Moving to Istanbul in august with two children

Dear friends,
I am moving to Istanbul from Toronto in August with my husband and two children, aged 4 and 5.5. Before having our two children my husband and I lived in Istanbul for two years on the asian side, so we are quite familiar with the city. Now for you mums and dads out there, you know children change everything so I am looking for different information now. Schools, neighborhoods, housing, activities for kids, play dates etc. I know it's possible to live in all kinds of ways in Istanbul but if someone could illustrate to me an average day for a young kid who goes to an international school and then comes home to either a compound or non- compound way of life, I would be grateful. Ie. swim lessons at school or not? Play dates too hard in traffic if you don't live on a compound? If both parents are working, how to find a good nanny and how much does that cost? What are the best schools? How long do kids spend on buses to and from school if you live in the city and the school is on the outskirts? Is that kind of travel worthwhile for younger children or is it exhausting?
Many thanks for your time. These kinds of answers are difficult to find on blogs and websites.
Kind regards,
Lana Slezic
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