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What is your name, age, where do you live and how long have you lived in Barcelona?
Melissa Cokely, 32 years old, living in the neighbourhood of Sant Antoni. I've lived in Barcelona since 1998 (with a 2 year break to go back to Boston).
Do you work, and if so what do you do?
Yes. I am the owner/director of Baby Rock English- English and music workshops for children ages 1-5 together with their parents.
What nationality are you and your partner?
I am from the U.S. and my husband is Spanish (a native of Barcelona).
How many children do you have and what are their names and ages?
We have one son, Colby, who is 3 years old.
What was your experience of having a baby in Barcelona? (if relevant)
Fantastic. I loved my doctor (Carmen Guasch) and had a great experience here. I've heard mixed things from a lot of moms so I feel very fortunate to have had excellent care through the whole pregnancy and birth.
How well integrated would you say you and your children are?
Extremely well! We're very settled. My parents have also retired to Barcelona which is also great for us as a family.
What language do you speak to your children?
My parents and I speak to Colby in English, his father and my in-laws speak in Spanish, and at school he speaks Catalan.
What has your impression been of childcare and education in Barcelona so far?
I think there are a lot of good options in Barcelona, although it is complicated. The public daycares generally seem to have very good facilities, although the point system makes it difficult to get a spot and the hours are sometimes tricky to combine with work. Personally, I wish that the caregiver-child ratio was lower (I *believe* it's something like 1:8 but I'm not sure), but on the other hand, daycare cost here is a fraction of what it would be in the U.S. Colby goes to a "concertada" school (Escola Pia Sant Antoni) and we've been very happy so far. I had some reservations initially since it's a very big school- they have four P3 classes and there are 23-24 children in each class, but his teachers are all fantastic. Another issue for us is that his school has a nurse, which is the norm in the U.S. but unusual here. Since Colby is diabetic this was the determining factor for us in choosing a school and we've been thrilled with the way they stay on top of everything.
How do you rate the amenities available for parents and children in Barcelona?
Pretty good. There are lots of parks in almost every neighbourhood, some nice libraries, festivals and events, etc.
Where you live, how good are facilities for children (shops, restaurants, activities etc)?
Yes! One of my favorite things about Barcelona is that most of the time whether shops and restaurants are specifically for children or not everyone seems to be happy to accommodate small children. Everyone from the people in the café where we have breakfast to the shoe store to the butcher shop knows Colby and is always happy to see him which we really appreciate. He's a VERY active 3 year old boy but we feel like he is welcome just about everywhere.
What do you think are the main advantages and disadvantages of being a parent from the International Community living in Barcelona?
I think the main advantage is being able to offer your children a broader perspective - particularly with regards to culture and language. In my opinion children who grow up with two cultures and two or more languages have the potential to be more open-minded since they see that there are several ways of looking at things and expressing themselves from an early age. On the other hand, as children get older one thing that *could* become a disadvantage is the struggle to balance these two cultures and languages. I feel that we international parents really do need to make an active effort to preserve these things while at the same time allowing our kids to develop their own bicultural identities.
Is there anything you think would improve children´s lives in Barcelona?
I sometimes wonder if their days are too long. My son goes to school from 8:45 - 12:45, comes home for lunch, then goes back to school from 3-5. Luckily I can arrange my schedule to pick him up for lunch and then take him back to school, but for many working parents that's just not practical - especially for those parents who work a typical schedule of 9-6 or longer. I also think that extending maternity/paternity leave to one year as they do in many European countries would be fantastic for parents and children (although I feel bad even mentioning this since in the U.S. many people have no paid maternity leave).
What do you wish you had been told before you came to Barcelona?
I can't think of anything, it seems like such a long time ago!
What advice would you give for anyone having a baby or thinking of relocating to Barcelona with children?
Do as much research as possible and as early as possible on private insurance if you're planning on getting pregnant here. From what I have heard and read the public system is perfectly safe and efficient, however there are a lot of comfort and control issues that come with private care (private hospital rooms, choosing whether to get an epidural etc.) at a very reasonable price. For people with children I would say do your school research early and have back-up plans! There is a mind-boggling point system and lottery for public and semi-private schools depending on district, number of siblings, income, disabilities etc. that I still don't have a good handle on and the paperwork can be very daunting.
What couldn´t you live without in Barcelona?
The weather, the food, the people, the free healthcare, the holidays, and the general quality of life.
What could you live without?!
Those horse/plane/spaceship machines outside of every store where it costs two Euros to rock back and forth for 30 seconds. My son loves them and they are the bane of my existence!