Hey all you expats with children! You’ve just moved to a new city in a new country, you’ve found a place to live, you have a good job, you’ve set up your new bank account, but there is one thing still worrying you. How can you help your children adjust to this move? No matter what their age this is often a daunting time for them.
Thankfully, we have expat and Founder of the Facebook group Düsseldorf International Family Forum, Jackie Mitchell, here today to give us her top tips to get you and your children acquainted with the city of Düsseldorf.
So what can you do to help the settling in period go a little more smoothly? Here is an introductory guide for expats with children in Düsseldorf.
Finding a Play Group for Children in Dusseldorf
Dusseldorf is a very child-friendly city where children are catered for well. In the city, there are a number of playgroups, child-friendly cafes and soft play areas where you’ll find many other expat families. Here are just a few to get you started:
Tales for Tots
An English reading/singing group for babies and toddlers. Run by a wonderful lady called Mel this group meets for storytelling and song singing. It’s a great way to meet other mums and dads and for little ones to make new friends and hear a story or two.
- When? Every Monday morning at 11.30
- Where? International Library
- Cost: Free
Happy Kids, Baby Bee Spielraum, Bude Eins, and Chiquito
These are all popular baby cafés suitable for young babies through to toddlers. You can sit down, and order coffee or tea, and there are also often a number of different snack and lunch options to choose from too. You can either pay a day rate or an hourly rate depending on the location and 10-trip cards are often also available.
For a list of the 15 best child-friendly cafés, head here!
Knowing Where to Shop in Dusseldorf
Grocery Shopping
General day to day shopping can be hard with a little one especially when you don’t know the city, the supermarkets, or even sometimes the products. There are a few main supermarkets:
- Edeka (also offers online shopping)
- Netto (also offers online shopping)
- Rewe (also offers online shopping)
- Kaisers
- Norma
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Penny
These are all over the city. Their sizes, however, may not be what you are used to. If you find it difficult to do the shop with your little one you could always try shopping online (we mention which ones offer online shops above). Great if you don’t have a car.
Shopping for other products
There are a number of other popular online shops worth checking out as well that you’ve likely never heard of before if you’re new to Germany:
- OTTO – For basically all your household/fashion/sporting/etc. needs at a reduced price
- Möbelhöffner – for great quality furniture
- Marley Spoon – a food kit delivery service that provides the recipes and ingredients
- Thalia – an online book store that sells several English books
- OBI – a home hardware store both online and in-store
Pharmacies and Drugmarts
In Dusseldorf, the shops for those necessary baby supplies, toiletries, household cleaning products, and makeup can be found at:
- DM
- Rossman
DM is excellent when and about as they all have baby changing facilities with free nappies and wipes.
Medication
For over-the-counter and subscription medications you will need to go to a local pharmacy (they are located all over the city). You can save some time and money by ordering online from one of the popular pharmacies like DocMorris or ShopApotheke. Their sales are always alternating, so while you may find Advil cheapest on DocMorris one week, the following week you may find it at ShopApotheke. Always compare prices and you’ll save a heap ton of money on meds.
REMEMBER while there are a few things still open on Sunday’s, most shops are closed.
Finding out about Kitas, Kindergartens, and Schools for Children in Dusseldorf
German System
Placing your child in a German Kita, kindergarten, or school might, at first, seem a bit daunting, and I can’t guarantee it won’t be stress-free but don’t worry, the education system here is excellent.
- Here’s what you can expect on your child’s first day at school
- Here’s how to understand the “Back to School Shopping List” in Germany
- Learn how the German school system works in Düsseldorf
General information by the municipal Jugendamt can be found at the i-Punkt Familie.
Kitas vs. Tagesmütter vs. Kindergartens
- KiTa (Kindertagesstätte) is often a daycare that has places for under 3-year-olds
- Tagesmütter is usually a caregiver/daycare who takes care of up to 5 children under the age of 3 in a private home
- Kindergarten usually means ages 3-6, although some may cater for under 3’s and 3 – 6-year-olds
Place allocation for a public Kita is managed by the municipal Jugendamt, by signing up with the Kita-Navigator. This is not an easy process, especially if you are trying for a spot in the middle of the year. Places are usually assigned in March for the new Kita-year starting on the first of August of the same year.
There are private Kita’s in Düsseldorf, but expect to pay up to €1000 per month.
TIP: If you’re having trouble finding childcare, there are a number of solutions you can check out here
Public Schools
Registration for Grundschule (6 – 10 years) and Gymnasium (11 – 16 years) is done directly with the school of your choice. Again, this is not always easy when joining midway through the year but not impossible.
More detailed information about the registration process and the schooling system can be found on the Düsseldorf School website.
International Schools
You can take your pick between a public German school or an international school (here are all your options). Many people have a number of questions before making the right choice for their family, but rest assure all of the schools offer an extensive tour of their facilities and educational programs. There are a few international schools around Düsseldorf starting from preschool. Here is a couple to get you started:
Finding more information about day-to-day life with children in Düsseldorf
This might seem like an impossible task but Facebook is an excellent place to start.
Join our Düsseldorf International Family Forum and feel free to introduce yourself.
It is a closed Facebook group for parents from all over the world, living in and around Düsseldorf. It was formed to help expat families regarding expat life with an emphasis on children and families. Members share their experiences of living in the city and help one another with the various questions regarding raising children from birth through schooling.
If you want to join, just send a Facebook message to one of the administrators with a few details about why you’re interested in joining.
