Newbies' corner
DD planning to live alone in Paris
L1ll1put · 13/08/2016 07:09
My 18 yr old daughter has signed up for a French course at the Alliance Paris. However, she is absolutely set on living solo in an apartment for the 10 weeks, rather than opt to stay with a family. Does anyone out there know of young people doing a similar thing?
L1ll1put · 13/08/2016 08:54
Thank you for your encouraging words Strawberry Jam. I didn't mention earlier that we had to take her out of boarding school at the start of this year, due to anxiety/depression. Since then she has been recovering and now wants to get her life back on track. As Mum I have had mixed feelings about her living alone...
FlissMumsnet · 14/08/2016 22:30
Hi L1ll1put, let us know if you'd like us to move your thread across to parenting as you may find some useful support there. 
BeenThereDoneThatForgotten · 14/08/2016 22:34
I think you need to give some more information. Did she have to change schools? What about her a'levels etc?
JackandDiane · 14/08/2016 22:35
crazy - she will learn FAR More french when not sitting alone on Facebook
JackandDiane · 14/08/2016 22:38
tell her how much more rapid her learning will be..
She might make friends if there are teens in the family - and they will take her off the beaten track to cool places
sitting in a flat alone will NOT help her learn French
ApocalypseSlough · 14/08/2016 22:42
Can she flat share? DD had a fantastic experience at the same age- she chose a flat share rather than a room in halls. Living with a family isn't a sure fire way of learning the language- I know of dozens of demi au pair arrangements/ renting the chambre de bonne being left to their own devices/ general dogsbody and a scant handful of genuine living with the family and learning French situations.
ApocalypseSlough · 14/08/2016 22:53
Just reread and thinking again. I even checked to see if the accommodation arrangements DD had are available via AF. They're not. 
And the halls of residence are divided by nation so she's not be living with French students.
I'm biased because I lived in a family as an au pair and had a completely isolated and utterly miserable time, until I thought fuck it and socialised madly with expats. They were family friends too 
I went out with 8 friends from University (language degree) and we all dutifully resolved to integrate with our families and improve our French and all in not so different ways got exploited and isolated.
Any chance of sending her not to Paris? I love it but it's easier to get lost there (not physically, but emotionally)
L1ll1put · 15/08/2016 05:41
Thanks Fliss please switch this conversation over to Parenting.
DD came out of school on the advice of therapist/psychiatrist having achieved excellent AS grades. She's going to do A2 next summer with the help of tutors, she's doing course work now before leaving for Paris.
ApocalypseSlough thanks for looking up accommodation. DD feels that staying with a family may be limiting and plans to make friends, go out with a camera and have myself or friends to stay at weekends. She's determined to grow up and be independent, so I don't want to hold her back.
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