I am in USA and just talked to Husband in Mexico.
Husband went to Private School to just pick up the supplies we had pre-ordered for $250 pesos per child. Well - a few surprises and challenges:
Crowd - Lots and lots of parents doing what you do to get kids started in school next Monday. They are everywhere and they are only speaking Spanish.
Supplies - $250 pesos was just a deposit - we owed a bit more - about $140 pesos per child.
Books - We have to buy books - who knew? Appears to be about $1,000 pesos per child. The Spanish discussion on this topic was not completely clear to Husband. He put down a deposit so kids can have books next Monday. Other American Family arrived in Mexico yesterday (they have 3 boys going to same school and we know them from USA home.) Husband will get Other Mommy who speaks great Spanish to help at school tomorrow.
Uniforms - We have been to Lans department store twice to get uniforms but each time they have been out of little kid shirts and no pants for Youngest Son. Apparently, Private School has a "shop" open this week to get uniforms. The shopkeeper ONLY speaks Spanish. Husband also does not have enough money left with him to get uniforms today.
Husband speaks pretty decent Spanish but he said "I reached my limit." I think the surprises and chaos just got to be overwhelming. So he is getting money and going back up to Private School to try for the uniforms again.
I am just a bit nervous about kids starting Private School next week. With over half their day in Spanish (other half English) and most kids and teachers speaking Spanish - I hope they do not get too overwhelmed. I know ultimately they will be fine and their life will be enriched but I have parental jitters.
4 years ago
3 comments:
When Son went to school here, the list said "Uniforms will be available at the usual place"...LOL We had to go to the bookstore and buy the texts ourselves (wasn't that a zoo!). Then he needed to bring a ream of copy paper to give to the school for copies! I guess this is pretty common because the stores had reams of copy paper for cheap. This was a private school,so all this was on top of the $3500 pesos a month for attending.Oh, yeah and there were special cuotas, for lab fees ect....
Of course, no one here does anything until the last minute....
Yup, Mexico, it's like a whole 'nother country...go figure.
regards,
Theresa
Thanks Theresa. I think poor Husband was a little "shell shocked today." We do find that you just find things out along the way and you just move with the flow. Your "usual place" comment really cracks me up!Thanks for the laugh.
Wow - crazy. The textbook thing is definitely different; the Kid is working his way through a set of texts that we bought one of the first days we were here. There were tons of people running around today getting uniforms, and even the subway salespeople are selling school supplies from car to car.
All good stuff to remember, though.
We get to do the mad uniform dash next week, but in the US, thankfully. (I guess it's too much to hope that if the Kid goes to a school here next year, some of the uniform stuff from his school in the US will be reusable. Oh well.)
¡Buena suerte!
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