How did you tell your family you were leaving?

newtoOZ · #1 (**permalink**) 22nd June 2007, 05:02 PM

My parents weren't too upset, because I'm on a short-term project. But I called them, all excited about this great opportunity, and they were kind of hurt and really couldn't want to see why I'd want to leave. I can't imagine if I'd told them I was emigrating, that it was permanent.

So, how did you tell your family and how did they react?

synthia · #2 (**permalink**) 26th June 2007, 06:02 PM

Omigod. When I moved to South Africa, my father was very unhappy about it. Just because it seemed so far away. And because he never understood why anybody would even move out of our county. I think the only times he ever left were during two wars, WWII and Korea. Being away from home and out of the country had really bad connotations for him.

He also thought I was going to live in a grass hut with no electricity while I worked in IT.

atlast · #3 (**permalink**) 26th June 2007, 06:57 PM

Kids are all grown, they all moved away, so what could they say? They were glad we picked an interesting place so they could visit.

retiredusn · #4 (**permalink**) 27th June 2007, 07:33 PM

called them after the move.

ricardo blue · #5 (**permalink**) 28th June 2007, 08:38 AM

[quote=newtoOZ;1554]My parents weren't too upset, because I'm on a short-term project. But I called them, all excited about this great opportunity, and they were kind of hurt and really couldn't want to see why I'd want to leave. I can't imagine if I'd told them I was emigrating, that it was permanent.

My parents found out when they caught me dressed in my sisters clothes.
My mother was ok about it although slighty disappointed. My father however was devastated and never looked at me for several years.

Oh sorry......just realised your talking about emigrating!

newtoOZ · #6 (**permalink**) 28th June 2007, 06:48 PM

ricardo blue - A post based on experience, I'm sure.

roamer · #7 (**permalink**) 28th June 2007, 07:14 PM

My parents each lived in a couple of different countries, both before and after they got married, so they sort of expected it.

tygwyn · #8 (**permalink**) 8th July 2007, 04:45 AM

I think I just told her that my hubby had applied for a job in Australia and just went from there. We were very open about it all the time so we never had the big 'We've got something to tell you' moment - which worked well for us

synthia · #9 (**permalink**) 8th July 2007, 03:40 PM

Being open about it didn't help much. When you are dealing with someone that parochial, there isn't much you can do. Of course, the only times my father ever left the US was to fight in a war, which doesn't give you the best memories of foreign travel, I suppose.

roamer · #10 (**permalink**) 22nd July 2007, 04:20 PM

My parents have now reached the point where they wonder why I'm not gone already?