Shanghai Daily news

The problem of finding the right area in which to live so the whole family is happy with their new life in Shanghai is a hard one that every expat has to face. Ayesha de Kretser reports on one relocation company which can offer practical help and expert advice.
Moving house is difficult for anyone but when you add to the list of stresses finding a suitable environment for children, the complications multiply.
Obvious factors such as being located close to a school or shops are some of the first things to consider but there are lots of other things to worry about as well.
Suzanne Stamer from COMPASS Relocation says it is imperative that the family, as a unit, should be happy with their new life in Shanghai. This means it is more important to find an area that is convenient for not just the kids getting to school but also where the working members of the family do not need to spend hours traveling on their various jobs.
The area you choose to rent in is always difficult to decide upon given the diversity of not only the physical landscape of the city but also the type of accommodation available.
In the former French Concession area, many families choose to rent lane houses or service apartments. However, they typically do not have gardens and the streets are generally more chaotic. Space is usually very limited, but parents working downtown who want to be located close to the office prefer this area.
In Hongqiao and Gubei, also the site of many of Shanghai's international schools, parks and gardens usually feature in compounds which are designed to suit expatriate family requirements. New restaurants and places to shop are also expanding, however public transport is less convenient.
Stamer says that while an apartment in Hongqiao might be smaller than one in Pudong (although probably larger than in the former French Concession), it is important to consider all the facts about living far away from conveniences such as shopping and restaurants.
"In Hongqiao, US$4,000 a month will still get you only a fairly small house. If you go out to Pudong, prices get cheaper but what mothers don't see is that their children will go off to the American School nearby but they won't have time to go shopping while the kids are at school because they're stuck out in the country. They need to know this before they end up being stuck way out in a beautiful house but with no entertainment and no way to integrate into Shanghai's social life and make friends.
"A lot of these women are unhappy and can't even make it to a coffee morning in the downtown area and get back to the school to pick up their kids in time and it has a huge impact on the whole family. Being aware of all the facts, knowing that you'll be commuting for an hour or more and have problems getting a taxi when it rains is very important," says Stamer.
Most families coming from overseas and relocating in Shanghai have children usually ranging in age from two or three to 10-12 but seldom older. Older children are more difficult to move as they already have their own lives and friends and find it more difficult to adjust in a completely different country. Stamer stresses that with smaller children, moving is easier - but only if their parents are happy.
"Usually the man has job, and is so engulfed by the job that he works all the time, including weekends," Stamer says. "It is sad to see that their companies ignore the family, who sometimes feel they are stuck in a place they don't want to be where father doesn't come home.
"They can't find a life of their own, if they were integrated it would be much easier to cope but this is really the greatest problem," she adds. "A lot of housing agencies say they do relocation but they just find a home and show where to buy the milk and they don't actually understand the unique needs of these people because they're not expats themselves and so don't know the problems that these women are facing because they've never been in a different country themselves. It is important that someone understands and shows them what a great place Shanghai can be and all the advantages of this city."
There are many clubs for women which offer information on living in Shanghai with kids and they schedule different activities and networking events.  Many countries have different groups for women to attend with their kids before they reach the age of three when they typically start attending kindergarten.
After the kids go off to school, the mums meet each other at kindergarten or can go to the Shanghai Expatriate Association, the working mother's association or the American, Australian, German or French women's groups.
With years of experience dealing with relocation issues, Stamer is confident of the ability of children to adapt readily to new surroundings. In her opinion, parents should be less concerned with their having to travel to school but more concerned with building a happy home.
"All the international schools have buses with an ayi to look after the kids on the way home. Children tend to settle down on the bus on the way home but some parents still think it's too much for them," she says. "Kids are more adaptable but if dad isn't spending hours commuting to the office and mum has places to go, then the whole family finds a basis for happiness in Shanghai."

For more details about COMPASS Relocation, please visit their Website at www.compass-relocation.de