Potential move to Stockholm

[Ellellie]

My OH has been offered a job in Stockholm.

He's very happy with the offer and the people he will be working with.

Please talk to me about life in Stockholm/Sweden!

We have a 16 month old son

Thanks!

[BaskingTurtle]

Ok, we'll I've lived in 9 countries and Sweden is my favourite. Lived in Stockholm for 6 years, total ten years in Sweden. Moved because my husband can't stand the place and never wants to set foot in the country again. He's even against meeting Swedes when we are abroad. He's biased though, because he's 1000 % Swedish.

I'm not Swedish and I love it. My kids have lived in 5 countries and when asked which one they would pick to go back to and live the rest of their lives they say Sweden.

Everyone can find something to hate and something to love in every country, I imagine. .

[BaskingTurtle]

How temporary is your husband's job? How long are you committed for? As a foreigner, even temporary, you are entitled to free Swedish lessons, which I would recommend, even though you will get by fine with English for the first while. There are English-speaking daycares available, if you are interested in that, but they have a long waiting list.

Finding a nice place to live can be daunting, as they have quite a unique type of system for rentals that involves long waiting lists, but there are ways to bypass that so I hope your OHs job will help you there. Or buy. Having said that, there are many lovely areas of the city to choose to live in.

The city is absolutely beautiful, the public transport is very good and it is super quick and easy to find activities for fun days out in and around the city. Of the places I've lived, it's one of the better ones for small children... Although honestly I didn't have small children in Stockholm... I was in a different part of Sweden by then.

There are, of course, four seasons, which, if you are not used to that, can take some getting used to. Just remember to use the winter season for the advantages it has and not attempt to just sit it out waiting for spring - it's too long for that.

That's all I can think of for now. Best of luck!

[Ellellie]

Hi, thanks for the response :-)

He's been offered a permanent position but we are not planning any further than a couple of years there. If we are move then we are more!

We are going to ask the company to help with the relocation, which they seem quite happy to do. They have talked numbers for salary but I'm not sure what a decent wage is classed as over there. I'd hate to but uprooted from the UK just to be in the same shitty position we are in over here over there. The same company have also offered me a job on a part time basis, which can only help.

[BaskingTurtle]

Hmmm, in terms of salary, I made a lot more in England but personally found that things cost more in England. I've heard people say the opposite, but I don't really get that. I don't know how to explain it, but our money went farther in Sweden. I think.

Anyway, like I said, if I were offered a good job in Stockholm, I'd take it permanently and not look back, but it's so very individual.

[Ellellie]

Gee whiz! I'm on tenterhooks here! OH is having a Skype interview as I type with the MD in Stockholm. Discussing terms and stuff...eeeee!

[honeytea]

Hello ( hej!)

I live in Stockholm and I think it is a fab place to bring kids up, I have a 7 month old ds and life is just so much easier here. The parental leave is amazing and you can send your child to state subsidised daycare from the age of 1 for about 100 pounds a month. There are parks everywhere, the bus is free with a pushchair, the summers are glorious, bit the winters are very very very long, the first year I moved here it the first snow came at the end of October and there was snow on and off ( mostly on for months and months) through till may.

I have found embracing winter sports really important, I have learnt to ski and we ho ice skating on the local lake, ds had a sledge last year and we pulled him along behind us, this year we will do the same thing. It gets very dark in the middle of winter, the sun hardly rises into the sky but the homes are so warm and cosy, I never feel cold in Sweden.

The Swedes are hard to get to know, they are fairly closed people but when ( if) you get to know them they are fun and friendly. It really upset me that people didn'tsay hej or smile when I said hej to them whilst out walking, people also push lots and I was never given a seat on public transport by a Swede even though I used it right up to the birth and ny bump was massive with 10 pound re-election

There are loads of English speaking parent meet ups, there is a Facebook group and a meetup group.

With both you and your dp speaking English I would recommend sending your ds to a Swedish speaking daycare, that way he will pick up both languages.

Send me a messaging you have any questions, best of luck with everything! If you would like to meet up for fika ( coffee and cake) when you arrive I am on maternity leave so free lots of the time :)

Best of luck!!

[Ellellie]

Apparently, it's all sorted and we are just waiting on contracts!

Please spam me with things I need to think about when relocating overseas!

[galwaygirl]

Hey, I'm not in Stockholm - small town life for me just now - but have you found MumsInSweden yet?
What part of the UK are you in?

[surroundedbyblondes]

We're on the West Coast and have had mixed experiences. I found it very tough in the beginning (arrived with DD1 aged 2 and DD2 aged 6 weeks).

When we lived in a city, I hated it. I have felt so much better living in a small town and have really made friends here now.

After two years at home I spent a year working part time and I have just started a 'proper job' which I am loving.

I would really recommend learning the language (make use of the 15 hours daycare available for very low cost) to feel integrated and communicate with neighbours/work colleagues. Plus get outdoors and embrace the swedish lifestyle - wintersports, fika, midsummer dancing etc. Invest in warm winter clothing, especially footwear and enjoy!

[Ellellie]

Well after that long wait, we are getting contracts on Thursday :-) very exciting!

Now to learn some Swedish, find a place to live, find a nursery, sell our worldly possessions in the UK!

[surroundedbyblondes]

Look up the website of the kommun where you will be living. All the local nurseries are listed on there, both state & private. A maximim cost system means that even private nurseries are affordable here. However, if you're not working you'll be able to get 15 hours a week, no more.

See if your partners' company can offer you help with initial accomodation. We struggled finding something suitable over the internet small ads and ended up in a shit hole the first 6 weeks.

[Ellellie]

We have both been offered jobs with the same company. They are also looking for us a place to start us off :-)

I've heard that you can apply to be put on waiting lists without a personnumber while you are still out of the country. Is this true/possible do you know?

[Ellellie]

Oh and I have registered on mumsinsweden, but can't join the Facebook group yet because it is public and we haven't made it official yet ;-)

[surroundedbyblondes]

Not sure about the waiting list/person nr thing as DH & DDs both had them prior to arriving (swedish citizens). Mail the kommun and ask them?