A Big Change for our Little Family

Change : [Verb] to make the form, nature, content, future course, of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone

I’ve got some news to share, maybe it’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things but it’s a new chapter for us. As you probably know if you’ve been here for a while Matt & I are originally from Northern Ireland but we’re living in Edinburgh. We love living here – it’s a beautiful city with great places to eat, drink, explore and shop. You’re also never far from the beach, the forest and my other love, Glasgow.

That being said we’re on our own here. Aside from close friends, who we love, we have no real support with Luisa. Not that she’s a handful – quite the opposite. She’s a content baby who’s very easy to look after. We’re very lucky in that respect.  But as any of you with kids know it takes more than a ‘well behaved’ baby to ensure you have a good quality of life. You need support, time alone as a couple, time by yourself as an individual. Without our families nearby we don’t have the opportunity for any of that.

We’ve decided that the best thing for the 3 of us and our wider family is to move back home.

It’s the little things we miss doing now that we’re a 3 not a 2. I want to get my eyebrows done, we want to go to the cinema, Matt in particular misses going to gigs. Having family nearby would mean I could take a leisurely shower or have an hour or uninterrupted blogging time whilst my mum took Luisa for a walk.

It’s not just about childcare. Matt loves to work on his car and that’s something he enjoys doing with his Dad. My mum is really creative and I’d love to have the chance for her to show me round a sewing machine. We’re also missing out on spending time with our youngest siblings who will be off somewhere else at university before we know it.

I said before that Edinburgh is a beautiful city with a lot to do but it’s also a very expensive place to live. Our rent is high, our council tax bill might make you cry and we don’t even live in a nice area. Moving back to Northern Ireland will give us the opportunity to have a nice house with a garden and enough room for our things. We could have a driveway and a local community – things that aren’t accessible to us if we stay here.

All this being said we both have some reservations about the move. Practically speaking it’s been a nightmare already. We need to find a house, Matt needs a job, we need movers, there’s packing to be done, a cat to consider. The list goes on.

If it weren’t for the fact that we are parents now this move wouldn’t be on the table for a couple of reasons. Northern Ireland isn’t exactly the Garden of Eden. It’s a pretty tumultuous place even though the majority of the tension seems to be in the past. A quick glance at any news site for the country will tell you it’s place where religion is deeply entrenched in society. As a people we seem to make headlines for all the wrong reasons – resistance to marriage equality, controversial parades, a bickering parliament, a drowning health service.

Things do seem to be moving in the right direction albiet slowly. There is a lot of tourism especially with Game of Thrones and everyday people are taking a stand against the tribal ways of old. It’s a society full of contrasts.

Without trying to be disrespectful to my family or to anyone else it’s still hardly the place I’d describe as ideal to bring up a child. In a perfect world we’d all want to raise our family in an accepting society where there are rich opportunities.

Having measured all sides of the argument we’re going ahead with the move. We need the support and we’re excited to have a greater quality of life. We’ll have a proper home and time on our hands to spend both with and without Luisa. I know we’ve made the decision for all the right reasons and I’m hopeful we’ll look back and be happy with our choice.