Barcelona Mum

What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Sitges?
Carolin Munter, 33, Sant Pere de Ribes, lives here during holidays

Do you work, and if so what do you do?
No

What nationality are you and your partner?
German and Finnish

How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
One girl - Lilian - 20 months

What was your experience of having a baby in Sitges? (if relevant)
We have always had very good experiences. People are in general very fond of children and always help you or have a nice word. You get to know easily other people with children. People come to you and start a chat...As Sitges has so many beaches and nice playgrounds it is easy with children to spend time there. In the center there is not so much traffic which is a big advantage. Sitges is like a big village in beautiful surrounding and therefore perfect for families. It is pretty clean also.

How did you find the process of relocating to Sitges with your children (if relevant)?
We arrived in July when it was very hot and Lilian was just three months old. Make sure you have aircon in the house and car. I couldn't go out with Lilian during the day because it was simply too hot outside. Moving with children is never easy. It took some time to unpack, find furniture and settle down. It always takes longer with children. Be aware of the siesta. Shops are closed in the afternoon. I am still not used to this.

What language do you speak to your children?
Mother speaks German, father speaks Finnish

What has your impression been of childcare and education in Sitges so far (if relevant)?
Spanish parents send their babies very early to the kindergarten (even the whole day). There a lot of kindergartens - public and private ones available. But be aware that the quality is not always the best (there is a ratio of one or max two adults for at least 12 - 20 children!!! In good places there should be one adult responsible for 4-6 children, but then you have to go to a private place which can cost a lot.

How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in Sitges?
A lot of long sandy children friendly beaches, nice playgrounds. Restaurants are very children friendly.

Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
Sant Pere de Ribes, Caprabo supermarket for example (very friendly staff who love children), Restaurant La Vaquita, between Sitges and Sant Pere de Ribes (there is a room only for kids with lots of toys). There are two toys shop (King Jouet and Dream Locs), there is a quite good baby shop, near Aki (construction store) called Hogar, where you can find baby furniture, car seats etc. for a good price. Decathlon (sports store) has quite nice comfortable clothes for children for a good price and quality is ok. There you find everything from baby seat for your bike to ballet dresses. Where we live there is a big pool with garden. Our child loves it.

Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Sitges?
Even there are a lot of kindergartens  in Sitges, they are too crowded and there is not enough space. What is really missing here is a real International School with an International Baccalauriat (IB) following an International Curriculum. Then children can study everywhere in the world.

What do you wish you had been told before you came to Sitges?
Existence of playgroup, address of good pediatrician, address of good children stores, list of kindergartens, schools etc. Private schools and kindergartens (guaderias) can cost a lot. If you want to send your child to the British, German or French school or any school with Spanish/ English language it can cost a lot and there can be a waiting list. Normally the main language spoken in schools in Catalunya is Catalan (not Spanish or Castellano as it is called here). Spanish is not necessarily taught in any school. Children learn it normally in the breaks in the school when talking to other children who speak Spanish as a mother language.

What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Sitges with children?
Make sure you have aircon in the house and car! Note that energy costs are extremely high here. Even if you need the heating on only 4 months in winter, it costs more than a years heating bill in Germany! Note that there is inflation in Spain and prices go up at least once per year! Spain is not a cheap country anymore. Take wooden toys or furniture with you because these items are very rare in Spain. Everything made from wood (madera) is very hard to get. There are a lot of small shops for everything, but they never have big choice. So you first have to find all these little shops which costs a lot of energy. I can only recommend to take as much furniture with you as you can. To find nice wooden furniture in Spain can take a long time and be expensive. Good quality costs a lot in Spain. On the other hand there are lots of nice stores for children clothes. Spaniards love to cloth their children well. Even there are a few health stores which have ecological products (Weleda Cream, ecological food etc...) the healthy wave is just in the beginning in Spain. Vomitting and diarea caused by a virus or bacterias are very common among children, even once per month (I have heard from my pediatrician). The tap water is not clean, it cannot be used for babies. Think beforehand about kindergarten and school. International education costs a lot.

What couldn´t you live without in Sitges?
Playgroup, Beaches, Sunshine and always good weather.

What could you live without?!
Bad tap water, one can't drink it (there was a water scandal years ago but nothing has changed), so there is a lot of bottles to carry. A neighbour had the water tested and the result was, don't drink it! Sometimes the electricity, water, telephone or Internet don't work (even for days!!!) Everything takes longer in Spain, from waiting to pay in the supermarket or repairing something in the house and when it is done it doesn't necessarily work...

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