October 29, 2014

Polite in the mud ?

Une des premières notions qui nous vient à l’esprit lorsqu’on évoque nos voisins britanniques c’est leur sacro-sainte politesse. On peut râler sur l’éducation libérale des petites têtes blondes d’outre-manche mais une chose est enseignée avec ardeur et ce dès leur plus jeune âge, dire yes, please et no, thank you. Ils ne vous diront probablement ni bonjour ou au revoir, mais merci c’est sacré. Tout comme pardon, à tire larigot, mais ça, c’est un autre sujet.

Qu’elle ne fut pas alors ma surprise, le week-end dernier pendant une excursion en famille lorsque nous nous trouvâmes pris au piège par de la boue vaseuse ayant par moment des aspects de sables mouvants. Le ciel d’un bleu éblouissant nous avait tiré du notre canapé pour nous offrir un air doux et à la fois revigorant. Mais catastrophe, au retour, les jeunes et téméraires parents que nous sommes s’aventurent sur un nouveau sentier. Continue Reading

October 23, 2014

Keep it fun with the language tug-of-war!

I came home yesterday evening after an intense working day. One of those days you just want to enter into your warm and welcoming home sweet home, sit down on your sofa and chill a bit with the kids before cooking dinner. As I was leaving the kitchen with a cup of tea, I heard some unusual words in our household. Our four-year-old daughter decided all of a sudden to talk to her baby brother in English. And some sentences later, she begun to talk to me in English: “Mummy where shall I put this?” Continue Reading

October 16, 2014

Oxford’s Playgroups in every language – PART 1

At the start of the bilingual (or even trilingual) trip of life with kids you often are looking for places where they can meet and play with other children. It’s also (which is not less important) a moment when you can reconnect with your home country, take time to chat in your mother-tongue around a cup of coffee!
Oxford is packed with lots of different playgroups and little language schools! All these places give you the opportunity to connect with other multilingual families and to share cultural events and customs. It’s a new way for your children to explore your and their home-culture in another environment than at home. We do certainly all agree that this is extremely useful. It is during these meetings that they realise that they are part of a cultural and linguistic community.
I discovered the importance of such places since we are expatriates and as part of my work on Bilingual Families: Bringing Up Children between Cultures. That’s why I was thrilled to discover all the different playgroups and schools for children with an international background. Continue Reading

October 2, 2014

Somewhere to feel at home : Donnington Doorstep

The Family Centre is slightly hidden behind some trees and bushes. These also give the place a cosy garden-atmosphere when you are outside the centre. And in fact, it’s a special spot, once the gate and two doors passed, you discover a rather unexpected venue. A giant place, like an enormous tent decorated with windows to see the sky… I can barely describe this incredible construction.
Entering Donnington Doorstep Family Centre feels like a harbour where you simply want to sit down to a cup of coffee and let your children play. A baby-corner, messy-play area, some tables with toys or craft activities, a place with books and some role-play equipment… your kids will be spoiled for choice!

For whom? Mums, dads, grandparents and carers with kids! There is also a Youth Group (read more: Good to know!).

Where? Townsend Square, OX4 4BB, Oxford. Contact: 72 77 21

Opening times? The family drop-in sessions are every day except for Sunday. Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri 10am-3pm, Wed 10am-1pm, Sat 10.30am-3pm.

What for? Lots of fun plays for Toddlers. The volunteers prepare every day tables with new activities. But the kids can also play outside, in a sandpit, cruise around with little cars or do some painting. Some days, the Centre offers special activities: Mondays Cooking in the afternoon, Tuesdays Singing with Lizzie (1.30pm-2pm), Wednesdays Bonfire in the garden, Saturdays Cooking session (11am). One of Donnington Doorsteps favourite activities is the messy-play (inside or outside). Be prepared and do not dress up your children in their best Sunday-clothes, in spite of some aprons to protect and some wellies to go out in the sand or if it’s raining in the mud 🙂 Continue Reading