Are you contemplating a move to south west France (near Toulouse)? We did it 3 years ago and have never looked back. We are a family of 7. Our children's ages range from 21 - 8. The 2 eldest doing further education in the UK. But our other 3 children are flourishing here. My husband does a weekly commute from Toulouse - Gatwick. This may seem hard or 'dur' as the French would say. But compared to the commute he did when we were in the UK it is workable.
The life we enjoy here is so rich. We have all embraced the language. For me that was no mean feat as I arrived here with an ungraded 'O' level! How did I do so badly at school??
But most people would agree that school is not the ideal place to learn a language. 3 years on and I can hold a good conversation in French. I can also write and read the language to a reasonable level. I have had some lessons but most of what I have learnt has been from just being here and communicating with the French.
Yes I am pleased with what I have managed with the language. But I am thrilled with how our children have so quickly become so competent with it. All 3 attend the same school. A bus collects them 50m from our house. It is an affordable private school. You may ask how can it possibly be affordable to have 3 children attending a private school? Well in France "un ecole privee" means that you pay a contribution towards the cost of your child's education. In our case it costs at £4500 per year for all 3 to go there. This includes transport there and back and school lunches.
The benefits that our children receive are smaller classes and wonderful buildings and location (which is very important in my view). Also since it is a weekly boarding school they mix with children from Toulouse and Spain. There are also German and Dutch pupils.
Our youngest daughter who is now 8 is thought to be French. Our 13 year old son prefers the sound of French to English. He is doing well with Spanish and is also learning Latin, which he enjoys! His mind is open to language. Our 17 year old daughter found it more difficult at the beginning. She was 14 when we arrived here and she was put in to an age appropriate class (3 eme). In hindsight that was a mistake and she should have started in 4 eme. However she redoubled, passed her Brevet (equivalent to UK GCSE's). She will sit the BEP this year and then do a further 2 years at school to get her BAC.
Our children have developed an interest in food. Meals times are to be enjoyed. As a family we have always eaten together sitting at the table. But I have noticed that their overall appreciation of food has grown. They have become more refined in their tastes and more open to trying different foods. In fact altogether more educated about good nutrition.
The French have such lovely manners. At first it is hard not to be slightly awkward when kissed by a total stranger. But one soon gets used to it! We recently had an American couple staying in our Gite. They were most impressed when my son walked up to them hand out-stretched to shake their hands. They said he made good eye contact too. He is used to it as this is how he greets his friends. Manners maketh man.
Children are children here. It is a relief that our 17 year old daughter has not gone through the excessive drinking phase that seems to be so common with teenagers in the UK. She certainly would have done a lot under age drinking had we stayed in The Scottish Borders (where we lived for 9 years before moving here).
Our children are very lucky. Their minds have been broadened in so many ways. They are relaxed and happy. They like the culture and climate here and they love the skiing in the Pyrenees!
