LIVING

For many, a good starting point is the MSN site BCN Tots. Here, information in English is posted about anything from weekly get-togethers, help and advice to nanny services and items for sale. It is currently run by British mother Rachel Trew, and to access the site it is necessary to register by email (bcntots@hotmail.com). The site, and its mums’ groups, can be a huge support for many foreign mothers, who tend to find themselves isolated, she said.

“Most Spanish mums return to work after 16 weeks, so for the majority of the city’s residents I guess there isn’t a need for mother and baby activities during the day. It’s such a shame, as in the UK there are all sorts of activities available, like tumble tots and baby signing classes. At least they have baby swimming classes here.”

Another big problem for foreign mothers is finding day care unless they are prepared to hand over their children to a nursery five days a week. This is even the case for babies as young as three months who, in the majority of cases, will have to attend full-time at state-run guarderías due to the overwhelming demand for places. The Playhouse in Gràcia (saraplumier@hotmail.com), however, has bucked this trend and differs from most Catalan nurseries in a number of ways: it offers the option of part-time care in English and Catalan, parents are welcome, there are fewer children per teacher and no babies are accepted.

The centre was begun by Sarah Yandell, who was unable to find decent day care for her own two children. “I couldn’t find anything that I liked as I just wanted somewhere to take them a couple of mornings a week for a few hours while I had some me-time.I also wanted somewhere child-friendly and where I could stay while they settled in. In the end I took my daughter to a German place called BCN Kinder which was excellent. I realised that the only English-speaking nurseries in Barcelona were very expensive and all up in the Zona Alta or in the suburbs. I wanted to set up a centre that was accessible in terms of price, and also city-centre based. It took me two years to find the right place, though.”