moving from Basel to Lausanne - part of family staying behind?

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
We currently live in Basel and I'm taking a job at Uni Lausanne starting October 2022. My husband will also work there.

We are a family of 6, kids ages 16, 16, 13, 9 (plus two cats and a dog 😊

The tentative plan is to commute for one year and then move to Lausanne with our younger daughter and son who will be entering the last year of secondary school, and 5th primary, respectively. The older kids understandably want to finish their Gymnasium in Basel (will have two years left). All are in public Swiss school).

We have many things to sort out:

*has anyone moved their kids from Basel to Lausanne at these ages? How did it go with switch from German to French? Did integration classes hold them back for a year?

*we have a mortgage in Basel (small apartment) and plan to rent in Lausanne; not sure how easy/sustainable it will be to maintain two residences in two cantons (academic salaries); but from a legal perspective, at what age are older kids allowed to live alone? Would my husband and I need to maintain separate residences on paper?). Has anyone moved and left half the family in another canton (heartbreaking). Is this even "allowed"? They will be ~18 when we move. Any advice?

*Our younger daughter plays for U15 FC Basel; any idea what competitive girls teams are possible in Vaud?

Thanks for any advice!

2
At 18 you're allowed to live alone. It's called being an adult!

3
Not sure it’s a good idea to split up the family.

I would have one commute back and forth until the whole family can move.

On the other hand, if your twins are over 18 and living together it might work.

Notallthere’s post made me smile but in truth 18 year olds, need Mom and Dad.

They’re preparing for their Matura / Maturité exams, they’re becoming young adults, they’re thinking of uni and the future.

It’s a lot of change and lots of unknowns.

Having Mom and Dad to come home to when everything is changing is a security they still need.

4

What permit/s do you have? I assume you’re non-EU from your other posts and as part of family reunification the family all need to live together. The two eldest living on their own would not meet that requirement.

5
The OP has been here since 2007, that’s 14 years.

US citizens usually get a permit C after 10 years (unless this rule has changed).

6
Agree with Sky- best for dad to commute for a while at weekends and find a studio in Lausanne for a while. It is only 2.15 by train, and work/preparation/marking can be done during that time.

And concentrate on French tuition for the younger children, and as much exposure to the French language for holidays and perhaps a residential/immersion course or two- to make the move easier for the next academic year.

7
No, they don't.

Tom

8
Thank you for your replies so far. Of course I agree that 18 year olds need their parents; at the moment I have three scenarios (one of which involves us staying in Basel and commuting for the foreseeable future).

I so hate the idea of splitting the family; and it's bound to be hard either way. For the first 1-2 years the plan is for me to rent an apartment in Lausanne and stay down there 2-3 days a week. Post COVID is a bit more flexible though I do need to be there quite a bit in person for the first year...

Re permits, yes we have C but submitted application for citizenship. I guess that takes a year++ but hope that will be done or close

to it by end of next year.

9
Bonne chance à toute la famille.

10
You’ve answered your own question but for a completely different reason

I believe you have to have lived in the same commune for a certain amount of years to be able to ask for Swiss citizenship and you have to remain living in that commune until the procedure is finished.