Barcelona Mum

What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Barcelona?
Jessica Mackay 40 (eek!) El Born / La Ribera depending how you look at it! Been in BCN 16 years now (wow)

Do you work, and if so what do you do?
English teacher at the Escola d'Idiomes Moderns, UB.

What nationality are you and your partner?
Both British (although Tom's half German)

How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
We have 2 girls, Moira, just 2 and Elinor 7 months and counting.

What was your experience of having a baby in Barcelona?
Mixture really. I have nothing but praise for the team at Hospital del Mar. I had difficult pregnancies before Moira and long stays in hospital, (imagine everything that can go wrong, and bascically it's happened) and they actually saved my life on one occasion - dramatic but true. The head of Obstetrics there, Dr Toni Payà is quite simply the nicest, most caring doctor I have ever met anywhere - and Elinor wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. We had fertility treatment with the team headed by Dr Checa, and although unpleasant, their success rate is amazing. On the other hand, I found I wasn't given much choice in any part of my pregnancy - it's very much taken out of your hands and important decisions are made for you. As we had a difficult time I took it for granted, but I imagine for women with normal, healthy pregnancies it must be very frustrating. My husband wasn't even allowed in to the Amniocentesis ("tu no pases" from the nurse) let alone the C-section!

How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
I think having children helps you to integrate. If, like me, you don't have a Catalan/Spanish partner, then it's often hard to get to know people here, much harder than the Catalans think it is. My husband plays in a local Rugby club and has a lot of friends through that, and I work with Catalan teachers of English, but I know that a lot of English teachers meet other English speakers at work and can feel a little like you're on the outside looking in. Since I've had the kids people stop me to talk in the street, they recognise the girls in shops and I feel much more a part of the 'barri'.

What language do you speak to your children?
English

What has your impression been of childcare and education in Barcelona so far?
I used to think it was OTT in the UK with people going to ridiculous lengths to get into the right catchment area, until I found out that here you have to choose a pre-school, and therefore a primary and secondary follow-on, right from the age of 3, which seems mad. One thing that I really appreciate here is the fact that the teachers with the best pay and conditions are without a doubt those who work in state schools and that is reflected in the educational standards. Even the 'concertades';state-assisted private schools don't usually get such good results as in the state
system. The international schools often have waiting lists and are very exclusive but that is often Catalan parents who can afford it wanting to give
their children the advantage of being bi- or trilingual, while most children of families with mixed-nationality parents will have that advantage anyway.

How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in Barcelona?
I've never lived anywhere else with the children so it's hard to compare but one thing you notice when you go back to the UK is the baby-changing facilities everywhere. It's happening more and more here, especially in new developments and shopping centres, but I've yet to see a public toilet with decent facilities, especially not on the motorways. I'm also fed up of trying to get prams and baby slings through heavy doors and 'air locks' in banks, then having to queue for 20 minutes because there's only one person working behind the desk - but that's another story.

Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
The local pharmacy on Plaça Sant Agustí Vell is extremely helpful with anything medical - they once noticed a mistake on a prescription which could have been very nasty. The best kids shop is, of course run by our beloved Lulu, who also acts as a repository of knowledge for facilities and services for mums both in the neighbourhood and further afield. If we ever have the time to eat out, the treatment of children here is fantastic, even in fairly upmarket places. We took Moira to Comerç 24 when she was quite little and they bent over backwards, went out to borrow a high chair
for her because it's not the kind of place where kids usually go. I don't think anybody would ever dream of complaining about children in restaurants here, let alone refuse them. The only problem, yet again, is changing facilities. As for activities, I'll keep you posted as I'll need to keep them more and more occupied as they get older. There's the swimming classes at the municipal gym at Estació del Nord, Lulu's Funky Monkeys and Baby Boogaloo classes at 'Mujer' and of course the toys at the Ludoteca in Ciutadella. I have to say as well that the family pass for the Zoo was a great investment, as it pays for itself after a couple of visits, although it does depend on how you feel about zoos, as the BCN one is a little small & cramped.

What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in Barcelona?
You get the best of both worlds really. For example, I stock up on great, cheap kids clothes from supermarkets back in the UK or get the family to send them over, but I also love the occasional indulgence from the gorgeous kids 'boutiques' that they have here. I enjoy shopping for the girls in a way I never have shopping for myself. You have contact with a really international community, not just ex-pats from your own country, and that is enriching for both you and your children. The language is a big plus of course. Spain has a big problem with foreign language teaching (as does the UK) and this problem is being addressed but in the meantime our children will have the advantage of knowing a third language from birth. People sometimes think that it'll be too confusing or disorienting, but that's just not true. Children can cope brilliantly with as many languages as you can throw at them. One thing that may be both an advantage and a disadvantage is that you have access to so much more information. It's amazing really how two countries as relatively close as Spain and the UK can provide you with so much conflicting information. I probably would have been a lot happier with the system here if I hadn't known that such things as birth plans and TENS machines existed. Maybe it's just the frustration at not being given the option.

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Barcelona?
There are bigger political questions here, but - more parks and green spaces. Improvement of air quality - reduction of traffic (congestion charge anyone?) Babies could stay at home with their mums longer if salaries were commensurate with the cost of living, particularly housing and more specifically, there was more investment in maternity leave and state benefits.

What do you wish you had been told before you came to Barcelona?
How essential grandparents are here. Most women couldn't go back to work without them. Friends of mine who have a Catalan partner do actually have social lives because the 'avis' are delighted to take the kids for the weekend or a Saturday night. I'm working for a pittance as most of my salary goes to pay for childcare so we can't afford to go out - just as well really.

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Barcelona with children?
Take the rough with the smooth. The fact that children are adored and celebrated here means that you are also open to comment and unsolicited advice on your parenting techniques, especially when it comes to the warmth and comfort of your baby - they are never, dressed properly for the weather. In general it's a small price to pay for all the smiles and kind attention.

What couldn´t you live without in Barcelona?
A sling. I find it incredibly pram unfriendly. The park on the doorstep, as the girls don't have a garden to play in.

What could you live without?!
The banks (my bugbear), more specifically the attitude of some of the older guys who've been there forever. The paperwork - who needs to be running all over Barcelona clutching various bits of paper to apply for this and register for that only days after giving birth?