I have kids, so where is the best area to live?

Thanks Expat Sueño,

Really made me feel good. Sounds that it should be fun with its own challenges as you said of course :)

We are not new to the expat life, a few months ago came back from Kazakhstan which was also a challenge (I suspect even more so than Qatar) but mums kept it going and we had excellent time and also made loads of friends.

I also have a three year old girl, so I'm sure that we will bump into each other at some play group. Mine is also a very sociable one :)

Is yours in the nursery or in perschool? I have e-mail to thirty odd schools and nurseries (frightened by enormous waiting lists) but nurseries seem to have some places. Although most of the schools have not even replied, are they shut for summer holidays?

We still don't know when are we joinig my husband and where we will live. He will only start on the 21st of August. I keep thinking about Landmark area and North and West of it as he will have to travel to Ras laffan every day (poor thing). Is that area ok (should be, the rent is quite high there!). Seems that a lot is happenning near Al Waab but I hear that traffic is a murder there. Is that right?

i think there is a mum's group on QL u can register to join in........Qatar is a lovely place to live in any where ...Learn to like it and its all urs any where any time

makrushan,

Glad to see that my slew of questions (& hopefully answers) has helped someone! I'll be happy to address your concerns, which will be pertinent to Newbie29's original question as well.

Let me start by saying that I did not (NOT, NOT, NOT) want to come to Doha. A friend had had a bad experience here (husband's employer made a few critical mistakes) and ultimately moved back home six months later. All I had to go on was her point of view and whatever info I could get from QL & ExpatWoman.

Once I got here I found that I really liked it. Doha absolutely comes with its challenges - traffic, difficult to find things that we take for granted, crappy fresh produce, etc. - but I made the most of it and haven't looked back since.

I just returned from the U.S. on Thursday and honestly found myself missing Doha while I was gone. (Don't tell anyone I said that - haha!)

At the time my daughter was 14 months old and my son was 3.5 years old. She could not have cared less other than the jetlag effect. My son, who has always been super-independent and outgoing, was unexpectedly thrown for a loop. He has never ever had separation issues, but WHOA did he ever have them here. Holy cow. He reverted back to wearing diapers at night, too, which still hasn't resolved itself ten long months later. That said, he was very excited to return home (to Doha) this time.

I have adjusted very well and have made heaps of friends. Much of my pleasant adjustment is due to the group that I mentioned in my first post (above). (Probably most of it, to be honest.) It's much easier to settle down when you have a community of similar people waiting for you.

Let me know if you have any questions (via PM is best since I may or may not remember to check this thread again)

oh - si, habló español, mas ó menos. Menos mas que mas - haha! Hay un groupo de las mujeres quienes hablan español. Yo no sé los detalles, pero yo tengo amigas que son miembras. En el grupo de Doha Expat Mums and Kids hay miembras de la Mexico, Chilé, Argentina, España, Colombia y Venezuela (pienso).

Expat Sueño,

I have been reading your posts since before you had moved to Doha with your questions and worries... Very helpful indeed! As I'm going through the same sets of questions and feelings, I suppose :)

So how is Doha for you? Were there many unexpected things, disappointments / pleasant surprises? Have you adjusted well? Your kids?

Tambien hablas espanol, no? Hay un grupo de las mujeres quienes hablan espanol? Se quedan una vez a la semana, no?

If at all possible, take company accomodation rather than a housing allowance.

We are also about to move to Doha and also considering different areas. As far as I understand you should think of

1) commuting to work as the traffic is very heavy in certain areas,

2) try to get your kids into schools as many have waiting lists to get into them

3) start looking for an appropriate accommodation

Do I have my priorities right? Or I should have something else in mind?

newbie -

Unlike most cities in the world, where you live really depends on where you work and/or where your kids go to school. The traffic is horrible because there are no freeways and 90% of the intersections are "controlled" by roundabouts, so it can take a long time to get to/from A to B.

If you know where you (and/or your spouse) will be working, send me a PM and I'll try to direct you to some of the areas that you might target.

You'll find that mums live pretty much everywhere in the city, which is both good and bad. Be prepared for your best friend to live on the other end of Doha :op

For info on the mums group in Doha, check out Doha Expat Mums and Kids at http://www.dohaexpatmumsandkids.com . You can't join that group until you are here in Doha, but it will give you an idea of what's going on right now. . .which is much less than it goes on during the school year.

For the meantime, you might try posting specific questions to the

QL Family Forum http://www.qatarliving.com/forum/15,

Prep Forum http://www.qatarliving.com/forum/50,

or QL Mums in Doha http://www.qatarliving.com/group/mums-in-doha

best of luck with them move,

Expat Sueño

Of course in Doha !!

Regards!