London is a great place to live and work but can also have its downsides if you have children. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about moving to and living in London with children.
England’s capital is a city which offers a number of opportunities, including plentiful employment, lots of culture and dynamic nightlife. It may not come across as the best place to raise a family, but there’s plenty of opportunity for children too.
While London can be a fantastic place for children, there are some things that, as parents, you should consider. In this article, we’ll look at some of the pros and cons that children law solicitors in London would want you to know.
Keep reading for all the pros and cons of raising a family in London…
The Pros of Living in London with Children
Wide Open Green Spaces
Most boroughs of London boast large, well-maintained parks and green spaces which offer inexpensive entertainment for those with children. As well as local parks, larger areas such as Hyde Park offer boating, sports and open air threatres and concerts for the whole family.
Excellent Transport Links
Children up to the age of 11 are able to travel on London Transport free of charge – which gives kids access to buses, tubes and some overground services. These cost savings are great for parents who like to take their children out and about at weekends.
Plenty of Places to Spend Discount Vouchers
School holidays can be incredibly expensive for parents and, treats such as eating out and visiting places of interest can soon mount up. When living in London, you can take advantage of any number of discount vouchers for restaurants, museums and more, to help you stretch your budgets further.
Lots of Diversity
London is an extremely cosmopolitan and diverse city, which is a great thing in so many ways. In London, the child laws, like the rest of the country, include a number of children’s’ rights, including:
- Children’s best interests
- Right to have an identity
- Having your opinions heard
- Freedom of thought and religion
- Privacy
- Health
- Standard of living
- Rest and leisure
These rights, coupled with London’s eclectic culture means that you do need to be aware of the fact that your child or children will come into contact with people who are very different to themselves. For example, children with different religious beliefs and children who identify as non-binary.
If moving to London from a smaller town, it’s a good idea to have a frank discussion with your children about inclusivity.
Plenty of Museums and Rich History
There are 139 museums in London, which means that parents will never be stuck for somewhere to take the kids, even in bad weather. As well as being educational, there are places such as The Natural History Museum which keep children occupied for hours.
The Cons of Living in London with Children:
Added Danger in City Living
It’s generally considered to be a fact that any city is more dangerous for children and adults alike, compared to smaller towns or villages. Before moving to London with children, it’s important to research the crime rate in your chosen area.
The overall crime rate in London stands at around 665 crimes per 1000 people, however, some parts of London are more dangerous than others. For example, Southwark and Lambeth have extremely high rates of gun and knife crime. However, other areas, like Richmond on Thames have significantly lower rates.
High Demand in Schools
There are many wonderful schools in London, however, lots of the most desirable schools are in high demand. This means that you may be limited on the choice of school for your child and, also, your child may have to travel some distance to get to school.
Additionally, you may not have a choice as to where you buy your children’s’ school uniforms – when you are limited on choice of outlets, this can mean that uniforms are more expensive.
If at all possible, you should plan ahead and register your interest with your chosen school as well as checking out the school’s OFSTED rating to make sure that you are as well informed as possible.
Higher Costs of Property
As you are most likely aware, property in London is extremely expensive, the average price of a house in London stands at around £514,000 compared to about £237,906 in Birmingham.
If moving to London from elsewhere, you will need to calculate your earnings to work out if you will be able to buy or rent a property large enough for your family. You will also want to shop around when it comes to the area of London that you want to move to as different regions vary widely in price.
Cost of living
Another point which may seem like stating the obvious is the cost of living in London which is considerably higher than in other parts of the United Kingdom. Everything from your weekly groceries to getting around town is extremely expensive, as the saying goes, you can’t leave the house in London without spending at least £20.
You should always carefully consider whether or not you can actually afford to live in the city before committing to a move.
Consider all pros and cons before making the move to London…
London is a wonderful place to live and offers children opportunities that they may not get elsewhere such as free museums, outstanding schools and lots of different restaurants and social amenities.
It is, however, an extremely expensive place to live with relatively crime rates. Moving to a new place is always a big commitment but, when moving to London, there is a lot to consider in order to make sure that it’s the right move for you and your family.
