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Heart of gold Jun 27th 2008 1:40 pm

Question for those living in france with kids?
 
We are going to France in August with the kids and my youngest will be just on 8 months... I think we are going to Canet Brasillia ( sp) If you have small children can you please advise on what is avialable i.e formula milk ( for cereal ) best nappies, if not pampers, cereals like weetabix, readybrek as I dont want to have to cart half the contents of my kitchen cupboards along!
I have not holidayed with a child this small and so I need to know that I can make his foods as I do at home - that fresh meat and veg are good quality.

Which supermarket is the best for choice and quality.

He is also being BF, does anyone know if this can be done when out and about in france as I do here!

Cheers,
Mickey

treskillard Jun 27th 2008 2:41 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 
Hi,
Don't know where you are going but wherever you will be able to get what you need with some provisos. The supermarket chain Leclerc is possibly a better resource. Nappies are no problem same as UK if that's where you are and pampers everywhere including all the landfills. Formula milk too is alright but the cereal mixes are pretty rubbish we found - very sugary etc. If you look around where you are staying somewhere nearish you'll find an organic type outlet I'm sure (the French say 'biologique' for organic) and there you will get better cereals in boring packets. Weetabix yes but not everywhere and in fact not at all around here at the moment. Porridge yes. readybrek not at all - problem of cereal mixes generally. Meat and veg in supermarkets a bit like the UK that is the cheap stuff is cr*p stuffed with antibiotics and water - avoid cheap chicken in particular it is disgusting. Other wise the meats are good but I find that they don't seem to keep that well - my OH thinks its the sweaty wrapping - i don't know. Veg in supermarkets is like UK too (i think) - fresher but pumped and factory farmed none the less. Markets good but there too the produce may be the same as supermarket stuff but in a more natural surrounding. So all in all no problem but I'd think of bring cereal mixes if you think you'll want them and maybe baby mix milk too if its really precious.

breast feeding? i never did it by my OH did till the last one was 18 months. not as cool here about it to be honest but no problem really. at 8 months they won't stare too much but alot of bottle feeding here so you'll be alone. only hippies do the breast for long so you may or may not be in good company.

enjoy your trip.

i'm sure you'll get some different comments from others.

:)

Jazzy n Lol Jun 27th 2008 2:49 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by Heart of gold (Post 6509659)
We are going to France in August with the kids and my youngest will be just on 8 months... I think we are going to Canet Brasillia ( sp) If you have small children can you please advise on what is avialable i.e formula milk ( for cereal ) best nappies, if not pampers, cereals like weetabix, readybrek as I dont want to have to cart half the contents of my kitchen cupboards along!
I have not holidayed with a child this small and so I need to know that I can make his foods as I do at home - that fresh meat and veg are good quality.

Which supermarket is the best for choice and quality.

He is also being BF, does anyone know if this can be done when out and about in france as I do here!

Cheers,
Mickey

Good luck!

I brought my daughter here first at 2 months, she was breast fed and bottle fed. She went through a growing phase here and I ran out of formula, we had to buy a different brand milk but she adjusted! Bring enough of your own brand if you don't want to swap as the brands are mostly different. As for nappies I'm not sure but I think you can buy Pampers, or if not them exactly, certainly another premier brand. As for feeding in public, it was mid winter when I came so I didn't try it, but I'm sure you will get the same mixed responses as you would back home.

Monoprix is a quality supermarket, but I've found Super U and Carrefour very good. Fresh fruit and veg is usually good quality, but seems not to last as long as British produce. Meat is quite expensive, but then, I haven't bought meat from the UK in 2 years so maybe it's comparable. Breakfast cereals you may find, although I've never seen weetabix and ready brek here. If you depend on it, bring it! Also sunblock is horrendously expensive, so bring plenty of your own.

Hope this helps, and have a wonderful break :thumbsup:

stanage2 Jun 27th 2008 3:57 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by Jazzy n Lol (Post 6509829)
Good luck!

I brought my daughter here first at 2 months, she was breast fed and bottle fed. She went through a growing phase here and I ran out of formula, we had to buy a different brand milk but she adjusted! Bring enough of your own brand if you don't want to swap as the brands are mostly different. As for nappies I'm not sure but I think you can buy Pampers, or if not them exactly, certainly another premier brand. As for feeding in public, it was mid winter when I came so I didn't try it, but I'm sure you will get the same mixed responses as you would back home.

Monoprix is a quality supermarket, but I've found Super U and Carrefour very good. Fresh fruit and veg is usually good quality, but seems not to last as long as British produce. Meat is quite expensive, but then, I haven't bought meat from the UK in 2 years so maybe it's comparable. Breakfast cereals you may find, although I've never seen weetabix and ready brek here. If you depend on it, bring it! Also sunblock is horrendously expensive, so bring plenty of your own.

Hope this helps, and have a wonderful break :thumbsup:

You should find Weetabix in E.leclerc.

Jazzy n Lol Jun 27th 2008 4:25 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by stanage2 (Post 6510035)
You should find Weetabix in E.leclerc.


Thanks! :thumbsup: My nearest is 30 km's away and whenever I'm in Laval, I always forget to pop in and see what they have.... This will spur me to make a visit!

Heart of gold Jun 27th 2008 5:32 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 
Thankyou so much for your advise, its appreciated! I will bring enough formula and yes he likes weetabix and loves ready brek - not much else right now that I can give him.
I will be as discreet here ( Im in the uk ) as in france, but its something that Im passionate about least til he is a year! Just dont want to get into trouble over it.
Thanks for personal thoughts on super markets, we used carrefour last year and it was so packed :ohmy: ,it resembled a place for family days out - the whole family went along! And it put us off.

natnjon Jun 27th 2008 11:08 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 
Hi,

When we were in France with our daughter who then was in nappies and on formula milk, we found that you could get pampers however there were alot more expensive than they are in the uk. So for our next trip we made sure we took plenty with us.

As for the formula milk we took alot with us but my son ended up knocking one tin off the worktop whilst it was open :thumbdown:, and we used the other one, so had no choice but to try the french one's. My daughter loved it :thumbup: We actually had a problem getting her back on to S.M.A when we got home. But everyone's different, that is just our experience.
Hope you enjoy your trip. :)
Nat xx

stanage2 Jun 28th 2008 6:59 am

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 
Thanks for personal thoughts on super markets, we used carrefour last year and it was so packed :ohmy: ,it resembled a place for family days out - the whole family went along! And it put us off.[/QUOTE]

That is France
The children are very important to them,and more part of family life in all ways.

le plumber Jun 28th 2008 10:01 am

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by treskillard (Post 6509812)
Hi,
Other wise the meats are good but I find that they don't seem to keep that well - my OH thinks its the sweaty wrapping - i don't know.
:)

Have a look at this - from Leclerc supermarket - it aint for the faint hearted!!

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...boucherie_news

Ka Ora! Jun 28th 2008 4:22 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by le plumber (Post 6512542)
Have a look at this - from Leclerc supermarket - it aint for the faint hearted!!

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance...boucherie_news

It doesn't surprise me, we have been talking about shifting to Butcher only meat for a while this has encouraged me to change now. We have only a Champion and Intermarche here but they are small ish and probably have tight budgets to work to.

I think its about time someone taught people what sell by dates are for;)

le plumber Jun 28th 2008 4:32 pm

Re: Question for those living in france with kids?
 

Originally Posted by Ka Ora! (Post 6513503)
It doesn't surprise me, we have been talking about shifting to Butcher only meat for a while this has encouraged me to change now. We have only a Champion and Intermarche here but they are small ish and probably have tight budgets to work to.

I think its about time someone taught people what sell by dates are for;)

We have Carrefour near us, who aren't working to a tight budget. We have found the pork chops go off very quickly and as for the spicy sausages "merguez"........I often wondered why they weren't very appetising!! I used to work in kitchens, so I have an idea for taste, and the sausages I have always thought were dodgy, and now I know why!! :thumbdown:

Butcher meat only in my house too!!


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