AIBU to move to Switzerland? (Language)

28 replies

LangoLanguage · 25/04/2025 18:11

Sorry for the long post. Myself and my husband have a 2 year old son and currently we live in London. I was born and raised in the UK and he was born and raised in Zurich and moved here for work.

We regularly go to Zurich often and have recently decided we would like to try and find jobs there and move there. In his industry this is quite common and he is a citizen so has all the passports etc, and for a while I’d be a SAHM. We have a lot of friends and nearly all family there.

We both naturally speak to my son in English, although we have been trying with German more and more. The state schools in Zurich are pretty great and we’d quite like to send him to one if we moved (as opposed to international school) and he’d start with a few days at age 3.

Is this a stupid idea? Sending him to school that speaks a language he doesn’t understand? Friends have said at this age they’re like sponges and absorb, but im
worried. This is also a future problem as we haven’t even moved!

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Redbushteaforme · 25/04/2025 23:17

We moved to French-speaking Switzerland when DD was 4. We both had degrees in French but didn't speak French to DD. She went to the local French-speakimg nursery (ecole matenelle) for a couple of sessions a week for a few months then started in part-time state nursery school (ecole enfantine). She was fluent in French within three months of starting ecole enfantine. She didn't have any French at home other than the odd story book or hearing us speak French when we were out and about.

PS I noticed someone question above if you should move to Switzerland. My experience (albeit in French- rather than German-speaking area and I know there are differences) was that it was a brilliant place for children. We returned home after two years for specific reasons but part of me still wonders if our children would have had better opportunities there.

Original poster

LangoLanguage · 26/04/2025 07:31

Thank you so much for the advice snd reassursnce all. We have begun the day with my husband speaking German and me English around DS and going to ensure we continue. So lovely hearing everyone’s stories of language success!

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Original poster

LangoLanguage · 26/04/2025 07:54

willstarttomorrow · 25/04/2025 21:52

Your DC will be fine. I would be more focused on how you would cope OP as you are probably at the biggest risk of becoming isolated. You have family and friends there which is a massive positive, but living somewhere is very different to visiting. It is not clear in your post about your language skills and how easy it will be for you to find a job. Only you know if being a SAHM in these circumstances would work for you. No offence meant to SAHMs, but being able to work and continue within my profession has always been very important to me and I know I would very isolated either in the UK or living elsewhere if this was not an option.

Obviously you know Zurich and have connections so you are well aware how expensive it is and the cultural differences. It is somewhere I have never warmed to and on reading your thread title, honestly I was flippantly going to reply 'hell no- boring AF and too expensive'. But that is me and my prejudice. Living abroad, in my opinion, usually has far more positives than negatives for adults and children if you have done your research. GOOD LUCK!

Thank you for this and your thoughts. It’s something I really want to do and somewhere I really went to live. I know my personality type and it suits me every well. But I totally get it isn’t for everyone! We just really like it there and I enjoy being a SAHM :-).

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