As soon as you have decided to move to France – and even before you have started looking at areas and properties in which to settle – it is very important to have your children involved from day one.  You are taking a big and exciting step and need to have your children involved with your plans right at the beginning.  Include them in all your research and make sure you answer all their questions as truthfully as you can.

The good news is that the French state education system is an excellent one.  The school system is divided into nursery school (ecole maternelle), primary school (ecole primaire) and secondary school.  The majority of French educated children continue their education beyond the age of 16.  Make sure you visit any proposed schools with your children well before you move to France and they start their education.

As a general rule of thumb, the younger your child is, the easier the transition will be.  A child of 6 or under will very quickly learn the French language without accent, for example and will in quite a short time adopt their new identity with ease.  You will need to brush up on your French or you may find yourself being corrected by one of your little ones!

Children of over 6 are likely to retain a dual identity but will settle reasonably quickly in France and again will learn the language easily.

Older children and teenagers may take a little longer to adapt, depending on their character but involving them in local events such as sports, clubs and encouraging them to invite their new found French friends over will help them settle in.

A few tips to help your children adapt to their new French lifestyle:

•  Discuss your plans fully with them right at the start.

•  Give them plenty of time to get used to the idea of moving to France and how excited you are at this opportunity: excitement is catching!

•  Once you are in France, try to keep to a similar routine so that your children feel comfortable and familiar.  This way they are more likely to adapt to the inevitable changes.

•  Do your research well in advance of moving, show pictures to your children of where you are thinking of going and ask them their opinion.

•  Listen to their views – you don’t have to abide by them but making them feel involved and their feelings catered for will mean they will be more amenable to the whole idea.

•  Once in France get involved with their school activities and encourage liaisons with other parents.

•  Encourage French TV – you will learn a lot too!

•  Give them the feeling that you are all in this together and that it is an adventure.  Children are by nature adaptable and respond more easily than adults to new experiences but will feel comforted by a strong family unit.

Good communication at family level will stand you in good stead and you will be ready for any feelings of homesickness and possibly days when your child says he/she does not want to be there any more.  Stay with it: the more familiar life becomes in France and the more you emphasise the positives of your new life to them, the more likely they are to embrace it – and wait till you visit the UK again and their French is streets ahead of their old friends!  You will be proud of your offspring!