Why I Chose Greece Over the UK to Raise Our Children
I got a question quite recently about a topic that is really close to my heart and I want to answer this question and this comment in this short video first of all I want to share with you the main reason why I moved here to Greece and yes I have shared my story before if this is the first video you see on my channel I invite you to watch the very first one and all the other ones that I have recorded here on this channel I told my story of how I relocated from the UK here to Greece back in 2010 right in the midst of the Greek crisis and the reason why I moved here to Greece is not just because of the weather the culture the food or because my wife is Greek the main reason why I moved here to Greece is because I became a father so when I was living in the UK and my daughter was born the first thing I said to my wife is book the tickets to Greece I’m not joking you can con my wife and see if this is true or not why Greece well because first of all I love Greece and the decision to come here to Greece was not my wies was mine so the main reason why we relocated here to Greece was because we were two foreigners living in London we decided to start a family as you do and then the next question is what are we going to do you know where are we going to raise our kid so for me it was just a no-brainer to just move from the UK here to Greece haven’t been here to Greece multiple times on a holiday and our honeymoon and and meeting my mother-in-law and my father-in-law and meeting my wife’s extended family aunts and cousins and and I felt like this is something that I wanted to offer to my daughter so when it comes down to struggles that you can face here in Greece in terms of raising kids of course here there is many many issues when it comes to bullying uh you know the internet social or cyber bullying and all of this uh there is a struggle everywhere you go when it comes to raising kids this is something that you cannot uh I guess Escape uh wherever you live however here in Greece because the family unit is so strong and it’s so tight uh there is a a different level of control uh I’m using that word very carefully because I’m not controlling my kids by by saying this but but my eldest daughter fedra right now is going to turn 14 in a matter of few weeks so you know she’s a teenager and the life that I want to experience here in Greece is one of freedom and what I mean by that I want her to feel secure and you know depending where you live this could take different shapes and forms the society in England is different than the society here in Greece and I know for a fact that Northern countries uh societies are a little bit different okay I’m not saying that they’re worse or they’re better they’re just different and I don’t want to offend anybody that lives in Northern country but usually there are all of these reports about Northern countries being the happiest ones and actually uh countries like Greece being a very depressive country uh there was a very recent report about that which I think is complete nonsense and you know in my experience having been raised in a third world country like Venezuela my childhood was very very happy yes I was not dirt poor but I was not well off either and I grew up in a very happy family environment the culture and the family unit is very very important now I’m not saying that in England or in Finland or any other Northern country the family unit is not important I’m not saying that I’m just saying that is different the way it’s been emphasized at a cultural level and they have made films about this right I mentioned My Big Fat Greek Wedding quite recently on a video and even though a comedy it it does portray this idea of the family that is very very strong okay and I believe that Italians share the same type of family culture uh the Spanish the Portuguese the the Mediterranean countries they share this strong family unit the truth of the matter is that Greece is a culture that is very child Centric and I’m using this word based on what this person is writing in this comment and this is one of the reason reasons why I’m very happy to raise my kids here in Greece the fact that you can go to the playground and be with other kids and be open and feel a sense of security right that they it’s okay to talk to another kid that is in the neighborhood that you probably don’t know who he is right but you feel safe I do feel safe uh I don’t feel a sense of the danger here in Greece and obviously I live in a very small community but across the board here in Greece people are very family oriented and kids are a top priority wherever we go kids and the elderly as well all right so if I want to grow old I’d rather grow old in a country like Greece I don’t want to grow old in England all right no disrespect to my British friends but I’d rather grow old here in Greece because yes the elderly people uh and people of a certain age Papas and yadas they have still a very important role to play in this society and that goes back to kids and family and Hey listen relocating to to a foreign country is no walk in a park okay uh moving from the UK here to Greece with a newborn child is is not easy it was not easy especially back then when we had no idea what parenting was so if you live in a place or a country that you feel that is not the best for your kids it’s a tough call I completely understand and I really sympathize with with you because uh I think that I took that decision before before I had to face this kind of things like what this person is asking me as soon as feda was born I said like we need to go now maybe fed wants to go to Greece on Friday want you want to go to Greece on Friday you know and I don’t even want to try in England how is it like to be a father in England because in my head I did not have that vision and I was tell my wife that back then I said there is something about living here in London or even in England in general that I just don’t have that Vision I cannot see us going with aochi around London or around England I just don’t see it I cannot see it I know this might sound a little bit superstitious or a little bit woohoooo out there like I’m some kind of visionary but I just couldn’t see it in my head I didn’t have that imagery of me walking around London with my baby and with my wife I just couldn’t see it however I could see that happening here in Greece and as I am telling you that my hairs are Anri I don’t know if that’s the right Greek word but because I do believe that we have intuition we have a gut feeling about certain things about what’s the right thing and what’s the wrong thing or what is something that we really want it’s about what you really really want uh as soon as I knew that I wanted to come to Greece I was just looking for excuses in order to make that happen so obviously uh becoming a parent was a perfect excuse and obviously you know uh my mother-in-law and my father-in-law what do you think they’re going to say you know especially when it’s coming from me it’s not coming from my wife I was the one who was actually making that decision I was the one who make the call and say book the tickets arrange everything tell your mom and tell your dad that we’re leaving right now everything was in our favor I had the full support of my mother-in-law and the full support of my father-in-law they were more than happy for us to move because it’s their first granddaughter you know so I play my cars really really well you might think that I was manipulating the situation but everything was in line in alignment with what I wanted I truly believe that parenting is one of the hardest thing that we can do yet it’s the most satisfying job that any human can do now obviously my two daughters they speak different languages of course it’s a multicultural home it is not unique there’s many people from different countries living here in fact I just met recently a Dutch family who have just relocated from the Netherlands here to Greece for that same reason because this this family have been to Greece before and they realize how important it is to be in a smaller community and have your kids grow up here in Greece Community is a very important aspect of the Greek culture but how do we build a strong Community it starts with a family it starts at home I hope this answers your question it’s a very personal thing to move a family with kids from one country to another nobody can convince you of doing that only you can take that decision if you know exactly what you want I hope this video can help you and give you the insight and the motivation to know what you want and take that decision if that’s exactly what you want to do is no walk in a park to move a family from one place to another and start all over again but it’s totally possible so thank you so much for all the love and support and I’ll see you another video my friend [Music]
🧿In this video, I share the heartfelt story of why I chose to move my family from the UK to Greece to raise our children. Discover the cultural, familial, and personal reasons behind this life-changing decision, and learn about the unique benefits of raising kids in Greece. From the strong family unit to the vibrant community life, I delve into the aspects that make Greece an ideal place for our family’s growth and happiness. If you’re considering relocating for your family’s well-being, this video provides valuable insights and inspiration. Subscribe for more personal stories and parenting tips!
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26 Comments
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I think there is another aspect to it and I would term it 'heart'. There is a general kindness and love for all children by society at large, let alone within the small community that is absent in places like England. Lived in London and I feel the same, children are tolerated rather than embraced. Parents fear other parents and children if they live too far away or they don't have a school or an activity in common.
Thanks for the beautiful words.
Σε παρακολουθω απο την ομορφη λιμνη της Καστοριας, στην Βορεια Ελλαδα !
Bravo!!!!!!!!
I am curious: Which two languages your daughter speaks? Are the learning Venezuelan🤔
👍👍👍🙏
07:11 ανατρίχιασα, ανατριχιάζω, ανατριχίλα 🙂
Watching from The Netherlands but my heart is in Greece….. sometimes I cry when I hear the Greek language….. Greece is deep in our hearts ♥
Took the decision in 2001 for the same reason, never looked back
Το αστείο με τους Έλληνες είναι ότι κάθε φορά κλαιγόμαστε για το πόσο πιο προοδευμένα είναι τα κράτη της Βόρειας Ευρώπης αλλά από την άλλη δεν κάνουμε βήμα μακριά από την γαλαζόλευκη και ολοφώτεινη Ελλαδίτσα. Σαν να είναι η Ελλάδα όλος ο κόσμος σε μικρογραφεία!
I absolutely agree! As a person coming from Poland raising children in UK i wish I went back and raise them in Poland instead. There is no community here and everybody is bullied for smallest insignificant things. You’re speaking to my soul with this subject
What Greece experienced during the Great Crisis 2010-2020 would have destroyed any other country/nation in the world. We endured because we have three secret weapons… Family, Respect and Philotimo. We are still here, waiting for our brothers and sisters, that left during the crisis, to come back home. We are waiting for our huge Diaspora to come back and lay roots in the motherland. We are waiting for our brothers and sisters all over the western world (US, Latin America, Canada, Europe) to come, embrace, live hapilly and contribute to the reboot of this beautiful nation. Long Live Greece, Long Live Humanity, Long Live Western Civilization ❤
Good move, Daniel, good rational decision, and emotionally rewarding decision.
Any European with 2 eyes that can see knows that by now London is no longer a british, no longer an english, no longer an european city. Sad but true.
In Greece with giagia and pappou make sense of the proverb "it takes a village to raise a child"
I totally agree with you. Northern countriea supposed to be happy, I have lived in England for 10 years, Switzerland for another 9 years and I have the feeling that in Greece people are poorer but 100 times happier. So yes , these surveys that say otherwise are nonsense
I understand fully what you mean when you say, “I couldn’t see it…”.
I think what you are sayinyis correct for the greek countryside. Not for certain parts ,or most parts of Athens
With UK money is good to live in Greece
With greek money
No 😅
I absolutely agree. First time I visited my husband's home town I decided I wanted to raise my children there. Especially having two daughters I love how Greek women have a sisterhood I've never seen in Germany and Italy. Greek women can be feminine and tough at the same time, it's not seen as opposites. Also in Greece different body shapes are valued more, it's not necessarily about being thin, it's a lot about how you dress, move, talk and shine through personality.
Also I find Greek culture more inclusive for binational children.
I loved seeing so many fathers at the pediatrician. I loved seeing teenage boys praising toddlers, playing with them and telling them how strong/beautiful/good they are.
Community really also for me was and after 20 years still is the main reason I live in Greece.
The greek mentality that hardens family bonds is the same mentality that makes the greek society fail and drives many young adults abroad. Most greeks do not hesitate to damage the society for the benefit of their family. They (ok, we, I am a Greek too!) will not directly harm their neighbour but they will easily create pollution or a traffic jam that costs everyone including the neighbour. This attitude creates an underdeveloped sense of community and disrespect to the institutions.
You are right, strong family bonds and a child centric attitude are great assets for the kids and the elderly. But young adults need a functional society and strong institutions to stand on their own feet and not depend on their families. I wish your kids will overcome these obstacles and find their way to a balanced working life and financial stability here in Greece. These are the reasons Greeks migrate.
Yes, most of us had pretty happy childhoods in Greece, it's the adult life that makes us all depressed
As a Greek Canadian who's been to Greece over 20 times, we always dream of returning back home. Yes, even though we Greeks that are born abroad consider Greece as home, it's the love we have for Greece. Thanks for sharing, and hopefully, my wife and I will eventually move there. The only thing that scares us is work? I guess I will need to research more on this topic..
You are a profiteur….
I think that this is an idealised view of Greece by you living in a small city. Athens and Thessaloniki (my home city) are becoming (or are already) inhuman and people grow distant. They are not as safe either. I have been living in London and I can tell you that it is a wonderful city, but it is unaffordable. I wouldnt raise a family here and possibly not anywhere in the UK. But I wouldn't raise a family in Greece either.
At the end of the day, it is a matter of personal choice. Good that you like Greece.
London is becoming more dangerous for teenagers. More knife crime, teenagers attack each other just for fun. Children dont play outside anymore. Me and my 12y old son just returned from Athens where we spent 2 weeks. My son felt all the love and admiration from grownups around him just for being a child in Athens, something he doesn't get in London. And random kids in a park actually wanted fo play together outside with him instead of being on their phones like in London. When we returned to London (and we live a good central area), a neighbour told us there is yet another gang appeared in the neighbourhood and tolld my son to be careful. I am considering starting taking him to school myself again because i dont feel it is safe for him to walk around on his own as gangs usually target teenagers of his age. So yes, London is getting bad, dangerous, super expensive and people became more mean.