If you have kids, you’re likely more than familiar with the term “nesting instinct”. That almost compulsive feeling that affects women during pregnancy where they feel the need to create a home for their baby. A home that’s warm, welcoming and nurturing. A home where they can grow up safe, secure and happy as they navigate those faltering first steps of early life. But every now and then, we have to leave that nest which we have devoted so much of ourselves to building. Sometimes, we do so on a voluntary basis, other times, less so. Sometimes the demands of our job or career, or an unmissable new opportunity requires us to up sticks and move to a new town, a new country or even a whole other country. Other times we can recognise that while we may dearly love our home stomping ground, it simply doesn’t offer the opportunities for us or for our growing families that we need to achieve fulfilment and success (however we choose to define it). While we may feel a pang of remorse about leaving behind friends of the family and the quotidian comforts of all the old familiar places, sometimes a change of scenery is the best medicine for the whole family.
If your career or your ambitions take you to Singapore, you may regard the prospective move with a healthy dose of apprehension. After all, it’s a far away country with a whole different language and culture that you and your family will be expected to master in order to assimilate. You’ll be striking out on your own and cutting yourself off from your support network at home. Yet, while the prospect of moving to Singapore may fill you with a bittersweet cocktail of emotions, there are a wealth of reasons why a move to Singapore could just be the best thing that ever happened to you. Indeed, even your career doesn’t relocate you to Singapore, you may find that simply moving there of your own volition unlocks a plethora of new opportunities for you and your whole family. Here are just a few of the things that expats love about this unique and wonderful city state…
There’s no better education for your kids
Travel, by its very nature is a great education for kids. When travelling overseas and immersing oneself in the sights and sounds, tastes and scents of a new culture, language and tradition there is simply no option to sit at the back of the class and doodle notes in your margin. As well as learning language skills and social skills as they make friends and socialise within a completely new setting, they also gain a greater cultural appreciation and a broader world perspective to which their peers will not have access.
What’s more, Singapore, has one of the best education systems in the entire world. Singapore University is an extremely prestigious international institution accepting only the academic cream of the crop. Thus, Singapore is one of the best places on the planet to give your kids a great start in life.
Property is eminently affordable with great value for money
A vastly under-regulated private rental sector and a lag in housebuilding that has not been seen since the 1920s has led to a housing crisis all over the United Kingdom, meaning that most of us are paying over the odds for rental accommodation, especially those of us who live in Blighty’s major conurbations. If you live in London, you know a cost of living so ludicrous that only New Yorkers get to complain to you. More and more of us are paying over the odds for the roof over our heads, which in turn leaves us with less disposable income for the basic pleasures in life like dining out as a family or setting aside some savings for a rainy day. The great thing about Singapore is that while it is has everything one might expect from a major city and commercial hub, its rental rates are (for the moment) eminently reasonable. Take a look at the Singapore Property News 2018 and you’ll see a host of luxurious developments that are far superior to what most of us can afford in the UK at far more reasonable prices. Whether you’d like to rent or invest in property, you’ll get far more for your money with a great chance of a significant return on your investment.
Singapore is one of the safest places in the world to raise kids
Every parent worries about their ability to keep their kids safe. Those with teenage kids know the anxiety that comes with checking your phone every 15 minutes after dark, wondering whether or not you should call them- torn between the desire to give your kids the independence they need and the ever-present fear for their safety that all parents know all too well. Fortunately, Singapore is one of the safest cities in the world to raise your kids. It has such a famously low crime rate that many shop owners don’t even bother to lock up at the close of business. Penalties are harsh in Singapore for all manner of crimes, but the congeniality of the city state’s people, the high standards of education and increasing social mobility and equality all contribute to a society which near-universally abhors crime of all sorts. Never again need you fear for your kids’ safety when they’re out with friends after dark.
A land of opportunity
Those of an entrepreneurial mindset have every opportunity to flourish in Singapore. The city-state has the 2nd freest economy in the entire world and its populace actively encourages enterprise and innovation. Moreover, Singapore has a famously stable government which in turn means a stable economy. The perfect proving ground for those seeking their fortune.
It’s the perfect place to live an outdoorsy life
No parent wants to raise a couch potato, but when faced with the slate-grey skies and inveterate rain of the British climate, the appeal of the sofa and Playstation cannot be denied. However, there’s so much to see and do in and around Singapore that it’s the perfect place to leave an outdoorsy nature-loving life even in such a thriving urban hub.
Not only are there ample opportunities for both you and your kids to live an active lifestyle which will help to negate the health risks which are ever-present in a sedentary life, but the abundance of greenery will also ensure that the whole family gets a mood boost. We all know that proximity to plants, trees, animals and birds is good for our mental health and Singapore is not called the city in a garden for nothing! The city is surrounded by lush verdancy which boasts some of the most biodiverse animal and arboreal life in the world. Best of all, you don’t even have to step foot outside of the city-state to find gorgeous greenery. Just take a look at the innovative Tree House; the world’s largest vertical garden. Or the world famous Singapore Botanic gardens which are home to a staggering 60,000 plant species across its vast 60-acre grounds.
In an age where the conservation of our natural resources is an increasingly important issue, we all want to ensure that our kids grow up with a healthy respect and love for nature, and the jaw-dropping beauty of Singapore’s verdant surroundings and parks make it a great place to engender a love of the natural world in your whole family.
Dine like royalty without breaking the bank
Whether you’re stepping out to a nice restaurant or just treating the family to a take-away to be enjoyed in front of the TV, there’s no denying that those who’d prefer not to cook tonight poay a harsh financial penalty in the UK. Food prices are on the rise all across the board, but eating out is becoming an increasingly costly prospect for British foodies. Fortunately, Singapore boats not only some of the most delicious food in the known universe, but the prospect of treating the whole family to dinner at a nice restaurant is also extremely affordable.
Seafood lovers will want to try the unofficial national dish, chilli crab which was invented by chef Cher Yaw Tian in 1950 and is widely served throughout the sprawling Metropolis. Other national treasures include Wanton Mee; a noodle dish with char siu pork and wanton dumplings, or curry Laksa, a spicy infusion of Chinese and Malaysian cuisines. While local tastes favour meat and seafood, those who would rather their family did not consume animal products will also be well catered for. Singapore has a high concentration of Hindu and Buddhist citizens whose religious inclinations will not allow them to consume meat, so vegetarian and vegan families are very well catered for with a plethora of healthy veggie and raw food eateries dotted across the city state.
Multiculturalism
Singapore is a thriving multicultural hub with one of the most friendly and welcoming populaces on the planet. While you will be embraced by the local expatriate community you will find that you make friends with the locals just as readily!
These are just a few of the reasons why Singapore is the perfect place for a new start.
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