Relocating Family to Argentina

[I live in round valley]

Sounds like it’s worth a shot.

Or… you could stay closer to home and still get the kids some 3rd world- like experience in a place we have here called “New Mexico”

 

[SchwarzStock]

I have never met a homeschooled kid that wasn’t socially awkward. You can pick them out of a crowd. I coached my son’s competitive sports teams until this year and and anytime a homeschooled kid was on the team I knew he was homeschooled before anybody told me. It’s not just weird social interactions with kids their age, but also with other adults.

I once hosted a kid for 3 weeks following his graduation. He bought a couple of things he had to mail home, they were too big for his suitcase. Once we wrapped them I handed him a marker with the instruction to address them. His response: "how do I do that"!!!

 

[SchwarzStock]

JBahr.

Anyone can claim school was easy to excel at, DIL is a school. That does not mean soldier/sailor life is easy to excel at.

Tell us how you excelled in a SOF/SMU assignment or career, not as a support guy but as an actual operator. What MOS or Rate were you in? How long? Where?

Be careful, there are a number of groups like this that love to bust posers: https://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=117

 

[Coveyleader]

These two statements strike me as diametrically opposed. Is not endemic corruption part of a culture? What specifically did you find positive?

This is the country that tried to take the Falkland Islands from the UK by force in the 1980s. It was a political move by the unpopular gov't in power at the time to generate support because taking the Falklands was thought to be popular with the people. It was until the Brits started kicking their butts. It cost a bunch of lives on both sides for nothing. They do make pretty good wine though.

If I was in your situation I would take a look at Spain rather than a 3rd world country. My thought being lots more culture available to learn about in Europe, better medical services, etc.

Think, the haves, and the have nots which pretty much covers Latin America in general. You will never see a line so defined. Class structure is very real.


Your comments on the war “ This is the country that tried to take the Falkland Islands from the UK by force in the 1980s.“ don’t reflect the people there. Look at all the shit the US has stirred up globally in the last 50 years yet many people still see the US as a place to start a new beginning due to opportunities even with all of our issues.

 

[Coveyleader]

Argentina is beautiful, and has good hunting, though it’s mostly all private. I went on an amazing dove hunt then water buffalo. Would like to do red deer some day.

Food and culture is also great.

If you do go I would absolutely encourage learning Spanish and for the whole household to really be fluent. Being able to speak the language opens up a new world that “tourists” or staunch expats who only speak “American” will miss.

I lived 2 years in Honduras mid college and definitely learned a lot!

View attachment 806497

Spanish in Argentina has a very unique sound/accent and it takes some getting used to for sure. One word from their mouth and you can instantly tell they are from Argentina.


As a side note, if anyone in the family is opposed to eating meat, Argentina is going to be rough. Hopefully they like pasta too.

 

[Mojave]

I think the hardest part is the hardships that you have no idea that you will experience, and can't predict.

Even here in Germany, we regularly get people with stars in their eyes that are quickly disappointed in what they thought would be dirndls, gingerbread, great beer and what is perceived to be German efficiency. Where that ends up being the opposite of what they bought into.

We moved a gal from Jacksonville, Florida that herself was an immigrant from India to one of our remote bases. No services, only 20-30 Americans and 50 miles from any kind of American support.

The local town there is not very nice compared to other military built up areas in Germany.

So then what?

She quit within a few months and got herself a job in a bigger city.

This is first world Germany, not 2nd world Argentina.

Perception always leads to disappointment.

 

[Coveyleader]

Germany is not an easy place to live and the shine fades quickly. It’s notoriously difficult to fit in there, make German friends, speak the language etc. I’m not talking about ex military transitioning to government positions on a base, or the military itself, but true Germany outside and away from the military bases.

Argentina will be much easier. I’d take it over Germany any day of the week. In saying that, there are plenty of them down there annd you run into them in the strangest places. You will see more German culture closer to the Andes you get, even into Chile. In the capital and throughout, the people look and have the vibe of Italians, as most are, and it shows.

 

[Mojave]

I have never been to South America, or Antartica for that matter. But I have been most everywhere else. 7-15 countries per continent. I have known a lot of Argentinians when I lived in Spain. The people are very European looking. I don't think there is was as much mixing with the local population as there was in Northern South America or Mexico.

I don't know if it will be easier than Germany or not. Most Germans can speak some level of English.

All I am saying is that for those that have never lived overseas, every country even English speaking ones brings challenges that most people don't think of. Most of the time they are bloody easy to figure out, or you just do with out.

I have lived in Canada and Australia. I wouldn't say that Canada was a challenge at all. Australia had some weird things.

 

[gbflyer]

I have never met a homeschooled kid that wasn’t socially awkward. You can pick them out of a crowd. I coached my son’s competitive sports teams until this year and and anytime a homeschooled kid was on the team I knew he was homeschooled before anybody told me. It’s not just weird social interactions with kids their age, but also with other adults.

Yeah we can pick the homeschooled kids out of a crowd as well. They’re usually standing on the top step of the podium.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

I’d just move to a small rural area in the greatest country the planet has ever seen to “slow life down”. Moving from the US to Argentina with a family seems like a terrible idea but to each their own.

For what it’s worth my 11yo barely remembers things from the other town he called home from birth to 4years old. I doubt kids younger than 6 retain much from those early years.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Yeah we can pick the homeschooled kids out of a crowd as well. They’re usually standing on the top step of the podium.

The one i know doesn’t have a college degree, drives a bus, and has a hard time looking people in the eye and seems to avoid every social gathering possible despite being at our house several times because our kids are good friends.

Socially awkward is a perfect description. Some of the kids on my kids soccer team are homeschooled too. They stick pretty close to their parents, brothers and sisters and don’t interact socially much with the other kids on the team despite their parents no doubt putting them on the team to promote social interaction. Nice kids, polite, but definitely awkward in social situations. That’s a huge part of growing up and school, friends.

 

[gbflyer]

The one i know doesn’t have a college degree, drives a bus, and has a hard time looking people in the eye and seems to avoid every social gathering possible despite being at our house several times because our kids are good friends.

Socially awkward is a perfect description. Some of the kids on my kids soccer team are homeschooled too. They stick pretty close to their parents, brothers and sisters and don’t interact socially much with the other kids on the team despite their parents no doubt putting them on the team to promote social interaction. Nice kids, polite, but definitely awkward in social situations. That’s a huge part of growing up and school, friends.

Not my experience at all. You must have a fantastic public school system where you live.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Yeah we can pick the homeschooled kids out of a crowd as well. They’re usually standing on the top step of the podium.

Lol - both of my kids went to public school. 4.0, mid 30’s on the ACT. Student body president, star of the baseball and golf teams. The difference is mine are socially well adjusted. You think sheltering them is what’s best, but eventually they are going to have to face the real world and it doesnt get any easier the older you get. I think home schooling sets them up for failure.

 

[IDVortex]

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…

When i worked at a local highway district, we had to take a basic math class. The entire group of about 30 dudes all ranging in early 30s to late 60s couldn't remember basic math. Its amazing how much you forget when it isn't used daily.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Not my experience at all. You must have a fantastic public school system where you live.

You obviously home school. Wish your kids the best of luck in life - they have a tough road ahead.

 

[gbflyer]

You obviously home school. Wish your kids the best of luck in life - they have a tough road ahead.

Nope. Both mine went to public school.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Nope. Both mine went to public school.

Why are you defending home schooling?

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

this forum never fails to entertain…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Not my experience at all. You must have a fantastic public school system where you live.

What does a homeschooled person being awkward as an adult or homeschooled kids being “different” have to do with our local public school system being “fantastic”???!

It most definitely is not fantastic in any way shape or form! I can tell you though that like most home schooling proponents say “you get out of it what you put into it” the exact same thing can be said of public schools.

My wife and i are VERY involved and proactive with our sons school. I spend i bet 2hrs on average a night working with him to make sure he is understanding and actually learning what is being taught to him in school. His grades are excellent and i have no doubt he will be well prepared going into adulthood.

If you’re a parent that doesn’t make time for your kids because you’re busy “living your best life” for yourself your kids will not reach their full potential. Being a parent makes things not just about you and your desires anymore. Sadly a ton of parents nowadays would disagree with that sentiment.

You absolutely need to put in extra time with kids in public schools. Where kids fall behind nowadays is when the parents leave it all to be done by the schools. Home time is largely everyone staring at their preferred devices all evening, phones, social media, video games, etc. Kids from those homes are destined to fall behind.

All that being said socialization in a child’s early years is critically important. It will dictate how they carry themselves their entire lives. It’s just as important part of school as the grades are.

 

[gbflyer]

Why are you defending home schooling?

Because there are a lot of generalizations about socialization of homeschooled kids that mostly are generated by the AFT and the NEA that simply are not true. Are you or your wife an educator by chance?

Dads like to bandy about their successful kids, coaching their kids teams, etc. Normal. Present company not included because I don’t know you, however most dad coaches do it because they didn’t do as well as they would have liked themselves. No John Smith here however, just a normal dude who likes to see kids get a chance to do some stuff. My own kids are mediocre athletes and not great students, products of REAA’s and a parade of educators. Having been involved in coaching sports that are not “played”, I have seen the results of both sides. Not once did we have to lean on homeschool kids to do their school work on an away trip. Never found them to be outcast or not mesh well with others. They generally have a good work ethic, work harder in practices, are more coachable, and get along much better with adults. The maturity level is often times 2-3 grades higher than their same - age peers. When we compete in larger venues, the club sport teams dominate everyone. A LOT of those kids are homeschooled. Some of them do nothing but travel in their family RV around the country to competitions, homeschool, and kick everyone’s ass they meet. Any guess where the Div 1 schools are recruiting student athletes from? A lot of traditional schools are getting a pass and recruiters go to the clubs first. Most of them have so many AP courses by the time they go to college they are doing second year work.

So that’s just some of it. 29 years in dealing with kids and their friends, I just don’t buy the generalizations made about homeschool.

Sorry for the derailment. Hope the OP makes it to Patagonia. It’s almost as nice as SE Alaska.