It's tough for any spouse left at home in a foreign country with no family support.

And speaking very simpleton french. This is so true...Thanks for making this comment.

That's why I have been thinking about organising a Nyon BABYSITTING COOP (swaps), for moms like me and others who do not have a family here neither had time or possibility to find a decent (english speaking) sitter yet. If anybody is interested in this idea, pm me.

Shirin, I feel your pain. Nyon, however, is usually quite nice, maybe people are just crabby when it is cold and one of the reasons to chill in the store is to warm up and they do not want to put up with too much ruccus. Be selfconfident, it will have calming effect on the kids but also detere the grumpy folks from intervention. And if they do, ignore them. I gave up the idea of going into a store with a toddler that is not asleep, unless the whole transaction takes under 5mins, it is really boring for our kid otherwise and makes her think of mischief. Appointments are harder, but we have thought about bringing a portable dvd player, as it has been a lifesaver for our regular overnight drives. You can have the sound almost hardly audible. They sell these quite cheaply these days.

I agree to have a day packed with activities, makes even the most defiant child way more co-operative and enables the mom to meet others. Especially in winter when kids can't run off the energy outside, it is so essential. I see moms with kids, we go to a playgroup few times a week, Mommy and Me classes (art, gym and I know there is music too), Ludoteque, the kids library at La Combe, trips to Ste Cergue for sledding, now I noticed the ice ring near the train station (though it's probably gone now with these temps?), there is a lot more fun stuff to do, there is a play area at Migros restaurant too but one has to watch out for older kids not lending on your toddler's head. Signal de bougy in the summer is fantastic and great public swimming pool or the beech in Nyon.