A few weeks ago, in MM’s chatroom, I was asked about what it was like to have children while living in Spain. To avoid boring the others in the chatroom, I thought I’d “talk” about it on the message board, and that way perhaps others can add to the topic.

Spain is a GREAT place to have kids! I’m really glad mine were born there and spent their early years there (1987-1996). Here are some aspects having to do with it.

Medical care: Spain has modern medical facilities and dedicated doctors. Sure, there are a few quacks, but they’re everywhere. With very few exceptions, the doctors I met in Madrid were professional, knowledgeable, and much more approachable than most doctors in the US. There are fewer “layers” of receptionists, nurses, etc. to get through before seeing the doctor. Sometimes the doctor is the only one in the office. I used both private medical insurance (both Sanitas and Assisa, which work just like an HMO) and the Seguridad Social doctors. I felt comfortable with both. You do need to know Spanish, however. There are few doctors that are comfortable speaking English, although I believe the vast majority have studied in English. Vaccinations and regular check-ups are considered very important in Spain.

You can take your kids to the emergency room without feeling like a criminal, even if it’s not a life-or-death emergency. Any problem we had was treated with interest, concern, respect, professionalism, and a dose of good-natured humor.

You can’t beat the maternity leave! 16 weeks at full pay, and you can split the time with the other parent. Prenatal classes were part of the package with Sanitas, and the post natal care was excellent.

All babies follow the same eating schedule once they start solid foods. Cereal with formula milk at 8am, meat/fish/egg with vegetables and a starch (pureed) at noon, pureed fruit at 4pm, and cereal with milk again at 8pm. They eat the same delicious food the adults eat in pureed form at an early age. All the guarderias (day care centers) follow this schedule, and the food is freshly made every day. You can, of course, buy “potitos” (jars of baby food) at the farmacias, where you can buy everything you’d need or want (except clothes) for your baby. They also weigh babies on a baby scale in farmacias.

Children are loved to pieces in Spain, although in a different way than in the US. You don’t normally see high chairs in restaurants, or kids’s menus. Don’t worry - I’ve found waiters to be very helpful finding something to “boost” a child, and they’re great at recommending kid-friendly food, which the cook will make even if it’s not on the menu. I’ve never noticed nasty looks for bringing my kids anywhere at all. Children, as part of families, are accepted everywhere. (Yes, kids go to bars for their meriendas, too, though I saw it more in pueblos than in the big cities.) Kids eat a LOT of candy in Spain. They’re fussed over, they’re told not to run, because they’ll fall and get hurt. They’re spoiled by their relatives. They’re adorable. There are parks and playgrounds everywhere, and they go there to play with other children. They are loud. They “chillar,” which I can’t translate well, but it’s close to screech. They have fun. They’re sociable. They’re taken outside to be in the fresh air every day. They dress in kids’ clothes, not just small adult clothes. They dress well. (Babies are downright formal. Even the bibs are beautiful.) They wear shoes that are made especially for little feet, and don’t always look like adult shoes. They are SAFE. I can’t stress that enough. No one will hurt a child in Spain. They are considered precious.

I can ramble on and on about this topic, but it’s time to quit! I hope this helps those of you who may have been wondering, and maybe more people can add info. I can go into more depth about any of this as well.

Diana

Diana:

very interesting topic, and i agree with you that children are ADORED in spain. i spent a few months there earlier this year and noticed how they are treated...and decided that i would like to raise my own children in spain!
thanks for sharing!

Diana, my mother in law made the cutest clothes for my son when he was a baby! still have some of the little shoes, too. A question. All my husband's nieces have had a pit drip) (that's pitocin, which induces labor) as STANDARD practice when they go in to give birth. The medico-nephew in the family confirms this-- more convenient for everyone, he says. I'm shocked that something that makes labor so quick and painful would be standard. Your experiences?

rgf, I had my two children in a private maternity clinic, and although I was hooked up to an IV, I didn't have a pit drip for my first. I was going to for my second, but she was out and about before the nurse had a chance to give it to me.Although lots of my friends had their babies while I lived there, and most in the social security Hospital La Paz (where it sometimes seems most madrilenos are born), I never heard about it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was standard, however.Convenience for all is important. That's why fathers were not allowed to be present at deliveries in the social security hospitals until about 10 years ago. Too many passed out, and it wasn't convenient to administer first aid in the delivery room!(I got that directly from a maternity nurse!)

Just an hour ago or so, I caught/saved an imaged from the newish GlorietaDeBilbao.com live cam (in Madrid) and noticed, IN THIS FOTO , a woman (wearing SHORTS!! ) using a long push-bar, pushing her child from behind who was riding (pedalling) a small 3-wheeler.

This reminded me that the 2.5 year old nephew of my ladyfriend had one of these when I was in Madrid last October and he just LOVED it, riding through the parks with parents in-tow. Has anyone seen these in the US?? I'd doubt it, but thought I'd ask.

Saludos, MadridMan

[ 07-06-2001: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hi all...you might have seen my post on the other message board. Like I mentioned there, I've been reading these boards for 2 years now since we are planning a permanent move to Spain in 2005.

In reading up on children, I have a 3 yr old and a 15 month old, I'm happy to see Spain is a lovely place for children. This thread is a bit old. Can any one confirm how things are today? Are children safe in the streets, in the playgrounds, in their own "jardines"? Are they happy? Healthy? Do they get to experience childhood? I fear these things are lost in the US.

Thanks for the info...

Even though the post is old Spain continues to be very much the same in respect to children. I’m from Spain, last May I spent a couple weeks there and had the opportunity to be with some of my friends, which have small children. We went to the park and we chat while the kids played around with other children, later on we sat at a “terraza” and have a couple sodas and tapas, all this time the children were happily running around and playing with other kids. I didn’t feel at any moment that they weren’t safe, of course you got to keep an eye on them the same as everywhere else. I think Spain is a great place to raise children, as mentioned above everybody loves kids in Spain and they’re welcomed everywhere.
Your children are still small but I found this article I considered to be interesting about education in Spain, http://www.thisisspain.info/HAA_education.html
Hope it helps!!

Thanks so so much for this article. I will save it for future reference.

Thanks again!