israel -- thinking of going for the winter anyone there?

[**guest**]

i saw an older thread with some members in Israel. anyone still there?

i am in canada, originally from russia, i spent 2 years as a teenager in Haifa, then went to Canada, got married, and have been here for 12 years now.

my kids are 3 years and 7 months.

a friend of dh's inviting me and the kids (dh will need to stay here and work) to his house in rishon le-tsion for the winter / spring. dh works so much, we won't see him much anyway, so i am tempted by the warm weather and a sense of adventure and a bit of rebellion ;)

though i am scared to end up all alone with the kids with no support.

i have one close friend in Haifa, but she is not AP at all, and i haven't seen her in 12 years, though we email a lot. i have no family there. i can still speak Hebrew, but obviously not very well anymore. i don't drive.

we are an AP family -- co-sleeping, baby-wearing, dd is still nursing. we are unschooling too. will we be totally odd there?

should i take the opportunity of free rent and have a holiday with the kids?
or is it totally crazy?

anyone out there?

[3daughters]

Yes, go! Israel is a great place for kids. Not an especially AP culture but travelling will be a lot easier for you with slinging, breastfeeding and co-sleeping! There are LLL groups which you can try and hook up with for support while you are there. I can find you an URL if you're interested or you can just look at LLLI website and follow the link for Israel.

Remember that winter weather may be more mild then Canada but it can get pretty cool and rainy (read: miserable). Public transportation is great so you'll have no problem getting around even without a car.

[**guest**]

hi Tziona
thanks for responding!

LLL! i did not even think about it. cool, i will check the site now.

a rainy winter seems better than a brytally cold one, but i do remember the seemingly constant rain.

i plan to go (if i go) january / february to nicely transition into a beautiful spring.

[3daughters]

Just looked myself and there is a group in Haifa. It seems that its led by an English speaker too! Glad the suggestion was helpful.

Just an afterthought...there is an Israeli baby carrier website that I found. The APing family that owns the company http://www.htv.co.il/about/about.html welcomes any contact. Maybe they know of more Israeli resources.

[**guest**]

THANKS again, Tziona

when i went to the LLL site, i did not find any specific group info, just contact email address. i emailed, and the lady responded. can you send me the link that you found? i looked at the english version, though. i can read hebrew a bit, so maybe i should just go to the hebrew site.

neat site with the slings! when my plans get finalised, i will definitely contact them.

[3daughters]

http://www.lllisrael.org.il/

The Haifa group seems to meet on Monday mornings at 10:00 am in a private home. Let me know if you need help with translating the Hebrew.

[BelovedBird]

I live here. I don't really understand your issue. Are you coming to live or as a tourist?

[**guest**]

I live here. I don't really understand your issue. Are you coming to live or as a tourist?

hi!

as a tourist, for 2-3 months, my husband would not be able to come for more than a week.

my issue? :LOL

i guess i am freaking out a bit being by myself with 2 kids! but i really want to go too!

i have a highschool friend in Haida, we are close in other areas, but not in parenting. she is not AP at all, she does not even know that my 3 year old is still nursing. on the phone she kept telling me that i can leave kids with her mother and we can go to Eilat and relax. i told her that i have never left my kids with anyone, and won't, and she is just not understanding me.

so i am worried i will not have anyone who understands me, except on line, and i will be criticised by my friend and pressured into things i won't do, and it will turn out into an isolated, unpleasant experience.

i worry too much.

so that's my issue. :o

[BelovedBird]

hi!

as a tourist, for 2-3 months, my husband would not be able to come for more than a week.

my issue? :LOL

i guess i am freaking out a bit being by myself with 2 kids! but i really want to go too!

i have a highschool friend in Haida, we are close in other areas, but not in parenting. she is not AP at all, she does not even know that my 3 year old is still nursing. on the phone she kept telling me that i can leave kids with her mother and we can go to Eilat and relax. i told her that i have never left my kids with anyone, and won't, and she is just not understanding me.

so i am worried i will not have anyone who understands me, except on line, and i will be criticised by my friend and pressured into things i won't do, and it will turn out into an isolated, unpleasant experience.

i worry too much.

so that's my issue. :o

Ah I get it. If you are planning on spending 2-3 months here, with that friend, I suggest you explain it to her. If you say that on principle you don't leave your kids she should get it, no? If you know that this friend has a very different lifestyle and parenting philosophy than you you are going to have to set down groundrules and discuss your differences before conflicts arise.
I imagine going to a foreign country for 2-3 months, alone except for my little kids with one friend who has a different lifestyle than me would be a pretty isolating/ isolated experience. The location really wouldn't matter much. As far as unpleasant goes, most things in life are what you make of them. If you are coming to visit Israel, and because your only friend is so different than you, you are basicly alone, than just look at as you and the kids discovering a new place. Go touring, learn the language, take in all the different sites and smells. For that does it really matter what parenting style the locals practice? (As in any place it varies anyway)

Winter up north can be very wet (rainy season.)

I live 45 minutes from Haifa, and you are welcome to visit. I live in Tzfat, a tourist town, so you will probably be here anyway. :)



HTH

[merpk]

:)

Just spent 2 months there myself. Bothering BB the whole time, too ... :p

:)

We hired the 16yo daughter of a friend to help with the kids. Helped that she was one of a family of 14 kids, not to mention having 22 neices/nephews all under the age of 9. She's very relaxed around kids, in other words. And was also the product of a primordially hippie/AP background (well, okay, they use disposables, but then again, so do I :blush).

BUT ANYWAY, point being that maybe you could get your friend to arrange for a "mother's helper" situation ... a young person to help, not to take over. IYKWIM.

:)

Also, if you're confident in what you're doing, and other people pressure you, then that's all it is ... pressure. Just smile and say, "Thanks but no thanks."

[shaismama]

Hi, my name is Helen and I live near Haifa. I'm new to MDC...I'm looking for English speaking friends for my son Shai (1 year and 8 months) and of course mom's with similar lifestyles and interests.

Wondering if there are anymore Israelis or foreigners living here that visit this forum?