Raising a child and running a business in France

Summary
Moving to another country is a big challenge, especially if you’re bringing your child and your business to a new culture. Our guest, open source consultant and expert Emily Omier, did both when she moved from Oregon to Paris. She shares her experiences with getting her daughter ready for the move, learning what French public schools provide, and operating her consultancy business in a new bureaucracy.

If you are thinking about leaving the US because you hate the politics in the US, you want to make sure that you actually pay attention to politics in Europe because it's not always better than whatever you don't like about politics in the US. So I think that level of naïveté is sort of frustrating to me sometimes because some people think that Europe is a socialist utopia where everything is wonderful and then they discover that some things are wonderful and some things maybe are not nearly as wonderful as they expected.

Useful Resources
Emily’s website: https://www.emilyomier.com/

Emily on LinkedIn
We’re Moving to Europe Community Pre-Launch Survey

Production Team
Host and Researcher: Casey Kelly-Barton – We're Moving to Europe

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas – Unscripted Creatives

Time Stamps
0:26 – Introduction to the podcast and host

0:54 – Today’s topic: moving abroad solo or with a child

1:10 – Guest introduction: Emily Omier, consultant & parent

1:44 – Emily's international living history

2:55 – Moving to Nicaragua with a toddler

3:41 – Moving to France with a 7-year-old

4:19 – Talking to her daughter about the move

5:26 – Language learning in French schools
6:24 – The social benefits of French integration classes

7:31 – Public vs. private school and enrollment logistics
8:36 – Grade placement & school culture differences

9:01 – Parent-teacher communication norms in France
10:30 – College prep and standardized testing in French schools
11:18 – Evaluation expectations and a hands-off approach
12:11 – Homework in French elementary schools
12:25 – Parenting culture and social integration in France
13:38 – Healthcare logistics for children in France
14:28 – Healthcare system costs & cultural adjustment
16:10 – Visa logistics and dependent rules for minors
17:22 – Visa process and timeline for moving to France
18:43 – The biggest upsides of moving to Paris for her daughter
20:27 – Social and structural support for parents in France
22:59 – Emily’s business background & being self-employed in France
24:18 – Adapting an established business to a new country
25:22 – Cultural nuances in doing business in France
27:29 – Industry vs. national culture: knowing the difference
28:19 – Advice for anyone considering an international move
29:27 – Don’t idealize Europe: do your research
30:44 – Why Emily chose Paris specifically
31:25 – Outro and credits

Sound Library
All the music was composed especially for the We’re Moving to Europe podcast by Sage Barton. Copyright 2025, Sage Barton.