Your insight and info is invaluable to those of us making the move to Italy! I'm moving to Milan soon and two things I've been told perhaps you can all clarify -
1. bring clothes for your kids for next couple of years - clothes are expensive and hard to find for children. My children are still growing and I need to buy new clothes and shoes each season. Are they affordable and available?
2. toys and gifts are hard to find - I was told to buy up a bunch of games to use as gifts at birthday parties - there are no stores - like the US Walmart or Target - where you can shop for these types of things.
Lastly - anyone with experience with the private elementary schools in Milan - American or British schools?
THANKS

1. Children's clothes and shoes are widely available, but a lot more expensive than in the US. One option is the mercatini (open-air markets) that run weekly in various parts of Milan. The clothes there are a lot cheaper. Poorer quality, too, but kids grow out of them so fast anyway.

2. There are some big toy stores in Milan and also just outside, but, again, things are more expensive here than in the States. I used to stock up on cheap Barbies at KayBee toys every trip, so as to always be prepared for other kids' birthday parties.

Can't help on the private schools, except that they're expensive. Why not send your kids to Italian schools?

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Originally posted by Deirdre:
2. There are some big toy stores in Milan and also just outside...

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I think in Milano there is also a toys'r'us store. Yet, for my niece I buy most of the gifts at either Imaginarium or Città del sole. The first is a Spanish chian, the second is an italian one. Both sell nice creative stuff. Città del sole also has geat wooden toys.