Barcelona Mum

What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Barcelona?
Julia Fossi, 40, Barri Gotic at the back of Placa Reial, nearly 7 years.

Do you work, and if so what do you do?
I co-own Barcelona's first authentic, British Fish and Chip shop with Julie Stephenson.

What nationality are you and your partner?
Both my partner and I are British.

How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
3 children: George, 15years; Alice, 6years; Rosa, 5years.

What was your experience of having a baby in Barcelona? (if relevant)
It was very traditional and medical (ie not natural) but both times a good experience I did the natural birth thing with my son in the UK 15 years ago and was very happy to have my epidural with the girls. I went privately and had a doctor who had trained in the UK so that made it easier. I did have a bit of problem with the language with the first birth here but everyone was very kind.

How did you find the process of relocating to Barcelona with your children (if relevant)?
Found it difficult to get information on schools initially and so started George in one of the international schools, St Peters, as he was 9 and we thought the language would be an issue. In retrospect I think it would have been better to start him straight away in a local school as he has fitted in much better and made some great friend since I moved him to Sant Felip Neri.

How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
All three children are perfectly integrated, although George has problems with Catalan and Spanish at school I do think this has something to do with his Kevinesque teenage attitude to school though!

What language do you speak to your children?
English with odd Spanish and Catalan words thrown in!

What has your impression been of childcare and education in Barcelona so far?
Having experienced private, concertat and state school here I am very impressed with the state system. It has its faults but on the whole I have had a really good experience with the girls school and friends with children in state school have had similarly good experiences.

How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in Barcelona?
Takes a bit of finding but on the whole pretty good. I think when everyone first moves here they feel like there is not so much on offer but the longer I have been here the more has appear some of this is down to expats like Sarah opening the English speaking nursery.

Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops,restaurants, activities etc)?
I live in the centre of the city so I have great facilities. Most places are pretty child friendly in the centre even with my crazy bunch! As as for shops....I have about 6 Zara's within walking distance and the wonderful Liceu gift shop over the road. Activities we are members of the zoo (although I don't like zoos and this one is particularly hard on the elephants and big cats, the kids love it and the playground in the middle is fab; Park ciutadella great; after school activities drama, circus, ballet, sailing, skating, tennis, basketball......

What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in Barcelona?
Advantages everythings a bit of a challenge, mainly because of the language barrier, so it makes life quite exciting; a lot of young catalan/spanish parents are very keen for the children to mix with English speaking children so they are very welcoming.
Disadvantages everything involves lots of paperwork and beaurocracy (that doesnt look correctly spelt!) and there is a certain amount of racism and closedness among the older middle class catalans....but then there is racism anywhere you go!

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Barcelona?
Cleaner air and more awareness among the general public on polution, climate and recycling issues.

What do you wish you had been told before you came to Barcelona?
Nothing, the whole learning experience in a new country (including all of the negative things) is what makes the experience worth having....thats why I moved here! Thats why I would move anywhere if you come somewhere to learn a new way of life and integrate into a new culture (even if the integration is within an international community) it doesn't matter what you know or don't know before hand. If you expect it to be the same as back home then what would be the point of coming?

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Barcelona with children?
Be prepared to take on new things and that some things are going to be easy and some things hard and that you are going to like some things about the experience and not others. At the end of the day I would rather bring my children up here where they remain children longer and have a freeness and safeness that has been lost in much of the Uk. Plus they get 2 extra languages at least!

What couldn´t you live without in Barcelona?
My children

What could you live without?!
Having to pay such high social security regardless of how much you earn.