Nikonman

i KNOW YOU CANT TELL ME WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS, BUT SOME OF YOUR ANSWERS MIGHT HELP ME MAKE THE DECISION.

I AM 46 MY WIFE IS 43 AND I HAVE TWO BOYS ONE AGED 15 THE OTHER IS 10 YEARS OLD, WE HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT MOVING TO FRANCE FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, BUT WE KEEP COMMING BACK TO THE SAME ANSWER.

1, WHAT WILL I DO FOR AN INCOME ?
2, WHAT WILL THE KIDS DO WHEN THEY LEAVE SCHOOL ?

THESE ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT STOP ME MAKING FURTHER PROGRESS, I KNOW THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT MOVE TO FRANCE, NORMALLY RETIRE, BUT I WOULD NEED TO DO SOMETHING OR OTHER WISE I WOULD GO INSANE, MY CHILDREN ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I WORRY THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE SCHOOL, THEY WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO, IS THIS THE CASE OR DO THEY HAVE NO PROBLEMS IN GETTING GOOD JOBS IN FRANCE.

I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO CREUSE AREA.

MY WIFE HAS TWO HORSES AND WOULD LOVE SOME LAND, DUE TO THE INCREASE IN PROPERTY PRICES IN FRANCE, MY FUNDS WOULD JUST BY US PLACE OUTRIGHT, AND NOT LEAVE MUCH IN THE BANK.

I KNOW EVERY PERSON THAT WANTS TO WORK, MUST HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS WHEN MOVING TO FRANCE, WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE.
MANY THANKS

CHRIS LLOYD

Sgt Fab

What do you do at the moment in the UK (job) ?
Do you speak a little bit French ?
Do your kids want to come in France ?

Nikonman

Yes the kids would like to come to France, and my current occupation is Fire Protection to structual steelwork, this is my own business which i formed last year, and is currently doing quite well.

I can turn my hands to allmost any thing in the construction, building side of things.

Speak little french, but we are learning although the kids are better at it than me.

Kae my wife speaks very little as well.

Sgt Fab

So, if everyone is OK to come to France, just do it.
I dont really understand what you mean bu fire protection, but if you can turn your hands to everything, you'll find a job here unless you want to run your business. France needs a lot of people in construction.

Nikonman

Thanks for your reply..

NatMatt

Hi Nikonman

I'm in SA at present and read that you have a boy of 15. We're also interested in moving to France and have a boy of 15 as well and that's what's stopping me from moving. Although he's keen to move too he doesn't speak French and I so worry that I'm making a huge mistake moving him at that age. The short of it is : Have you thought about what school you'd put your son in, i.e Int'l, French or Bilingual ? I'm at a loss as to what to decide for him.

Regards
Nat

NatMatt

Hi Chris

I'm in SA at present and read that you have a boy of 15. We're also interested in moving to France and have a boy of 15 as well and that's what's stopping me from moving. Although he's keen to move too he doesn't speak French and I so worry that I'm making a huge mistake moving him at that age. The short of it is : Have you thought about what school you'd put your son in, i.e Int'l, French or Bilingual ? I'm at a loss as to what to decide for him.

Regards
Nat

NatMatt

Sorry Chris, posted twice in error - only noticed your sign off name as I was clicking "Submit"!

Nikonman

Hi Nat,

Nikonman

Hi Nat, i feel if we make the move the best thing i could do for him, is to drop him in at the deep end so to speak, and send him to an all french speaking school, he is quite inteligent, unlike me! this way he will lerarn the language more quickly, but i know this is going to be hard to do, if we move there this year he will have to drop a year back in school, so allthough he would have his GSCE next year here in england, he will have to wait a further year before he leaves school. Your comming a long way SA, how long have you been out there?

Can you speak french?

keep in touch with your decision

Regards

Chris

NatMatt

Hi Chris ! Yes I can speak French but my written French is abysmal to say the least. I've lived in South Africa for most of my life except for the odd few years here and there that I've lived in Belgium as my mom's Belgian. Love SA but now it's time to move on as crime's become and issue and education not far behind ... Husband (he's British) and I have been to France a few times (South though) and loved it but keener to go South West/Normandy. I did have serious doubts about putting my kids (4, 12 and 15) into a French School but after reading various threads and emails from people who've moved to France, it's definitely the best thing to do to integrate and become fully bilingual. Anyway, the Int'l schools are too expensive and you only find them in the bigger cities so you don't have much choice as to where you want to live. The two older kids have accepted that it's going to be tough, emotionally taxing and will have to be put back a year. Keep posting !
Regards
Nat

Rue Pasteur

Hi, My kids are older and in the UK but a couple of observations. We have been living in Provence for coming up 18 months and love it. We are a similar age to you. If you do not speak French it is not easy to gain employment - the French will employ a french person first. I did not speak any french when we arrived but its coming on - all depends on how much effort you put in - and we don't put in enough! but don't let that put you off; employement for school leavers is not easy in France, we live in the Luberon, Vaucluse where tourism and agriculture ( wine & fruit) are the main sources of employement which leaves a lot of youngsters out! they need access to bigger cities in our case Avignon & Aix but public transport is not easy. Friends of ours recently left for Australia for these reasons. That having been said if you are positive you can achieve anything and its better to try than always regret it - if your kids are up for it I wouldn't hesitate.

thisisitimhere

Hi

Firstly my advise would to rent in the region you chose before you spend your money on a house here, you need to live this life style before you spend every penny you have, There are no jobs for the french let alone the brits ect that arrive here, so if you have no business in the uk, think hard about your move, we have been here now for 15 months, its like stepping back 15 years, very very hard life, very expensive life when you are living in the euro, we came here thinking it would give us a better richer life, but the old saying comes into force the grass is never greener. BEWARE, dont leap in,

Bonne Chance:curse:

Johnny Foreigner

IMO 15 is not a good age to move a child. Yes he may pick up spoken French quite quickly but there is no way his written French will get to the level where he can achieve in his studies. What about you give it another year and then he boards somewhere?

val50

Totally disagree with the above. We moved to France 6 years ago with 3 teenagers aged 16, 15 and 13. None of us spoke French at the time. The schools were fantastic, helped with extra french lessons etc. Our eldest went on to do her bac within 2 years of being here and got assez bien. She then went to University of Caen and has just graduated, going on to do her masters in September. She is now trilingual as they had to do Spanish as part of the bac, and is working for the AA(UK) based in Lyon for the summer. Middle child is now in second year of university and doing well. Our youngest has just got his bac and starts university in September. None of them regret the move to France, in fact we all love it. As proud as we are of them all, they are not special kids, just ordinary teenagers who made the most of what they had. From observations we have made living here, I would say attitude (of both parents and teenagers) plays a more important part in moving teenagers to France, and if they want to do well, they will.