Living in Greece with Kids
Greeks are widely known for being kind to children. Children are happily accommodated in restaurants, cafés and other public venues and will often be fussed over by waiters, storekeepers and random yia-yias (Greek for grandmothers)
Greeks intuitively subscribe to the “it takes a village to raise a child” philosophy. This does also mean, however, that strangers may talk to your child and even rebuke your child mildly in certain situations. If you come from a more reserved culture, this can be surprising initially
Most neighborhoods have a public square or park where the children, supervised by parents, grandparents or nannies, congregate to play in the afternoon. In the summer, “afternoon” generally means evening by non-Greek standards, because of the intense heat during the day. It is not unusual to see children out playing as late as 9 or even 10 PM, so you may have to adjust your bedtime routines.
Schooling
For children of school age, the most pressing concern for
parents will be to find a suitable school.
Athens has many foreign-language schools, with a smaller number in Thessaloniki
and one in Larissa.
In Athens
Campion School
St. Catherine’s British School
American Community Schools, ACS
Byron College: The British International School
International School of Athens, ISA
Costeas Geitonas School CGS
Doukas School
M Panagiotopoulos School
St. Lawrence College
International School of Piraeus
French as instructional language: Lycée Franco-Hellénique Eugène Delacroix
German as instructional language: Deutsche Schule Athen
In Thessaloniki
Pinewood American College of Thessaloniki
French as instructional language: Ecole française de Thessalonique
German as instructional language: Deutsche Schule Thessaloniki
In Larisa
Nanny Services
You may also need a regular nanny or an occasional babysitter. You can certainly ask other parents and friends for suggestions and referrals. There is also an excellent online platform for fnding childcare, called Nannuka.Lastly, there are online groups for expats in Greece, where you can ask other expats for advice and also advertise for a nanny. One of the largest is the Facebook group: Foreigners living in Greece
Living in Greece with your kids can be a wonderful experience that will leave lasting memories for your whole family. With beaches and outdoor adventure always available, it is easy to keep young children engaged and active. The rich history and cultural heritage of Greece provide an education in itself, and your kids will probably also pick up some of the language from playing with local kids. Even the food is kid-friendly, so settle in and enjoy!
