Integrating into Berlin as a stay-at-home mum

Hi,
I jut posted this message in the wrong section I think so sorry if you read double!
Are there any british or english speaking stay at home mums reading this forum in Berlin? We have just moved to Berlin Mitte because of my husbands new job and we have a 6 and a 7 year old attending german state school so they manage in german language but it would be great if we could meet other english speaking families.
I am british and my husband originates from india. at home we speak english. I think it would be easier for me to feel at home if i was married to a german but as we are both foreign it is not as easy to really get into all the customs and traditions. Even my kids refused to go on the traditional lantern walks saying it was stupd to march round in the dark and cold with a paper lantern getting soggy and the candle blowing out! Most german kids seem to adore this tradition!
Any way, the whole xmas thing in Germany has its nice traditional atmosphere which is good for us because my husband doesn't do xmas.
Do any of you know of any nice things to go to at weekends with kids in Berlin around the advent time?

Sorry to hear you're having such a hard time in Berlin.

I lived in Berlin for 6 years (now I'm on the outskirts, but with the S-bahn connection going direct to Friedrichstrasse so it's near enough to be considered as Berlin and I work in the City)

I've two children (6 and 10) it's tough trying to integrate (children can be a help (e.g. meeting other parents) but they can also be a hinderance (not as much freedom to get out and about and socialise)

Last year they had a huge toboggan run on Potsdamer Platz (it was pretty expensive if you have no sled with you but if you bring your ownit cost nothing, my children loved it last year.

One tip, steer clear of the Alexanderplatz Weihnachtsmarkt - it's not worth the hassle (nor the money) with children

Where I'm living now they have really nice festivities for children in Advent, (Puppet Theatre) Santa Claus, Lebkuchen decorating etc... it's all very cosy and familial great for the kids (but I don't know if that would be to far out for you (as I said there is an S-Bahn connection (S1))

thanks for that tip about alexander platz, we live quite near that place so it is good to know where not to go! where we lived last year in the south of germany the department stores had good things for kids like nicolaus walking around giving them sweets and little weinacht markt which was nice.
we just had the grandparents over to stay 5 days but now we are bored by ourselves! I wish I worked but then it would be too hard with the kids because I have a husband who just comes home to eat and sleep , we hardly see him because he is in research so it is a 7 day week and he sometimes doesn't get in till even I am asleep!
I am trying to figure out the best was to use public transport here. I find a monthly ticket too expensive because both kids would need to pay too I think single tickets are OK once in a while but once on a rare ocasion that my husband was with us we went to a shopping area to get fresh fruit etc and found it was cheaper to return in a taxi than to pay for our single tickets or even a group ticket!
Have you ever been to the british council library? Any good? only our local public library doesn't have such a big english section for us. We understand german but english would be better for us!!

I don't have kids, so I'm not sure how much help I can be, but...

The Alexanderplatz Christmas market is awful. Something for teenagers and nobody else.

The slope at Potsdamer Platz was set up last weekend, I believe.

The Christmas market at the Staatsoper is very nice. I don't know if the kids will get bored, though.

In Dahlem (U-Dahlem Dorf) there is a more kid friendly Christmas market. Petting zoo, live nativity, that sort of thing. It looks pretty nice (close to my work).

More generally, Berlin doesn't stike me as a very 'Child-Friendly' city. I suppose if they have particular interests you can always find things (lots of swimming pools, for example).

Hi,

if you're living near Alex, then maybe we could meet up sometime during my lunch break and I can (maybe) give you a few tips (I'm always too lazy to write long messages)

I work direct beside Alexander Platz (right beside the Dom)

The best place we have found is church.

www.stgeorges.de follow the link.

We are not regular church goes but it is important for us that our son does get a little bit of english influence from elsewhere.

There is a childrens church where Megan does try and keep it all in english. It is a start and by no means am I trying to plug the church here.

Secondly there is an English school on the Heer strasse. We are trying to get our son in there. I do not know of course if you have looked at this option.

Our son is 5 my wife is german we speak english at home we live in Spandau.
James loves the lantern walks especially when the lantern bursts into flames 'cos the candle has fallen over.

I have absolutly no contact with english speaking families although I know there a lot in Spandau all ex-soldiers as I am.

If you like we can meet in the church one sunday (not this sunday) and maybe we can organise something. Pm me if you feel the need.

Yeah I had typed that tip in my post, but then deleted it, because there's not much for children there (except a big wheel - which did give my children some joy - for 5 minutes) but it is (in my opinion) one of the nicest (if not nicest) Christmas Markets in Berlin

what time do you go on lunch? i have to pick the kids up at 1pm because they aren't in any day care hort thing! You are so lucky to be working, I keep seeing other people at work and think if only I could have that job but then I think of the weekends and holidays when I couldn't work and weekdays only till 1pm. If we lived in England atleast they would be in school from 9 to 3 like all other kids and i would only have the school holidays to worry about!
I suppose most xmas markets are boring for kids it is just to get out among people at the weekends! It's sometimes hard to get motivated and to motivate the family to move and go out , do your kids do that? When I say come on lets go out for a walk my son aged 7 always says no and then just before evening sets in he complains that he is now bored and wants to go out!
Any way I was also thinking of that church in english but I don't usually go to church and my husband who was brought up in india with forced koran reading is totally against any form of religion. Might still try it though!

I'm not a church goer and if I were it would be Catholic, but I have gone to a couple used book sales at St. Georges and everyone was very friendly. I think if you are looking for a social network you could do much worse than to look there.

I really don't know what kids like doing, but there may be more appropriate things out in Potsdam, too. I think they do some Christmas stuff in the town center and out at the Palace.

Nrmally at about 2 pm, it's really flexible.

If you want to meet up, I don't mind the kids being around (if you don't mind it)

It would be great to meet maybe next week or depending on weather - we could maybe meet in the middle between school and alexplatz as school is near the charite or oranienburger street. I also have to be carefull what i say when they are with me as i have to try and be positive about living here and especially school otherwise they will never settle in.
i've got my daughter off school today with stomach ache, she hates school so i dunno if its really a bug or more a fantom!
Are you pleased with the school system and in general the teaching here in berlin? I would love to get mine into a british or international but the prices are so high and scientists aren't paid that much nowadays, they have to be happy if they get a job atall! There are 2 state schools with english but i would have to travel to take them and pick them up.
well better go and pamper my daughter abit with tea and hot water bottle. have a relaxing weekend all.

Hi Mesbah,

we can meet up whenever you want, I'm here ever day Mo-Fri, (except next wednesday) so whenever it suits you.

what a week we have just got through! first my daughter was ill then my son caught it and has been really ill since tuesday, some sort of virus with really bad durchfall. Any way, on friday the doctor was nearly ready to admit him to hospital but I managed to avoid it as i don't know about berlin but nurses in the south west of germany are real scary butch creatures not the friendly angelic style a typical nurse should be, so i sat and gave him water with electrolyte solution every 5 minutes and through the night a few times, anything better than leaving him in hospital.
Now i have got flu and just wish i had family here to help out. Living abroad is great and exotic and fun when you are young free and single but with kids believe me a granny or aunty nearby from the family is like gold worth! Sorry I'm just moaning because we haven't got any friends here yet so it is all even harder, can't really ask strangers to take my daughter to school or help out!
So I hope we all recover this week and then get back to our getting to know people and integration plan! On monday we have to go and see the child doctor again - she is abit weird but the nearest to our house and wa needed in an emergancy. Will change docs later i think.
Well I hope everyone has had a healthier and more relaxing weekend than we have.