Ross Students with spouse and little ones

[IvanMDMD]

I searched but I did not find answers I was looking for. :confused:

1) Where can I get contact info. on spouse club or its members?

2) Students with family.. can you recommend me a good apartment? I have a wife and 2 girls (2 & 4 yrs old-very well behaved, will NOT damage the apartment :))

3) I would rather stay in apartments where there are more families so they can have play dates/buddies

Thanks in advance.

[IvanMDMD]

TTT. I need your help

thanks

[Aggiemd2b]

I am in the same boat as you and don't want to leave my family behind so if anyone has suggestions for life with small children and families that would be nice. PS I am not asking about the childcare or school issues but just life in general with little kids, your experiences and thoughts on being able to do it all!

[MissionaryMD]

I also am bringing my children (2 boys - 1 and 3) in January 2008. There is tons of information on this forum about it but you have to really search.

What I did was actually PM people who posted about coming to the island with children recently and the responses were awesome. It was by this method that I was able to get information on housing, what to bring and what to expect.

Some of the posts are negative online but the families that I have been in contact with have lots of positive things to say. From what I have been told, yes, you do need to get adjusted to the island but you also need a supportive spouse who can step in and help a lot with the children. It is my understanding that there are also single parents at Ross who are doing very well.

I have heard positive things about the daycare/prep school and that in addition to this you may want to bring activities/games for your children.

I think the key is working with other students and families.

[Aggiemd2b]

Great, Thanks for the info. I have been watching the forum and following some of the threads concerning children etc. I have a 5 year old but I am not sure if my family will be joining me or not. It is still up in the air. Look forward to meeting all of the others with little ones. It seems we have children close in age.

[txdoc22]

All of the families I know have adjusted pretty well. Kids are resilient and can get used to just about anything. There are plenty of things for them to do associated with the day school. Spouse's club has lots of activities for spouses, as well. Lots of people make it just fine with their families down here.

Many live in bigger apartments or homes, which end up being a little farther from campus. Some get cars, but most just take the transports.

If you're church-goers, Ross Christian Fellowship now has a children's ministry so that parents can go to the service without trying to handle the little ones.

I suggest contacting Ross for information about the Spouse's organization if you want it, and getting in contact with some families already here. The housing office should be able to help you out with family-friendly housing.

Best of luck!

[FireFighterMD]

my advice would be to leave the kids in america with family if possible .

[IvanMDMD]

my advice would be to leave the kids in america with family if possible .

So far, I have received promising responses from others except your response. Did your kids/spouse have hard time adjusting? Is it because of schooling? or loneliness?

thanks

[shutterbugmd]

I know a lot of families and single parents that lived w their kids. you do need to plan for things that kids need like pampers etc, that could be hard to find. Kids do great and enjoy the experience in Dom. do your research and PM me if you want emails from other students w kids. all the best. and yes don't listen to the few that are just there to bash and give negative thoughts. nothing is perfect but you will find that you'll have a good time if you remain positive. It's great to have family there to help out!

[Aggiemd2b]

Firefighter does not want his family around so he can have what he calls 'fun' with the women.

[brob311]

Hey guys, I am in my 4th semester and I have had my family down the whole time, and yes it has had its challenges, but the growth that we have experienced outweighs any challenges we have faced. When I first came down here my 3 children were 9, 2, and 2 1/2 months. The kids adjust the quickest. But as someone said above, the spouse being a support system is the most important thing, and this support goes both ways.

If any of your have questions about having a family down here, please feel free to PM me. And if you are looking for a place, we had a nice house for really cheap rent ($700 for 3 bedrooms and includes a washer/dryer).

[brob311]

Oh yeah, to the first poster, my wife has playgroups once a week, and I am sure that they'll continue after she leaves b/c there are many who enjoy this, especially those who don't put their kids in the day school.

[mgangakike]

I know this is a rather late response, I am looking forward to bringing my husband and 2 y/o son. Can anyone comment on things available for spouses to do? Also, if you guys are still around, I would love recommendations for family-friendly housing.
Thanks

[mad6russell]

try rossspouse.org

it has tons of info for families

[jconlyway]

Hey Y'all, I just moved back from living in Dominica for a year. We have a 7 and 3 year old. rossspouses.org has a list of things to bring and what to expect about Dominica culture. It makes your transition easier.
I would not move my family to Glanvillia area. It is cheaper, but it felt unsafe to us. NO SIDEWALKS to push a stroller or walk your children on until you get to the Anex area. People would look in our windows and we lived behind a bar. Families do it, but try to get closer to the Anex or Main campus. There are island trips to go on, volunteer work and gym activities (spin class, yoga, belly dancing).
pm me if you have any other questions.

[brob311]

I used to live in Glanvillia with my family and it was just fine. Most of the people who get mugged at night live closer to the school. Maybe they were looking into your windows to watch your TV since they didn't have cable in the bar.

[foxycleop]

Firefighter does not want his family around so he can have what he calls 'fun' with the women.

that's disgusting.

[jconlyway]

not most, but ALL of the muggings happen bc people dont take the shuttle like they are suppose too. I never said my family or i were mugged in glanvilla. Thank God. People that lived closer to the school did. But...., Its a harder transition to make for first semesters in my opinion bc its further away and it is less developed. Make it easy on yourself and move as close to campus as you can, or get a vehicle.

[brob311]

I had a vehicle when I lived there, so yeah it made things a lot more liveable.

[BlessedDR]

I have a 4 year old son who unfortunatly will be staying in Arizona with my mother while I go to Dominica, but if I wanted him to come and stay with me for the summer or a month is this possible? Also I am single parent and I read on the previous posts that there were some single parents in Dominica as well, how are they doing it? Is there help? a support system? Are their children older then 4-5?

Thank you in advance for all of your help. I am going to see how I cope without my son the first semester in which I know it will break my heart so it would be nice to know if there is an option to take him if I can't stand the seperation :-)

[islandthrift]

I have a 4 year old son who unfortunatly will be staying in Arizona with my mother while I go to Dominica, but if I wanted him to come and stay with me for the summer or a month is this possible? Also I am single parent and I read on the previous posts that there were some single parents in Dominica as well, how are they doing it? Is there help? a support system? Are their children older then 4-5?

Thank you in advance for all of your help. I am going to see how I cope without my son the first semester in which I know it will break my heart so it would be nice to know if there is an option to take him if I can't stand the seperation :-)

I knew of 2 single mom's while I was in Dominica. Both did well in their classes and were able to juggle school work and taking care of their children. One had a 3 year old son and the other had a 4 year old daughter. There is pre-k through 8th grade on campus for children and an after school program until 5pm. Some people also had nannies to help them get through for the time between 5pm and bedtime. Some spouses without kids also babysat for those with kids so there are definitely options!