"Although I have been an American expat living in France for several years now, I was really quite unprepared for the challenges of being a mother in another country. To tell the truth, I was unprepared for the challenges of being a mother full stop. Having a baby, and discovering an unknown world of children was essentially the same experience I had of being an expat when moving to the new world of France, with sleepless nights thrown in. I had become a mother expat. There were many situations that recalled my days of adjustment to a new culture; not knowing where to

And being in a foreign country only compounded this. I was missing that ever important support network of friends and family. I was navigating new bureaucratic waters, I didn’t know where to turn for childcare help. Even all the new baby vocabulary challenged my perception that I was doing rather well with my language skills.

What I do know that is hard for expat mothers is what is hard for all expats, at least at the beginning – of not having a support network to fall back on.

So having survived my second expatriation into the country of motherhood, here are some suggestions:

Try groups such as my own blog for expat mothers in France (Mums and Meres) or MESSAGE a support group for mothers in the Paris region.

Get active in your children’s school You’ll find that with children you will make more friends.

Research the effects on your child and what you can do to help, whether they are moving to the area with you or being born here. If there are language issues you’ll want to research on line how you can best help your child adapt.

Just as living as an expat gives you an added layer to your life, I would say that in the end being an expat and a parent is perhaps even more rewarding. The expat mothers you make friends with become very close friends as they share a common bond, your children are exposed to multiculturalism which in today’s global environment is a precious step ahead."

Amy Foxwell, Mum & Mères  mumsandmeres.wordpress.com