Joining an Ecovillage as a Family: What an Adventure !

Choosing to live in an ecovillage is a dream for many—and let’s be honest, it’s also a real challenge. Taking that leap alone is already a demanding journey. But when you take it as a family—with children, habits, rhythms, and diverse needs—it becomes an even greater adventure: richer, deeper, and sometimes more complex.

Over the years here at La Cité Écologique, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming many families in search of meaning, nature, and community. Some arrived with great enthusiasm. Many shared part of the journey with us—sometimes for a few months, sometimes for a year. Others left earlier, smiling, carrying with them precious memories, valuable lessons, and often lasting friendships.

Few families, it must be said, have completed the full integration year. And yet, most have stayed close—returning for visits, reunions, lending a hand, or joining in community celebrations. They cherished their time here. But they also came to realize, in their own way, that ecovillage life—especially with children—requires more than good intentions or a desire for change.

A Way of Life All Its Own

When we imagine community life, we often picture something idyllic: barefoot children playing in the fields, shared meals in the sun, neighbors who become friends, collective projects, evenings around the fire. And yes, all of that exists. It’s real. But it’s not the whole story.

An ecovillage is also a place of hard work—both physical and relational. We cultivate the land, yes, but above all, we cultivate relationships. And that’s daily work: learning to speak honestly, to listen, to make space for others, to question ourselves. It’s often challenging… and deeply transformative.

Arriving alone in an ecovillage can already be an intense adjustment. Arriving as a family requires a true collective commitment. Because everyone connects with everyone—children, parents, educators, neighbors. And all these people must learn to live together, to cooperate, to welcome one another.

What It Means for Families

Joining an ecovillage as a family means accepting that each person—adult or child—will go through their own integration process. And those processes won’t always align. A child might adapt quickly, fall in love with their new school, and make friends right away. Meanwhile, a parent might feel uprooted, overwhelmed—or ready to dive in while their partner still hesitates.

That’s normal. It’s human. And it’s part of the journey.

One of the biggest challenges for families is that they often have less flexibility than individuals. Before even considering a move, it’s important to visit several times, get a feel for the environment, and understand the dynamics. This takes time—multiple visits, sometimes across different seasons—before settling in more permanently.

Families must also actively engage in their children’s integration: attending meetings with the educational team, learning how the children’s groups function, understanding collective rhythms and community guidelines. This isn’t a typical daycare or school—it’s a living, community-based educational project that requires ongoing communication between families, educators, and residents. Children are full members of the community. And so are their parents.

For example, here, children don’t stay home during work hours. They join age-based groups with nature-based activities guided by educators. It’s real collective life from a very young age. And if some parents hope to keep their little ones close in a family bubble until school age… that’s not how we live here.

What It Means for the Community

Welcoming a family is also a commitment for us. It requires real preparation: finding suitable housing, integrating children into existing groups based on age and experience, supporting each parent’s personal adaptation, and responding to their questions, doubts, and fears.

It’s a co-creation. We’re not looking for perfect people or model families. We’re looking for people ready to enter into sincere relationship with us—to share where they’re at, to listen, to try, to question themselves without judgment.

What makes integration work isn’t the absence of difficulty. It’s the deep desire to move through it—together.

What We All Gain

So why do we keep doing this? Why continue welcoming families, knowing it will be complex, lengthy, and sometimes turbulent ?

Because we also know what it can bring.

When a family integrates with awareness, patience, and heart, they bring immense richness to the community—color, energy, momentum, skills, presence. And for the children, growing up in such an environment—surrounded by caring, engaged adults who align their words with their actions—is a rare gift.

Children here know where the vegetables on their plate come from. They know the people who run the ecovillage’s businesses. They grow up in a safe, stimulating environment where they can develop curiosity, autonomy, and cooperation.

And parents—if they’re willing to weather the early turbulence—often discover a more coherent, aligned life. A life where their talents can shine, where their work has meaning, and where they no longer carry everything alone.

Ecovillage life isn’t an escape from the world. It’s not a cozy bubble that shields you from everything. It’s a place to learn how to live differently. And that takes courage. Humility. Consistency. Commitment. And yes—humor! Because sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself to keep things in perspective.

Is It Right for You ?

So… is this for you? Maybe. Maybe not. And that’s okay.

If you’re dreaming of a quiet, secluded place where you can bake sourdough in peace, homeschool your kids at your own pace, and live without too many demands… then honestly, a cozy cabin in the woods might suit you better.

But if you’re looking for a human adventure—a place for personal growth, collective building, honest relationships, mutual support, shared projects, and daily learning—then maybe our paths are meant to cross.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need the desire. The desire to discover, to get involved, to team up, to grow—together.

Here, we deeply believe that community life is a path of evolution—both personal and collective. And families have a vital place on that path, when they’re ready to embrace it for what it is: a transformative, demanding, and deeply nourishing experience.

In Conclusion

Yes, joining an ecovillage with your family is a challenge. And also a tremendous opportunity.

It’s a life choice that brings connection, meaning, and awareness back to the center of daily life. It’s a way of saying: “I choose to be an actor in my world, not just a spectator.” And when that decision is made as a family, it becomes even more powerful.

So if, while reading these lines, you feel a spark—curiosity, a desire to come see for yourself—write to us. Come visit. Come feel, listen, observe, ask questions. Come spend a day or two. Come see if this way of life truly calls to you.

And if it does, we’ll be delighted to walk part of the path with you.