Spain for Kids | Expat Mums in Spain | Living with Children in Spain

Newsletter May 2011

danceschool Lots of new recommendations to tell you about this week including a dance school, a catering company, a home hairdresser and a car mechanic, all of which are in Sitges. In Barcelona, we’ve a glowing recommendation for Annie an English-speaking babysitter, you can read about authentic British Fish & Chips delivered to your door, some fabulous dance classes for toddlers & kids at ‘Movement Barcelona’, a farm full of kids activities, a hairdresser in Maresme and a sweet shop in Barcelona Old Town where kids can watch candy being made.

Thank you to Tessa in Madrid who has told us about frozen yoghurt store Cherry Pop and Beigol Bagel.

On the Costa Blanca we’ve added the Valor Chocolate Factory, an art shop in Javea and a recommendation for free activities in La Rovella.

Thanks to Hannah for letting us know about a Toddler group and a Baby Massage & Mums group, both of which are in Gibraltar.

Finally in Mallorca, we’ve added recommendations for a Safari Zoo, the beaches at Cala Serena and Cala Esmeralda and an Ostrich Farm.

Don´t forget you can easily access all the latest recommendations from the regional boxes on our homepage.

LATEST INTERVIEWS & MUMS IN BUSINESS
For most expat families who come to live in Spain, the experience is generally a positive and fulfilling one, and MumAbroad features many interviews with parents who feel enriched by living here. However, there are always two sides to every story and, in a very candid interview, Karen tells us about what she believes are the downsides of living on the Costa Blanca. "Because we never ‘moved’ to Javea, just came and stayed, I don’t think I actually would have moved here in the first place. It is very expat, not just British, but German, Dutch, Russian and French too, which makes integration difficult.We take each year as it comes, but I do one day envisage us returning to the UK again. Can’t say when or, strangely, why" (KM, May 2011). Read her full story here.

Debbie Smith, a counselor based on the Costa Blanca gives us an insight into why people turn to drugs and alcohol. "Many people come to live their dream, sun, sea and sangria and their alcohol intake becomes problematic. Worries about the economic future, wages, pensions etc. Loneliness can have an impact if a spouse is bereaved or if friends move away. Peer pressure can have a massive impact with the younger generation i.e. getting involved with the clubbing scene where drugs are readily available" Debbie is often approached by parents worried about their children turning to drugs or alcohol and explains how her drop-in clinic can be the first point of call for many teenagers. Read her full interview here.

Both Karen and Debbie are recent additions to our Mums in Business section. Do tell us if you would like to be featured here.

Don`t forget also that MumAbroad also has a site for expat Mums living in France - france.mumabroad.com and our latest interviews include Caroline and Rose who both live in La Mayenne, in the north of France.

SPOTLIGHT ON ALICANTE
Alicante is the second largest Valencian city and the eighth largest metropolitan area of Spain with a population of near on quarter of a million. Alicante is one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain with an economy largely based on tourism and construction. We have collated a comprehensive list of everything we think you should know about Alicante for kids, as recommended by our members, from where to shop & eat to play-groups & day-trips. Please let us know if you have a recommendation for this area of Spain.

FEATURED EVENTS
gardening We’ve started to add some summer camps to our events section including Theatre and English workshops in Madrid. If you know of any summer camps in your region of Spain please let us know.

Other Events:

WHAT´S HOT ON THE FORUM
Thank you for your help and advice to our members on the forum pages.

By far our most popular thread this week is from Sarah who is thinking of moving to Javea or Denia and wants recommendations for schools in the area. Thanks to all of you who have offered her advice. In Barcelona, Hilde would like a recommendation for a 40th birthday party venue and Kat wants to know where she can donate second-hand clothes and books. Faye is wondering whether anyone has space in a car or van going from Sitges to Kent, Sylvie would like to know when the next Sitges second-hand market is, Kate is after advice on Natural Births in Asturias and Lyndsay wants to meet fellow mums on the Costa Blanca. Items for sale this week include a baby monitor and baby clothes in Sitges. Do keep your posts coming in and don`t forget you can advertize events in your area by posting on the forum.

READ ALL ABOUT IT - NEWS ROUND UP
A recent survey suggests that ‘stay-at-home-mums’ should be paid a salary of 115 thousand dollars a year. "We see [Mum] as the compilation of 10 jobs in one person" said Evilee Ebb, general manager of Salary.com. "The breadth of Mom’s responsibilities is beyond what most workers could ever experience day-to-day. Imagine if you had to attract and retain a candidate to fill this role?" Read more

Research by Save The Children suggests that Norway is the best place to be a mother and Afghanistan is the worst. In Norway, for instance, "skilled health personnel are present at virtually every birth" while in Afghanistan, only 14 percent of births are attended. Spain ranks just outside the top ten. Read more.

It’s never too early to recognize a child’s true talent. At just one and a half, Baerke van der Meij has been signed by a Dutch football club after he became an overnight sensation on You Tube with his extraordinary football skills. Read more.

Other stories: