Good day from South Florida. Our family enjoys a more laid-back lifestyle and our priority is more on the future of our children lives. We are researching relocating to an island where family, friends and environment are a much higher priority than what you drive or what you have. We value our time with friends, family and watching our children grow. We love boating, snorkeling and spending time outdoors.

Our concern is that if we take our children, four and two, away from the states, will they gain more than they loose in Bonaire. We want a safe, nurturing and healthy environment for them. Raising children in the states can be very difficult and we wonder if there is a village anymore to help raise a child.

How is the education system. Any need for teachers? My wife is a teacher in elementary education in the states.

We now live in South Florida and would like to stay more out of the Hurricane strike zone.

We would love to hear from Americans who have left the sates and are now living in Bonaire. How long have you been there? Be honest and tell me the good and bad of moving there.

Thank you for your thoughts.
Dan

Thank you for your time and thoughts.

The ages are perfect for language intregration. so far the new system for the schools is still in the planning. Think about home as well as public schooling. Please take not..chances of non Dutch speakers working as a teacher don't exist in our present system...How many times have you visited Bonaire

it is one thing to retire to bonaire or to move here to raise a young family.....the eduction system here is totally different, requires knowledge of at least 4 languages, english the last ,, and the European system does NOT dove tail into the USA system . the culture is completely different. Americans here on a permanent basis are less than 2 % of the population and most are retirees. I would recommend a long visit to Bonaire to explore your options.

Thank you both for your thoughts. We are looking to visit either this summer or next. We feel that several long visits will be needed to make any sort of informed decision. We are excited to experience a different culture. I would love to hear your thoughts on how the culture is different.
Dan

with your oldest already 4 years .. a year or 2 delay is not really good .. the little ones would be be far behind in their languages .. school is taught in papiamenu and dutch .. th sooner the better . culture -- explore for yourselves .. it can not be accurately put simply in words .. i personally think if you are looking for island life look for one of your nationality... immigration is difficult now that we are dutch dutch and to integrate your children in the culture you also would have to know the languages and the educational system.. ie: the math is an entirely different system .. all the best...

Daniel -

On the other hand................

Kids are very resilient, and even at 7 or 8 years old kids have a remarkable ability to learn multiple languages at a young age. I wish I'd learned more than one when I was younger.

The good news is that when your kids are 14 or 15 years old they will be fluent in four languages, experienced a much different (then the US) multi-ethnic culture, and have lived a simpler lifestyle which has much less emphasis on "stuff".

Four tips:
1. The schools here are fine until about 9th grade, when it I think it gets harder for bright kids to get a solid preparation for college.
2. After you have lived here a while your kids will likely speak at least four languages fluently, including English, Dutch and Spanish. They may be a bit behind on English if you want them to go to college in the US, so consider home school or Internet learning for that.
3. Don't go to an American island to do this as your kids will not experience the same sort of multi ethnic/ multi language culture that you can have here, or on other non-American islands. This sort of diverse experience is often missed in the US, but is becoming increasingly important in the current global economy.
4. You need to read "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk. It's a classic that in many ways still reflects what life and doing business on a small Caribbean island is really like.

Good luck!

Pietri,

thank you for the insight. Although we have not visited the "American" islands, we do not hear good things. Our desire is not to be in an american environment but on an island. We wish to experience a culture thats places more emphasis on family and environment. The language would be a challenge. Thank you again for your time.
Dan

Bob,
thank you! I have read "Don't Stop the Carnival" and have also experienced some of island life. I have spent weeks away from land trading with others for food and drink. I have spent time in the Bahamas where we had to wait several days for the milk boat to arrive. I have spent time in the Turks and Caicos Islands where land owners cant be found and everyone has the same last name. I witnessed a Canadian builder on Salt Cay upset his local workers and a strike ensued.
What we want is to release ourselves from the American way of life. Dont get me wrong, America is a great country but we have put too much emphasis on things and not people. Greed and power fill our every news broadcast and newspaper. Everyone sues everyone to get rich quick. What you wear is more important than who you are. We dont know if we can raise children with a higher level of values and respect for people and environment in such a society. Its not something someone else can answer for you. Some of my most fond memories are in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
Dan and Family
Florida

♠Dan, children are extremely resilient. My brother moved his family back to Aruba, where the languages are very similar to those in Bonaire when his daughter was 6. She did extremely well after the bumps in the first year. She just graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville and is going back to Aruba to teach the sciences. My siblings and I were born of American parents, spoke English at home, Dutch at school, Papiamento with our friends and in church, and Spanish with many friends' parents. We lived on Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. Mostly Aruba. I would not trade it, nor my life time friends for the world. The rich laid back culture, the sea, the sun, the multi-linguistic and cultural ambiance are priceless. These experiences, coupled with assimilating back into the American culture however, are not without their drawbacks. Those, by the way, can be subjective, so know what you're looking for. By the way, I graduated from a college in your state, Eckerd College so made sure I ended up in a warmer place. I was freezing in my mother's state of NJ where I spent my Senior year of High School. Bob from REMAX's points about the problems with the higher grades in Bonaire are very valid, but not insurmountable. My siblings and I, and later my niece, were all thrown in at the deep end and had to sink or swim - and ended up with a very rich heritage. That method though is risky. I agree with all the above post that you should carefully check it out as you and your children will also want to enjoy friends, socialize and live a life in a way you are imagining. Do you feel all of that is possible there? Not just a quieter life, but a richer life. Just think, checking it out alone will be a wonderful experience for all of you. Got a little preachy there for a minute. Acchhhh, must be in the genes!

Marilyn,

Thank you so much for your thoughts. You made us smile, laugh and think.

Not having visited Bonaire, we have no idea of what we can expect or what we may be missing. Our plan, today, is to put aside a few dollars each month for a visit early next summer. Our thoughts would be to find a location to stay that would allow us to shop, cook, mingle and interact with the people of Bonaire. To stay in a fancy resort and get massages, in no way would give us a feel for what it may be like to live there. We would hope to visit schools, clinics, government offices and such.

We would value opinions on where to stay and what to see and do. Any local events, gatherings, social clubs or meeting would be of great interest to us.

If you wish, join my Facebook page so that we may keep in touch. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1541801216

Thank you to all who have posted.
Dan, Gretchen, Cove & Harbour

I must say you are indeed brave and I admire your wanting to come to the island. It is very very (three times) very important that it me your aim to give more than you take and that will serve you well here and you will be rewarded. If I may, I will send you a short PM message in the hopes that you will take it in the spirit as it is being sent.