of homeschooling. I was homeschooled, went to public colleges and was top of most of my classes and have a very successful career... and my 20's were great I have many friends I grew up with who were also homeschooled and are very smart, intelligent, successful individuals. It requires BOTH parents to agree to the sacrifice and make their kid's education a priority. My wife choses to work evenings 4 days a week so she can be home to oversee their progress. I also knew people who were homeschooled that were lazy or had lazy parents... but reality is, I don't think they would have fared any better in a public or private education system... it's a wreck. Laziness and accountability are the problems... not homeschooling

It's not for everyone, but there are a TON of quality resources, streaming/DVD options, and support groups available. I believe education of a child is the responsibility of the parents and not the government or an education system. With all the crap happening in today's education system, I can tailor my kid's education to their strengths and at least feel safer about them not being bullied, shot, abused, taking drugs in the bathroom etc.

It's not for everyone - but it can be fantastic option for families whose values are supported and agree to make it a lifestyle

OP, sounds like an awesome opportunity to focus on cultivating a strong family bond and experience new adventures together!

Since you were at the top of your classes, and I don’t doubt you were, you also know that the average student, or below average, has a much harder time of it and needs all the help they can get. A gifted kid doesn’t even need high school to be successful in college classes, but most kids aren’t gifted.

Again, what you say sounds good and everyone wants to believe their situation is just like yours, but the end result of home schooling, at least in Wyoming, shows trends very much like what we’ve seen. I have a number of nerdy education types in my social circle that enjoy every education topic known to man if it’s within the topic of their PhD, area of research, or applied topics in their careers - sort of walking human encyclopedias. I’ve picked their brains and they know not only the outcomes, but also where the breakdowns happen along the way from weak lessons, poor follow through, lack of understanding of the topic, lack of understanding learning styles, etc., and the research on the topic isn’t a secret if someone wants to see for themselves. The average homeschool parent barely knows which organization’s program to follow, let alone what the strengths and weaknesses of each are. As you said, what parents put in is directly related with what comes out the other end, but the vast majority of average parents don’t know what they don’t know, and haven’t done the kid any favors.

 

[JBahr]

Wow, blown away at the amount of responses and engagement this post brought. THANKS for the advice, tips and warnings!

To clarify, this was my wife's idea... She is incredible! I work in a bit of a pressure cooker... high dollar equipment sales to very large companies and then support that equipment through its service life. She is ready to be the bread winner and wants to take the responsibility off my plate. She has the opportunity to do it as a sole business owner in the online world. I am the one hesitant to leave Colorado and everything we have built here. We would keep our house in Denver and rent it out.

Initial financial calculations show us saving more money and living a very comfortable life without my income. I am not looking to make a career down there, though open to it if the right opportunity presents itself. Again, I'm being encouraged by my wife to guide fly fisherman or stag hunters in Patagonia... compensation be damned. I do see opportunity with the recent regime change and am excited for Argentina's future.

We both speak Spanish and have stints living abroad.

I misspoke with "Homeschool" and in no way will my wife or I attempt to be the sole teachers of our children. we expect to be involved but there are programs we can enroll the children in online, teachers that might travel with us, international schools we are looking into. Simply non-traditional is what I intended.

Hope this answers some of the many questions here. Please keep more questions/feedback coming!

 

[rileybassman]

Since you were at the top of your classes, and I don’t doubt you were, you also know that the average student, or below average, has a much harder time of it and needs all the help they can get. A gifted kid doesn’t even need high school to be successful in college classes, but most kids aren’t gifted.

Again, what you say sounds good and everyone wants to believe their situation is just like yours, but the end result of home schooling, at least in Wyoming, shows trends very much like what we’ve seen. I have a number of nerdy education types in my social circle that enjoy every education topic known to man if it’s within the topic of their PhD, area of research, or applied topics in their careers - sort of walking human encyclopedias. I’ve picked their brains and they know not only the outcomes, but also where the breakdowns happen along the way from weak lessons, poor follow through, lack of understanding of the topic, lack of understanding learning styles, etc., and the research on the topic isn’t a secret if someone wants to see for themselves. The average homeschool parent barely knows which organization’s program to follow, let alone what the strengths and weaknesses of each are. As you said, what parents put in is directly related with what comes out the other end, but the vast majority of average parents don’t know what they don’t know, and haven’t done the kid any favors.

That's all absolutely true - my point is that resources are there for parents... I don't have to be a high-school math wizard to oversee the completion of a managed high-school math homeschool program... but I CAN ensure that my kids are putting in the time, paying attention, learning, getting needed breaks, and working hard. FWIW, there are several actually accredited homeschool programs. My diploma came from an accredited academy in Florida that I never even attended in person - but I had teachers, papers, exams, grading, and other functions/resources administered through their remote learning solutions. I had to take annual tests as a kid to prove I was at or above my peers.

You are right, some parents are not equipped, some are lazy, some don't have accountability - but public schools, by and large, aren't either.

The stats are a few years old at this time (I DO think COVID got homeschooling a bad rap FWIW as many weren't ready or able), but according to NHERI, homeschooled children typically score 15%-25% above public-school students.

By all means, a parent should be able to educate their children the way that they deem fit and that works for their family unit... I fully support a parent's decision. But I take exception to generalizations about homeschooling being less effective

Fast Facts on Homeschooling | National Home Education Research Institute

nheri.org

 

[rileybassman]

Wow, blown away at the amount of responses and engagement this post brought. THANKS for the advice, tips and warnings!

To clarify, this was my wife's idea... She is incredible! I work in a bit of a pressure cooker... high dollar equipment sales to very large companies and then support that equipment through its service life. She is ready to be the bread winner and wants to take the responsibility off my plate. She has the opportunity to do it as a sole business owner in the online world. I am the one hesitant to leave Colorado and everything we have built here. We would keep our house in Denver and rent it out.

Initial financial calculations show us saving more money and living a very comfortable life without my income. I am not looking to make a career down there, though open to it if the right opportunity presents itself. Again, I'm being encouraged by my wife to guide fly fisherman or stag hunters in Patagonia... compensation be damned. I do see opportunity with the recent regime change and am excited for Argentina's future.

We both speak Spanish and have stints living abroad.

I misspoke with "Homeschool" and in no way will my wife or I attempt to be the sole teachers of our children. we expect to be involved but there are programs we can enroll the children in online, teachers that might travel with us, international schools we are looking into. Simply non-traditional is what I intended.

Hope this answers some of the many questions here. Please keep more questions/feedback coming!

Sounds like an awesome opportunity! I think you will all have a blast!

 

[Snowwolfe]

You should do plenty of homework.
How long can all of you stay on a Visa?
Medical?
Finances? How much money do you need to bring in country every month? Is it taxed? Does the country have a VAT on everything you purchase?

Neat idea, just try to remove any potential surprises before moving.

 

[Marbles]

My first wife and half her family were homeschooled. Her experience after high school graduation is very close to that of every other person we met that also grew up home schooled. Home schooling sounds like a good idea, but every single person who came out of it was way behind everyone else. It’s a lot of work to teach kids and once the fun wears off home school turns into no school, or barely half ass school. Other folks may have a totally different experience, we just never met anyone that wasn’t also playing catch-up well into their 20’s to actually learn the things they should have in heir teens.

Over the years a number of coworkers home schooled their high school age kids, and it was a lazy way of not having to deal with their problems in school and very little was expected of them.

Our oldest wants to home school his kids - neither his nor his wife have the interest, energy, or personality to teach kids - they like hanging out with them and doing stuff with them, but that’s not an education. He tries to get me in on it because I like to train smart motivated adults how to do woodworking and I remind him that I’m not interested in teaching kids all day or I’d be a grade school teacher - it’s real work.

My experience has been very different. I was home schooled, started college at 17 and was nervous entering a formal education environment. First semester was 16 hours, it was easy, so I made my advisor made by taking 19 hours the next semester with an extra chemistry clas for fun. 4.0 GPA my fist year, so decided the military would be a better place to get challenged because traditional education is not challenging. Military was fun, but also a pretty easy place to excel (as with every civilian job I have had). I should say, DLI was hard, I suck at languages and barely scraped through. But, with time and work ended up being good at it.

More than a few people I grew up around who were homeschooled had similar experiences.

It depends on the parents. It is a lot of work for at least one parent if done correctly and I am not homeschooling my daughters as my wife and I lack the dedication and my oldest is very social and would not like the decreased contact time with people (we were both home schooled). It feels like as homeschooling becomes more popular there are more and more examples of how it shouldn't be done.




Economically Argentina has had a very rough time past decade or more. It might be about to upswing. But also has had major political violence in living memory and I would categorize it as marginally stable.