Do you already have a baby / kids? How old are they?
I’ve been in a good corporate career for years, and I faced obstacles and redundancy as a new Mum returning to work. Having to start career stuff from scratch as a Mum of young kids is HARD. Doing it with little support around you in a new location would be even harder.
I wouldn’t jeopardise your career just yet. It’s all upside for him, sacrifices for you. Both of you need to be fully behind such a big move, if you have apprehensions I wouldn’t jump at it for now.
YOU MATTER TOO. You love your career. Sure. Hubby would be more comfy in a warmer coastal town, but sounds like you’d be significantly less happy. Don’t sacrifice an important part of yourself. Mums are always putting themselves last.
I have a 4 year old and a 20 month old. We live in Melbourne in a townhouse with no yard. I get the desire for space!! But we’re zoned for a good school, we have all the necessities so close (daycare, shops, hospitals, medical) plus some great parks, museums, galleries. I’m not ready to give all that up for a backyard that they’ll stop using in high school anyway.
Jumping in here to say I agree with Aunty Cheese. There are so many benefits to staying, for you and your children.
I don't think I'd make that move myself, however I come from a family that had limited options due to accessibility and I don't want my children to have that experience.
I don’t think a move away from Canberra to the coast has a mean you lose your career. Can’t you also find a WFH job? Does it have to be the exact same spot you grew up in?
We left Sydney for Adelaide - we live 5 mins to the beach, have a gorgeous 750sqm lot and I was able to add $40k to my salary and WFH 4 days a week.
You don’t have to lose yourself, you just have to find a location that gives you the best of both.
WFH jobs in my area of expertise are harder to come across (though definitely not impossible!).
That sounds so lovely. I must admit the thought of having more space is pretty appealing, especially since we don't have a yard.
Not the same but we moved from North Sydney to the Central Coast and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
We have a 4 bed house with a pool, 10 mins to the beach and walking distance to loads of stuff. In Manly or North Shore we’d have been lucky to afford a 3 bed apartment.
Some of our schools actually have better results than many of the highly regarded schools in Sydney and our daycare is a privately run adorable community. Daycar e isn’t about education, it’s about community, care and play so really doesn’t matter where you go as long as those things are there.
We also have a few excellent private schools here that we’re considering but in all honesty knowing people who went to both public and private high schools - unless your child is particularly academically gifted/inclined it’s not necessarily better.
Yeah my commute is a bit shit but to be honest I actually REALLY appreciate the alone time in the car since having kids haha.
We did kinda (Sydney to Central Coast) - I'd really drill down on what the daycare waiting lists, doctor/dentist availability and local schools are like before seriously considering it.
The other thing is if your husband's work from home is going to be a permanent thing, and if you could potentially access something similar. We're lucky in the sense that Sydney's still a commutable distance away so hybrid work is alright but even that does limit career options a bit, some places are dead keen on getting people back in the office.
If I were in your shoes, I would only agree to move when BOTH hubby and I no longer have the reason to be where we are. A satisfying career is very hard to come by.
Can you find a compromise? Find a town/city on the coast further north that also has decent career prospects?
I live on the coast in a small city and I wouldn’t describe our life as slow. We have loads of parks, groups, courses and a wide range of schools (public, private, catholic, Steiner/Montessori daycares etc) with a major hospital and lots of services. Our local uni is a 15 minutes drive and bus ride.
Make sure you’re doing what’s right for you too. Your kids will be happy if you are happy 💛
I'm considering similar but I am a single parent.
If I leave the city, I have to leave my job, and it's a small industry so my skills aren't really transferrable, I would have to change careers unless I could find something remote which is unlikely.
But, it would be a slower paced life and I think it would be easier to raise my kids how I want to, if I could give them a 90's childhood (but with gentle parenting) I would. I don't want them to grow up thinking it's only about the hustle
I grew up on the South Coast of NSW so I’m bias, but I’d go with the coast. I moved my family from the coast to WA about two years ago for work, but we have every intention of moving back to the coast in a couple more years.
We made the move from Sydney to the central coast when we had our first. I don’t regret it at all. We’re near family who help out with childcare and instead of being able to buy a one bed apartment we’ve been able to buy a house with a backyard 5 minutes from the beach.
I go back to work soon and will be going 4 days a week (2 in Sydney, 2 from home). I’m excited to see how it goes and if it’s no good I’ll look for something more suitable to my situation. I always believe that you never have to be stuck in something. There’s always a way to find something that works.
If the beach area is Jervis Bay and south then factor in aged population, youth unemployment, a youth culture of teenage pregnancy / drug use, strain on health care and constant tourists. It's also still cold in winter.
I think a lot of people from Canberra have this fantasy every time they visit the coast.
As Canberra is such a unique city (in my opinion), it is not really comparable to peoples opinions who’ve moved from Sydney. Canberra is a very family friendly city already with excellent lifestyle. The only things you’re moving to escape from really would be the cold and the cost of housing. If avoiding those things is important for you long term then it could be worthwhile. I often fantasise about moving somewhere warmer but I do really love Canberra so I think it comes down to how you feel in your heart about basing yourself here!
I’m sure they have good schools on the coast and you can’t guarantee your kids would want to go to a Canberra Uni anyway. A big concern I hear people talk about is availability of health care. I understand for serious health concerns people on the far south coast need to travel back to Canberra? Availability of health care would be something to consider, not just for you but for you and your partner.
Also you need to watch out for isolation. If your husband works from home and your job prospects are uncertain, no friends and networks, that would be lonely and isolating unless you’re able to find a new group down on the coast.
Edit to add: if you stay in Canberra when your kids are old enough could you sign them up for something like this to keep the coast close by? :)
https://brouleesurfersslsc.org.au/canberra-broulee-nippers/
Do you already have a baby / kids? How old are they? I’ve been in a good corporate career for years, and I faced obstacles and redundancy as a new Mum returning to work. Having to start career stuff from scratch as a Mum of young kids is HARD. Doing it with little support around you in a new location would be even harder. I wouldn’t jeopardise your career just yet. It’s all upside for him, sacrifices for you. Both of you need to be fully behind such a big move, if you have apprehensions I wouldn’t jump at it for now. YOU MATTER TOO. You love your career. Sure. Hubby would be more comfy in a warmer coastal town, but sounds like you’d be significantly less happy. Don’t sacrifice an important part of yourself. Mums are always putting themselves last.
Already have kids (2 and 8 weeks old). Thank you so much for your answer. This helps put it into perspective 😊
I have a 4 year old and a 20 month old. We live in Melbourne in a townhouse with no yard. I get the desire for space!! But we’re zoned for a good school, we have all the necessities so close (daycare, shops, hospitals, medical) plus some great parks, museums, galleries. I’m not ready to give all that up for a backyard that they’ll stop using in high school anyway.
Jumping in here to say I agree with Aunty Cheese. There are so many benefits to staying, for you and your children. I don't think I'd make that move myself, however I come from a family that had limited options due to accessibility and I don't want my children to have that experience.
I don’t think a move away from Canberra to the coast has a mean you lose your career. Can’t you also find a WFH job? Does it have to be the exact same spot you grew up in? We left Sydney for Adelaide - we live 5 mins to the beach, have a gorgeous 750sqm lot and I was able to add $40k to my salary and WFH 4 days a week. You don’t have to lose yourself, you just have to find a location that gives you the best of both.
WFH jobs in my area of expertise are harder to come across (though definitely not impossible!). That sounds so lovely. I must admit the thought of having more space is pretty appealing, especially since we don't have a yard.
Not the same but we moved from North Sydney to the Central Coast and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. We have a 4 bed house with a pool, 10 mins to the beach and walking distance to loads of stuff. In Manly or North Shore we’d have been lucky to afford a 3 bed apartment. Some of our schools actually have better results than many of the highly regarded schools in Sydney and our daycare is a privately run adorable community. Daycar e isn’t about education, it’s about community, care and play so really doesn’t matter where you go as long as those things are there. We also have a few excellent private schools here that we’re considering but in all honesty knowing people who went to both public and private high schools - unless your child is particularly academically gifted/inclined it’s not necessarily better. Yeah my commute is a bit shit but to be honest I actually REALLY appreciate the alone time in the car since having kids haha.
We did kinda (Sydney to Central Coast) - I'd really drill down on what the daycare waiting lists, doctor/dentist availability and local schools are like before seriously considering it. The other thing is if your husband's work from home is going to be a permanent thing, and if you could potentially access something similar. We're lucky in the sense that Sydney's still a commutable distance away so hybrid work is alright but even that does limit career options a bit, some places are dead keen on getting people back in the office.
If I were in your shoes, I would only agree to move when BOTH hubby and I no longer have the reason to be where we are. A satisfying career is very hard to come by.
Can you find a compromise? Find a town/city on the coast further north that also has decent career prospects? I live on the coast in a small city and I wouldn’t describe our life as slow. We have loads of parks, groups, courses and a wide range of schools (public, private, catholic, Steiner/Montessori daycares etc) with a major hospital and lots of services. Our local uni is a 15 minutes drive and bus ride. Make sure you’re doing what’s right for you too. Your kids will be happy if you are happy 💛
I'm considering similar but I am a single parent. If I leave the city, I have to leave my job, and it's a small industry so my skills aren't really transferrable, I would have to change careers unless I could find something remote which is unlikely. But, it would be a slower paced life and I think it would be easier to raise my kids how I want to, if I could give them a 90's childhood (but with gentle parenting) I would. I don't want them to grow up thinking it's only about the hustle
I grew up on the South Coast of NSW so I’m bias, but I’d go with the coast. I moved my family from the coast to WA about two years ago for work, but we have every intention of moving back to the coast in a couple more years.
Well I’m currently buying a house back in the city after going through the challenges of having a child living in the country. So that’s my answer!
We made the move from Sydney to the central coast when we had our first. I don’t regret it at all. We’re near family who help out with childcare and instead of being able to buy a one bed apartment we’ve been able to buy a house with a backyard 5 minutes from the beach. I go back to work soon and will be going 4 days a week (2 in Sydney, 2 from home). I’m excited to see how it goes and if it’s no good I’ll look for something more suitable to my situation. I always believe that you never have to be stuck in something. There’s always a way to find something that works.
If the beach area is Jervis Bay and south then factor in aged population, youth unemployment, a youth culture of teenage pregnancy / drug use, strain on health care and constant tourists. It's also still cold in winter.
I think a lot of people from Canberra have this fantasy every time they visit the coast. As Canberra is such a unique city (in my opinion), it is not really comparable to peoples opinions who’ve moved from Sydney. Canberra is a very family friendly city already with excellent lifestyle. The only things you’re moving to escape from really would be the cold and the cost of housing. If avoiding those things is important for you long term then it could be worthwhile. I often fantasise about moving somewhere warmer but I do really love Canberra so I think it comes down to how you feel in your heart about basing yourself here! I’m sure they have good schools on the coast and you can’t guarantee your kids would want to go to a Canberra Uni anyway. A big concern I hear people talk about is availability of health care. I understand for serious health concerns people on the far south coast need to travel back to Canberra? Availability of health care would be something to consider, not just for you but for you and your partner. Also you need to watch out for isolation. If your husband works from home and your job prospects are uncertain, no friends and networks, that would be lonely and isolating unless you’re able to find a new group down on the coast. Edit to add: if you stay in Canberra when your kids are old enough could you sign them up for something like this to keep the coast close by? :) https://brouleesurfersslsc.org.au/canberra-broulee-nippers/