How did people react to the news you were moving overseas?

I'm disappointed. Questioning some of the people I thought were "friends". My almost 9 year old son has a small group of buddies who he is closer to than the broader group he shares his year with. When we heard that our move to Dubai was on, I made a special effort to call these boys' mothers to give them the news personally, so they could tell their kids about it in their own way and time. I didn't want the kids to hear it through the playground grapevine, in case it confused or upset them.

Now these are mothers who, in the past, I have stepped in at short notice to help out, manage their kids when there have been family crises such as death of a grandparent, illnesses of mothers, rejection of other friends etc. I have taken their kids into my home, had them stay over night, shown them a good time to get their mind off whatever was going on etc.

We've been back at school over a week now. Several of them seem to be avoiding me. They're not engaging after school like they used to. One of them, when I rang to tell her 2 weeks or so ago, said "OMG you're not leaving too! I've just learned J & H (2 other boys) are going to a different school next year and I'm going to have to discourage my son now from getting too close to them..." then she realised what she said and clammed up.

Another crossed the road 20 or 30 feet in front me. There was no way she would have missed my kids and I when we were so close, so she must have been avoiding stopping and saying hello. This would never have happenned in the past.

I understand people wanting to protect their kids from heartache, but at the end of the day, as far as we know, we will only be gone a couple of years, will be making a trip home twice a year and there's always the internet etc to talk on.

I don't know... Sorry for raving. I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this when they were leaving thier home country. I just feel let down as I thought these were friends who would weather our assignment.
<em>edited by Buy me a Pony on 01/02/2011</em>