" Hi! I''m a mother of two boys(2&1/2 yrs and 2 months) and planning to move to Taipei in 2 months. (my husband''s job) We have many questions!! and hoping if someone can give us some advice before we leave.... ----Is it good idea to send some baby things from the U.S.?! (formula, diapers, etc....) or it''s easy to find these at a store. (can we find the same brand that we have in the U.S.?) ----How is the transportation in Taipei?! What will be the best way to get around the city with 2 children!? (drive a car? use taxi? public transportation?! hire a driver?!) ----Is there American or Japanese preschool or childcare in Taipei?! ----How is the park system in Taipei?! Is there a nice park that children can run around? How do you entertain your children?! Thank you ..... Yuki Seattle, WA "

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" Hello,<br> I am a Taiwanees living in America. I have been back to Taiwan many times with small children. My children are 8, 5, and 2 right now. With my experience, you will need to bring the following items:<br> Over the counter medicine: Tylenol, children''s tylenol, etc. (can''t find them there)<br> Vitamins (very expensive in Taiwan)<br> Dry cooking spies (not easy to find)<br> Formula: We mostly have European, Chinese, and Japanese brands.<br> Diapers: You can find Pamper''s and Huggies diapers there, but they are made in Korea. Somehow, the quality is not as good. <br> Transportation: Taxi is the easiest way to get around. It is very difficult to find a parking spot, if you drive. Buses are plentiful and run very frequently, but usually crowded around rush hour.<br> Childcare: Most Americans send their children to bi-lingual daycares. Yes, there are Japanese schools too.<br> Parks: Mostly big garden type, not small neighborhood type. Most Chinese parents take their kids to elementary school playground after school hours. McDonald''s, Wendy''s, KFC''s, and other fastfood places have in-door playgrounds. The big department stores have large play areas for children where they can eat, play video games, rides, jungle gym, and so on.<br> If you have any other questions, just ask. Good luck in Taiwan. I''ll be there in 2 months also. "

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My husband and I are also moving to Taipei next summer. Our daughter will be 2 yrs old by then. By husband speaks Mandarin and is Chinese, but I am not and speak only English.

Will there be a bilingual daycare for a 2yr old? Are there waiting lists? And how do they wpork, hours, size, cost, etc?

I am thinking of teaching English but not sure of the best approach. I have experience teaching elementaryu school and adults. What would be the most compatible work for me with a child in daycare?

Looking to make some friends on-line living in Taiwan, who speak English, and who teach English now and/or have small children there. - Kat

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Hi Yuki and Kat:

kat I lived in Boston for many yyars and went to schools there before making the leap to California 2.5 years and before coming back to Taiwan after spending almost 20 years in the US. I'm almost an ABT.

Yes practically OTC medications you cannot find them in Taiwan and if you do, they're more expensive. So I hope yoru husbands are well compensated. Things such as shampoos and soaps etc. are equally expensive/cheap depending on how you look at it in the US. I happened to lived in 2 expensive cities (Boston/Brookline and Silicon Valley).

Transportation is easy to get around "if you know where your're going". Most drivers (bus, MRT, taxis) don't speak english and they're very native. However, most of the road signs have english translation. Japnese and English are like second languages here in Taiwan because most high school and colleges here do teach them.

As far as teaching english in Taiwan, they do look for many foreigners to teach people ranging from kindergarten to adults and the pay is good but I do hear mixed signals about certain agencies ehre so do be careful.

Do watch out for shop owners as they're very competitive with each other. You may not get used to people pull your arm physically to try to get you to buy things. This does happen at some places especially int eh night market so don't "appear" that you like to shop too much (eliminate multiple bags" if you can.

Get maps from the hotel because not only do they have Chinese (yes even if yoy only read English) and English translation. I find them to be the best kind. Get familiar with MRT in Taipei(the mass rapid transit systems here), they do have english translated stops. You'll enjoy the system as it is very clean but is crowded at times. Yes do get used to crowded spaces, people sneezing & coughing without saying excuse me, people shoving each other in the market places. Although you may say they're rude and ruthless, it's just part of the culture here so if you're going ot stay here for a while, try to adapt to the lifestyle.

Well, this is some of my experience here so far. Get yourself network with others and experience the locals. Others like yoruself ahve lived here with their families and I do see many westerns (mostly white and with American accent) walking around and many Chinese husbands with caucasian wives. I'm currently working with a colleague with a caucasian wife who doesn't understand Mandarin.

So let me know if you two have any other questions and I'd be happy to assit you. I know mandarin as well but English is still my first language.

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Dear Katechen,
I am a Singaporean mother of 2 who's lived in Taiwan for more than 10 years now.For a 2 year old, you'd be looking for local bilingual daycare as most international schools would take in children only from age 4 and above.There are plenty of daycare centers around so you don't have to worry about the waiting lists.However, these don't come cheap.The average tuition in Taipei area is between nt$20000-40000 monthly. Class size usually bet 10-15 per class.Books do not come cheap anywhere in Asia so would advice to bring your own curriculum if you are also planning to do some home schooling.If money is not of matter, then rest assured that you could find most things you need here(Other than the child's milk and tylenol,that is.Yes, there is US imported pampers but you would have to know where to look.)

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Hi , I am from spore and will be working in Taiwan for a year. My wife and 2 kids (18 months and 4 months) will be coming along. Does anyone know if it will be easy employing domestic helpers there? Can I bring along my current maid? I would apprecaite any form of advice!!!

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You can bring your maid with you provided she is from Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philipines. It's easier for you to get the papers done through an agency rather by yourself. The monthly cost for a maid including the government levy is about NT$27,000. Your yearly salary must be above NT$2.5M or you must be at a manager and above in a company. If you need more information you can contact me through my personal email address cjku8888@ms25.hinet.net

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We have been in Taiwan for a year now and it has been great. There are a lot of young families here. You can find pretty much anything unless you are picky and like specific brands that aren't as common. There are very good schools here, american, japenese, christian, pretty much anything. We have a midsize SUV that we drive. We like being higher up. I would advise against a large SUV as it is hard to find suitable parking if at all. Plan on your vehicle getting scratches and dents before the tour is up due to all of the scooters. Taxis, buses, and the Metro are all nice and reliable. It is a pretty easy place to get around and pretty safe as well.

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Great to hear that there are lots of families around Taipei. I have heard that Tien-moo is the place to be for most expats. Does anyone have any recommendations for a young family? I have an 8 year old and a five year old. My husband is Mandarin speaking and I do not (well, aside from a few words anyway). Any recommendations on schools? I've heard that TAS is the best, but spendy, and a bit snobby. Anyone have experience with the European school??

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Hello Yuki I'm Nicole, I know you posted this a long time ago but I was wondering if you were still living here, because I'm looking for a babysitting job and it's hard for me to find a family that speaks fluent english and is the perfect age to babysit. I'm a student at Taipei American School and I really like kids and I have good grades so I could help your kids with their homework and be patient with them. So if you're still in Taiwan and are interested in a babysitter my email is darrellyen@gmail.com . If not then, sorry for wasting your time. Thank you

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For all of those that have moved to Taiwan with their young children - my boyfriend & I plan to move to Taiwan so that he can teach we have a 1yr old - any tips on how to go about acquiring visas?? I don't even know where to start, what kind to get, how long we can stay, etc. Any info would be appreciated!!

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Hi, I will be moving to Taipei with a fourteen year old daughter next year. Are there any expats with children doing homeschooling or do you know of International schools that do not cost a fortune? I am a single Mom so cannot afford the extremely expensive schools although my child is extremely gifted and achieves excellent results at present.

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Hello,

This post is very old, but I am available to babysit. I have 14 years of childcare experience (of all ages). I am available to babysit/nanny during the week and on weekends. I speak both Mandarin and English. I am energetic, responsible and flexible. I am very creative and enjoy being outside so I hope to do art projects or play at the park. Please PM me for more details.

My experience with children:

Kindergarten Assistant (May 2006)
Nanny (Summer 2005-Summer 2006)
Gymnastics Assistant Coach (2005-2007)
Au Pair (Summer 2009)
Babysitter (2000-2013)
Chinese Tutor (Summer 2010)
English Tutor (January 2009-May 2013)
j

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