Anyone live in Brussels? Are we mad?

[loucee]

Hi

Just wondered if anyone on Mumsnet lives in Brussels? DH has been asked to consider a contract out there but he can't seriously look at it until we've researched what it would be like to live in Brussels.

The contract would be for 9 months with possible extension to 16 months.

my questions are:

1. is the cost of living expensive in Brussels?
2. would I need to have intensive language lessons prior to going out or could I get by on just knowing the basics to get by?
3. DD would be 2 and new baby would be about 8 wks old when we/if we went - is it easy to meet mums out there?
4. Any advice for us?!!

Thanks in advance

Sorry meant to say - the title "are we mad" is with regards to us moving with a 2 year old and an 8 wk old (baby due in December).

We've lived in Japan for a year when it was just DH and I and I loved it but no experience of being abroad with kids/babies.

Can't really help much re children issues as I didn't have any children when I lived there but I enjoyed it. Lovely bars and restaurants (you can tell I had no children back then!). Not especially expensive but I'm from London so may not be a good judge of expensiveness.

I think the kids would be fine - healthcare out there is very good.

Re language, it's always better if you can speak the language. Even though it's an international town, you'll still find some shops and stuff where people don't speak English. But all the professionals I recall having dealing with (eg doctors) did speak English.

Thanks MaJ - it's an exciting prospect of living abroad again, just now seems a bit more daunting with the kids. Also worried I'd find it hard to meet other people and get depressed being indoors with the kids all the time but I expect it's perhaps the opposite and lots of groups to go to?

There's lots of what they call "trailing spouses" which makes them sound awful...usually wives relocating with diplomat husbands. So there are clubs for them and I'm sure you could join in. Don't know how as I was there ten years ago but hope someone will be along to advise shortly...

I've been living in Brussels for 22 years now. My children were all born here so I've had experience of having young children here.

To answer your questions in order:

1. I find most things cheaper here than in the UK but not all. Supermarket shopping tends to be cheaper but you don't get the BOGOF type offers you get in the UK. House prices are much cheaper though that won't be relevant for you.

2. It would depend on where you end up. If you live in a Flemish speaking area (Flemish=Dutch) then you won't need anything but English as they don't like people to speak French and won't expect an English person to have learned Dutch. A lot of English people end up living in an area called Tervuren because the British School is there (your eldest could go to Kindergarten at that age I think) and there all the supermarket workers speak English! If you live in Brussels itself then it's much more French-speaking though you can usually get by with English no problem.

3. It's really easy to meet mums here thanks to an excellent organisation called the Brussels Childbirth Trust (which at the very outset was a branch of the NCT but which has been independent for years). It was my lifeline when my boys were young. There is a monthly newsletter full of information, events, coffee mornings in local areas as well as at the headquarters. There is also an information team you can ring at any time (they'll give you names of doctors, dentists etc in your area who speak English). If you do put your eldest in the British School kindergarten, the school has an excellent parents' support scheme.

4. Advice? Think very carefully about which area you live in. You should aim not to live right in the city centry. The areas to aim for are either Tervuren if you want to live amongst a large group of English people and don't mind being slightly out of town or if you want to live closer to town you should try for Auderghem, Woluwe Saint Lambert or Woluwe Saint Lambert as these have excellent metro/tram links into and out of town.

Hope this is helpful.

My lower lip is wobbling at missing Tervuren and the GB supermarket!

I agree with everything LTIB says. Especially on where to live.

As my son goes to the British School, I'm in Tervuren twice a day and the GB a couple of times a week!

I can second all of what LongtimeinBrussels says - from my less extensive 11 years here with 2 kids.
Not really expensive if you compare with London; some things cost more, some things less so it kind of balances out. Lots of activities (on the Tervuren/Wezembeek/Zaventem side of town) for English-speaking SAHMs. Health care very good with lots of English-speaking doctors. Find out if you can whether your dh's potential employer would contribute to pre-school costs (pretty high if you go for an English-language option) and/or your rent, which tend to be the expensive things here for young families.
Good luck - and go for it!

hi
been in Brussels 3wks so far - will be over here for at least two years. So far really like it. Second the joining BCT suggestions - already been to a coffee morning and one of the clubs and my two girls (3 and 8 months) really enjoyed them + they are an excellent way to meet other people.
I don't speak French or Flemish and have got by so far again most people speak English. We live in Woluwe Saint Lambert which has turned out to be an excellent choice with great transport links and generally a nice leafy part of town.
Only gripe I have is with the driving which is extremely scary! I avoid it as much as possible.

oh yeah! Belgian drivers are shocking. It's the Naples of the North! And what's with that priorite a droit thing? Madness!

Oh thank you ladies for your replies, I was hoping you'd be able to give me a good insight and you have.

It's reassuring and very helpful to read your positive replies.

Often DH gets told of a contract in a number of different places but for one reason or another it doesn't happen but now we have kids we have to look into each location before we can even take the next step to interview etc .

Thanks again, I'll update if anything progresses!

michie40, does your youngest go to school at all? sprout - 11 years is still a pretty long time. Are you here permanently? How old are your children? Maybe I know you?!

Longtime - No my oldest (3yrs) went to preschool in the UK and we are looking into sending her to our local maternelle here.

LongtimeinBrussels, my dds are 7 1/2 and 4-next-week. You might know me, but as I'm not a SAHM and I don't live in a typical British ex-pat part of town like Tervuren, you may well not. Not sure I know someone who fits your description of having been here 22 years and whose kids were born here, but give me some clues...

I grew up in Brussels and went to the British School from the age of 6 until I left school. It was great

The british primary in Vossem is also a lovely smaller school and not far from Tervuren if the BSB seems a bit bug

a bit big even

I just typed something - where did it go?

Well that worked.

What I was saying was, the British Primary (if it is still going) now only goes up to Year 2 - it was going to close completely when I was leaving but the Anglican Church reprieved it.
Mine went to BSB, which had its good points and bad, but seemed a very happy school.

Do I know you, LTIB?

Michie40. My boys went to the local (French-speaking) school until the ages of nearly 16 and 14½ respectively. My 8-year old daughter is still there. It's fine at maternelle level but the system is old-fashioned compared to the British system. There's a lot of learning by rote and not a lot of support if you're struggling. It depends on the school of course but they tend to run at the level they want to run at and if you can't cope then you leave or redo the year. I don't want to put you off but in the end my eldest son just couldn't cope so we moved him to the British School where he flourished. It was such a good experience we decided to move our younger son as well (and have now depleted our pension fund paying the fees!!).

Sprout, the only way I would know you is if your eldest goes to the same school as my daughter - rather a small chance I guess! We don't live in a typical British ex-pat part of town like Tervuren either but much closer to town.

Scarybee, when did you leave the BSB? My boys love it there, especially when compared to the Belgian system. My husband and his brother and sister went there as well at the end of their education but that was quite a long time ago now! I don't know much about the British Primary (or even the primary section of the BSB) as my children were so old moving to the British system but I have heard good reports about it, especially for those children who prefer an intimate surrounding.

MrsSchadenfreude, when did you live here and how old are your children?

Hi

Been in Brussels a fortnight living in Overijse don't speak French or Dutch and have managed ok so far just speaking English and smiling a lot!! am not yet mobile (buying a car here seems to be a long winded process) so spending a lot of time hanging around playgrounds with my dd (21/2 and 4 months). Will be sending eldest to pre school wondered if anyone had thoughts on BSB vs International Montessori in Tervuren not had opp to visit either yet.

If loucee is still around have a look here www.bctbelgium.com/