tetley

I looked into the muzzy course, but found it to be expensive, and didn't think it would appeal to my two children.  I bought a few tapes with nursery rhymes, the salut serge video (they enjoyed those), some board games (the shopping one was quite good), and then they had private lessons 1/2 hr per week (was about £12 i think)......my children are both older than your 2, they were aged 8 and 7 when we came here......they have completed their first school year, and are now starting to pick it up really well....and with the accent.  Just remember not to put too much pressure on them, or yourselves!!  I put an ad in the local paper for a native speaker, and surprisingly, we were inundated with people!! in the end the person we decided to go with knew a friend of mine (small world!), and I stayed with them for the whole lesson....I just sat quietly in the room, as it was only 1/2 hr wasn't worth going anywhere, and also, you have to be careful and put your kids first........................and I got a bit of extra vocab out of it!  she spoke to them in french as soon as she opened the door, and did the kissing thing (my kids are still getting used to that!)....could it be an option for you?

hi there, my husband got references from people back in UK and then had them translated (by our old french teacher).  They had to be specific in that, they had to say what sort of work had been done and show how long he had been working at his trade.  He managed to get references from previous employers from when he was on the 'cards' and then from more recent clients when he was self employed.  The C de M accepted these, and so did the insurance agent for the decannelle.  Try to be as specific as you can, get as much paperwork as you can....you will need to get it translated, but in our experience it doesn't have to be a certain 'body', just someone who is fluent in french.  My husband doesn't have any certificates for his trade, just 20 years of experience, and was self employed for the last 5. When you go to the CdeM, take everything with you!! they love having all the paperwork,  Good luck.

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I am fairly new here, but your post was a bit over the top I found.....I have no idea of who you are, I have never met you, read any of your other posts etc, but I put input into a thread...and feel i have been shot down!  I don't understand why people who live in France keep their english cars on english plates? it seems really slack....in my humble opinion.  I live here, work here and use services here.....I wouldn't consider running an english plated car?! it doesn't cost alot to register, it isn't very difficult....why do people (I am not raging at you) run english plated cars when they live in france...I really would be interested to know? that is a genuine question, not (nit)picking for a fight.  

getting the CT is part of the re registering process, along with the headlamps (rhd to lhd), cert of conformity etc. I think Sundaydriver was referring to people who were not completing the re registering process.  I would advise to buy your car in France, unless you see something lhd that you can't refuse elsewhere.  You will have to go through the registering process, and if you are coming to live in France, personally I would recommend you get a lhd car here in France.  I have heard that secondhand lhd cars are more expensive here than the UK, but if you look around (which is part of the moving over experience!!)you will find the right car for your budget, and if you buy from a garage you get the warranty and carte gris and CT.  Nearly retired, I don't know why you wouldn't be able to get the car registered in France...it would be staying in France wouldn't it?...I am sure Sundaydriver will be able to help you more.

the decannel would be with an insurance agent, could be with a specialist agency or a high street one.  My decannel has the agency details on it.  If there was to be a claim, you could approach the artisan first...........don't assume every builder/artisan has one....they should , and you should check before you agree to take them on, it is your responsibility to make sure they have correct insurances.  If they damage someone elses property or themselves it can open a real can of worms. 

as far as i am aware (only recently got the decannel), it is an insurance document that remains in the hands of the artisan.  You are welcome to take a photocopy.  personally,  we would give invoices/devis as proof of work done,  and give a photocopy of the decannel on request.  if there was to be a claim later on, you have got the invoice to prove what, where and when the work was carried out.  I would think that you should normally ask to see the decannel before work begins, along with registration card. Don't know how other people work? 

thanks chris...i was referring to the cuttings method.  I wanted to make some redcurrant jelly...I don't have alot of plants, and thought the method of cutting off the branches and then getting more plants out of it was a great idea.  I am a complete novice and greatly appreciate peoples tips. 

hello, can I ask about the redcurrants too? can we do the same as for the blackcurrants?

before leaving the uk, i had some training on helping children with SEN read......was very interesting, and funny how I think of them now I am trying to learn french!! I think of them when I have to read something aloud in french and can understand exactly how they must have felt. According to research, just reading to your child 3/4 times a week, allowing them to see the words, is a really great basis for your child absorbing the written language.....sounds simple and like common sense and something alot of us do without thought, but unfortunately alot of children don't get this sort of help and input at an early age.  Important to not overdo it and put too much pressure on....little and often is my motto!!  there is a website that has some good games  www.primarygames.co.uk    oops...just had another look at that and it is maths games....I was sure there were some literacy games....

what type of business are you after?

I have no idea sorry...you would need to contact the chambre de metiers.  There are some trades that don't need the full cover.  But, macons, electricians, plumbers and carpenters and  roofers all need to carry the decannelle.....and their guarantee cover varies.  You should probably ask about it at the time when looking into registering.  I think you are basically paying for this insurance because they don't have building inspectors over here.

same boat here!! newly registered in the micro-bic, my decannelle insurance is just under 3500 euros....plus all the other cotisations you have to pay (pension, health,..) the decannelle is your 10 yr guarantee and liability insurance.   Unfortunately, you will have to bite the bullet and pay out....it is difficult, because obviously, you are new here and have to build up a client base, and still have to cover the outgoings.  But, if you are going to do things above board....it has got to be taken on......although I am beginning to wonder if the micro-bic is the best regime for me. Also, I have been led to believe that the decanelle is difficult to get hold of by us brits.  So, if say, you decided to trade for a year or so without it, and then decide to go by the book....the insurance company is going to wonder what you have been doing for the last year or so?  They may backdate your decannelle to the date of your registration, that could be a hefty bill!   

I have been considering the history issue also.  My 10 yr old is interested, only because he is interested in the subject.  My daughter on the otherhand has no interest in what happened yesterday.  We have all the horrible history books...my son has just finished the 2nd world war...and is now apparently covering it at school.  We have the anne frank dvd.....and when her name came up he was amazed that the french had heard of her!!!!!!!!! I will not force the British history on the children, but obviously it comes up alot along with the french history.  I am keen to learn more of the French history myself.  I wish I had paid more attention when I was a kid!! most of the facts I know of British history is what I have only recently picked up when I was an LSA in a primary school!!!  interesting topic though,

hi peekaboo! my children are coming to the end of their first school year!! i really can't believe it!! for the liability insurance, you just go to any old insurance agency (we use AGF) you will probably need to organise house insurance or car insurance I am sure.  It is not very expensive, I can't remember  how much it is..maybe about 30 euros for the year. As for the BCG.....they are supposed to have it very young here....my children are 10 and 8 and have not yet had it.....but they will over the holidays.  When I enrolled them into school, I was told they would need to have it, but we were never chased up.  But, I will sort that one out soon.  I don't know if you would be able to get it done over in the UK?...but it would give you an excuse to go and meet your doctor here, and you will most likely need to get a certificate from him anyway for the enrollement.  Also, you would be advised to ask about the medecin traitant while you are there!!..sorry to bombard you, but you can do a bit of research and then kill lots of birds with one stone!!  also, another word of wisdom....if you ask your doctor in uk nicely, he might give you a printout of your family's prescription history....can help if you have regular prescriptions (ie. my son has eczema and asthma), and the doctor here could see what things have been tried and when. good luck, enjoy the summer! and your new lives!!!!

debra, you are obviously very passionate about your children's education.  I am not sure how you will find it here in France...rural france!  It is VERY different to England, my children are just coming to the end of their first school year here, and it has been very tough on them.  Their English has taken a backseat, as it is so very important for them to be able to learn french before they can begin to learn anything from their curriculum.  They are not getting additional help with their french (they were, but it ended after a couple of months), I have a daughter in CE2, and a son in CM1, both are re-taking the year.  They are socialising and have friends round...but again, we have found that very different here.  Discipline is very strong, and I promise I am not assuming anything about you or your methods, but it could be tough for them.  I look at it as character building!  I have found parents are not involved with the school and not invited to be involved with the school in anyway.  We have little in the way of organised events, and they aren't encouraged to show their creative side (much to my daughter's dismay).  This is my experience of french school life, I have never homeschooled.  I used to work as an LSA in England, and have alot of respect for the staff there.  I started working as an LSA with aspiration to become a teacher, but the level of commitment was too much for me. Sorry, i have waffled on...but what prompted me to respond to your post, was your comment on teaching english on wednesday mornings.  I wish you well with it, but advise you to wait a bit...they have a whole new phonetic language to learn, and it gets very confusing.  Luckily, my two children enjoy reading, and I feel that reading in bed (english books) before sleep is enough for them for now.  My oldest (just turned 10) wrote to his friend back in england and spelt go 'gow'.....my heart skipped a beat there for a moment, but then I thought about how his head must be spinning so let him off!..when i pointed it out, he realised straight away...but just goes to show how much they have to take in.  My daughter is at the level where she is learning verbs along with her classmates, but my son is at a much higher level ,and also they have a whole different history here (which i am currently studying through horrible histories)    

can't give you specific advice,  but just a word of warning, check if your flue goes all the way up the chimney...my husband swept the chimney at the beginning of the winter last year...we had a chimney fire christmas eve!!!!! had to clean it out for santa I guess.... on removing  the plate we discovered that the flue only went up a couple of feet!!  and there we were thinking that the previous owner had done such a good job in cleaning the chimney! the rods were just floating around in thin air!!

my two children are alot younger than yours 10 and 8.  So, they are at primary school level.  They have been going to french school since september 2005.  It has been very hard, but i am extremely proud of their achievements so far.  My youngest has found her feet and is starting to do well...but they are both redoing their year in september.  My oldest has found it very tough, but has a good positive outlook and attitude.  He seems to be liked, but the language has been a barrier at playtimes..i know football is a universal language, but my lad isn't into football at all and just joins in to have fun....otherwise he would be with his sister all the time and her friends (in a few years i am sure that may happen anyway!!hee hee) The two children are amazingly close now, and play brilliantly together.  At my daughters level at school, she will develop with her peers, but my son is coping with maths well, but everything else will have to wait until he can master enough language to be able to take in any of the lessons....and don't forget they have a different history to us over here! We deliberately didn't go back to england until feb (arrived in france in june 2005), and the children caught up with all their old friends and spent a lunchbreak with their old classmates.  They had been mourning all their old friends until then....however, since our return I have been the one pushing them to keep in touch with their friends.  In a way I think it made them realise that they have moved on from their old lives, but they aren't old enough to understand!  We also visited our old neighbourhood, so they could compare what they had then and what they have got now.  In general they are very happy with their lives here, and we are going to finally succumb and get sky installed, because the music here is not what it was!! so they can keep up to date with mtv etc.  but hopefully won't fall back into bad habits of watching simpsons while eating dinner on our laps!! we have so much more time with each other now, the days are very long due to the lovely weather we are having at the moment, and it doesn't get dark until nearly 11 o'clock! (thankgoodness for shutters!).      You have to be very positive all the way, and if your children have got a good attitude and are willing to at least give it a go for say a year, you will, if you decide it isn't for you afterall, you have all at least had a very different experience for that year than you would have had?..sorry waffled on a bit!..good luck, don't forget it is your childrens job to make life more challenging for you!!

eat marmite!!! i think it has the vit b in it....eat lots of garlic...and the apaisyl is good for the bites.  Unfortunately you must be V tasty....it is easy for those of us who don't get bothered by the beasties though isn't it? don't mean to laugh at your suffering

hi there, i am assuming as an artisan you will have to have the 10 yr guarantee..the decannel.....we have recently had a quote of about 3500 euros..this is per year. plus your pension,social charges etc...it can be a hefty amount every month!and needs to be paid regardless of earnings.  it is  a bit of a minefield isn't it!

hi, we have two children who started school September 2005....they were aged 7 and 9.  We went along to the school on their last day of summer term, we took all the childrens school records with us, we were told to go to the mairie to get a certificate and also the doctor (he had to check the immunisations were up to date and give us another certificate). Also, you need public liability insurance for the children too...doesn't cost much..about 13 euros if I remember rightly.  The school were pleased with the old school records (even though all in English and handwritten, I couldn't understand alot of it).  The school took photocopies of everything, so did the mairie. We found that taking all our documents along in a folder we covered everything and they love it! To be honest everywhere you go from the bank to the school to cpam etc, they all want the same things; passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, driving licenses,and then the golden utility bill! we went and had loads of passport size photos taken before we left uk, after I read somewhere that we would have to give them to banks etc...but no one has asked for them...and we took loads of photocopies of our driving licenses etc, but they all prefer to copy everything anyway! just take everything and watch their faces light up! We were given the list of what the children would need for the year, and the teachers home telephone numbers!  The children were introduced to their future classmates, and at that time they were to be the only english children in the school.  We were introduced to the canteen staff, and the children had a tour of the school (we were left behind).  Their first day at school was ok..the second morning was a heartwrenching nightmare! as they didn't want to go back...they came out smiling and happy at the end of that day and things have got better since, of course a few highs and lows in between.  Good luck, it will be hard work for you as you won't have your husband to go back and let out your 'woes' to, your phone bill could be a bit extortionate for the first couple of weeks! but you are giving your daughter a different experience of another culture...and I seriously believe that I have given my children an extra couple of years of childhood......good luck.

hello, i have sent you a pm.

yyyaaaawwnnnnn.... sorry, but i thought this thread was about someone looking for a business for sale...and he/she found one.

we thought about writing a book of our move, from a childs point of view.  our 8 yr old son kept a diary for 6 months starting with our departure from uk, looking for our new house, all the meetings they had to endure, moving into new house, starting school etc....but 9 months on it has lost its appeal.  We are still meeting with challenges, so I don't know when our story would be finished.  Nice to look back over the diary though.