Xahm Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Do any of you have recommendations about books to read or blogs to follow? My family (husband, me, will be 3 and will be 2 yos) will be going to the north of France this fall. Excited would be an understatement and I'm confident the whole thing will be a positive experience, but of course I want to prepare. I'm studying French (my husband is ahead of me on this) and reading what I think would help. Bringing up Bebe was an interesting read and I'm looking forward to seeing whether the author's observations hold true in a smaller city as well. As the time draws near, I will be focusing on making sure I have basic medical and food language down, using Google Maps to find at least a grocery store and a place for the kids to run around near our apartment. I would really like to read more about, basically, the mundane details of living with kids in France. Stuff about doctors, playgrounds, grocery stores, public transportation and such. While I can figure that stuff out on the ground, if need be, I'd rather be able to hit the ground running, so to speak. Some of my friends have given me advice about preparing children emotionally for the experience, but I'd welcome thoughts on that. Also, if any of you have recommendations for not-to-miss experiences for the area, I would love to hear those as well. Oh, and if there is anything that would be considered rude or offensive in the area, I'd like to know and avoid that. My husband's schedule should be fairly light and the kids and I will be completely free. We won't have gobs of money to spend by any stretch of the imagination, but we have been saving and preparing for this. My husband and I (independently of each other) have lived abroad before, but never in Western Europe and never with children. Our family goals are to get a taste of living overseas with kids as we think about doing so more in the future, to give our kids a positive basic experience and understanding of "there are different countries with different people speaking different languages, and that is cool," and to spend time together, enjoying each other (husband will have WAY more free time there than here). My husband and I both want to strengthen our French skills and if the kids pick up on it, so much the better. Thanks for any advice or information any of you have. I'd be happy to give exact city information via PM if any of you are very familiar with the area and would be so generous as to share with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I lived in France for a couple of years. Doctors: make sure you have insurance that covers your time there and repatriation - whilst the French medical system is excellent, you will probably feel more comfortable in your own country if something serious happens. Playgrounds: you will have to see what there is near you Grocery stores: any town will have a supermarket where you can shop without too much difficulty. It's much more fun to shop in the small shops however - the food will be better and the experience more fun. You can do a lot by pointing, smiling and saying a few polite words. Public transportation: the system will vary based on exactly where you are, so I can't help with that. Tips if you want to blend in: darker colours in clothes; no white trainers/tennis shoes (unless for sports or teenagers) - adults mostly wear shoes rather than sports shoes in any case; no baseball caps; speak more softly - it is true that Americans on average speak more loudly than Europeans. I lived in Perigord and Paris, so not Northern France. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Thanks so much, Laura. We'll certainly be making sure of our insurance. I'm really looking forward to exploring different small shops. I've found that can be a big part of the learning experience. Thanks especially for the advice about darker colors, shoes rather than sports shoes, and speaking softly. While we are Americans wherever we go, I'd rather not stick out like a sore thumb or bother my new neighbors unnecessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I don't have any advice, other than wondering if you have a large travel trunk, say, large enough to hold a grown woman, and, um, where are you shipping your baggage from so I can pack myself in? :) 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 http://www.puydufou.com/en Absolutely amazing history theme park with live reenactments. Totally worth a trip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 French Kids Eat Eveeything was a nice read about the food culture there. It's worth reading since the author is from North America and she points out differences. Designmon, the blogger, lived in France with her kids for a while. There might be some stuff there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 http://www.puydufou.com/en Absolutely amazing history theme park with live reenactments. Totally worth a trip. I've got that pulled up now and will be looking into it for sure, thanks. French Kids Eat Eveeything was a nice read about the food culture there. It's worth reading since the author is from North America and she points out differences. Designmon, the blogger, lived in France with her kids for a while. There might be some stuff there. Thanks, I just put that book on hold and will be searching that blog. I don't have any advice, other than wondering if you have a large travel trunk, say, large enough to hold a grown woman, and, um, where are you shipping your baggage from so I can pack myself in? :) Ha! I think you might find a few other folks already trying to sneak into our baggage! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 We lived in SW France (Perigord region) on and off for 3 years (our main home at the time was in the UK). A few things off the top of my head: Everything closes for lunch! Plan your errands for before or after lunch. I had 2 littles (and a very slow ADD husband) at the time, and it always seemed to take forever to get everyone ready and out the door, and then we'd get into town and only have a short time before everything closed for lunch. Eventually I got smart and planned errands for mid-afternoon.At most of the supermarkets, customers had to weigh their own produce, and print out a sticker with the price on it. You also need to bring your own bags, but generally they sell reusable ones. The food at MacDonalds is actually decent and is cooked to order. They used to sell these super dark gooey brownies that were very good! To be honest, I'm not sure how much a 2 & 3 year old will remember about the experience. We owned a house there, spent lots of time there, and my DD (who was 2 when we moved back to the states) remembers nothing. DS, who was 4-6 when we were there, remembers a little, but it's mostly stuff like shooting green apples from the orchard with a water cannon. :tongue_smilie: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Clothing colour comparison. This is the front page of a French retailer for tops and here's Lands' End. Even where the front picture on LE is darker, you have the option of brighter, whilst most of the French ones are in darker/neutral only. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Oh. Chrysanthemums. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Oh. Chrysanthemums. Whereas, in Japan. What a gloriously diverse world we live in... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 We lived in SW France (Perigord region) on and off for 3 years (our main home at the time was in the UK). A few things off the top of my head: Everything closes for lunch! Plan your errands for before or after lunch. I had 2 littles (and a very slow ADD husband) at the time, and it always seemed to take forever to get everyone ready and out the door, and then we'd get into town and only have a short time before everything closed for lunch. Eventually I got smart and planned errands for mid-afternoon. At most of the supermarkets, customers had to weigh their own produce, and print out a sticker with the price on it. You also need to bring your own bags, but generally they sell reusable ones. The food at MacDonalds is actually decent and is cooked to order. They used to sell these super dark gooey brownies that were very good! To be honest, I'm not sure how much a 2 & 3 year old will remember about the experience. We owned a house there, spent lots of time there, and my DD (who was 2 when we moved back to the states) remembers nothing. DS, who was 4-6 when we were there, remembers a little, but it's mostly stuff like shooting green apples from the orchard with a water cannon. :tongue_smilie: Thank you very much! I've had to do the weighing produce thing before. I know my kids will LOVE that! It's good to know about lunch breaks. I was more in Eastern Europe before, and there it seemed anytime could be a break! Good lessons for impatient younger me; now I guess I'll get lessons in daily organization, which will also be good. McDonald's seems to be better everywhere else. I'm not sure what that says about America. On my first living abroad experience, I went there with my other expat friends for lunch on Thanksgiving. Perhaps pathetic, but it was a fun taste of home. I know the kids won't remember much, but we will, and we will take pictures for them to have in the future. And I can at least hope that it leaves very pleasant associations in their minds. Oh. Chrysanthemums. Awesome article, thanks! And thanks for the color comparison, too. I might sound like a lazy American for saying this, but I would totally download an app or two for translating! http://gizmodo.com/5879522/siri-can-translate-languages-for-you-with-a-tweak Dh has one... he said a sentence in English and Siri said it back in another language. I will find out the app if you are interested. We may resort to that, but I'm also really good at making do and making up sign language as needed. Does anyone know how helpful a knowledge of German might be in the area? I'm a little rusty, but my German is much stronger than there's any hope of my French becoming in the next few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Does anyone know how helpful a knowledge of German might be in the area? I'm a little rusty, but my German is much stronger than there's any hope of my French becoming in the next few months. Pretty slim, I would say, unless you are near the border. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 German isn't broadly spoken in France, but as a Western European language it's worth trying in an a pinch. It's worked for me. We were meeting DH's elderly distant cousin in Belgium and German ended up being the only common language in the room. Who knew the village priest had once studied in Austria? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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