Comments

• re: same story

  I hear you! Its really is a cultural stumbling block. Sometimes when I see all those grandmothers picking up their grandkids from school I wonder, has anyone really asked them if they are happy doing it? ( I know my own mother loves her grandkids, but at a distance).
  
  But then of course working habits in Spain have changed and social services such as at-work child care haven't caught up, so many working mothers don't have a choice.
  
  Have you done what I did and actually given them a list of names of friends who you know will support you? ( I also supplied phone numbers but as far as I know they never range to verify anything) This was the clincher in my CI-- I don't think I would have gotten it without that.
  
  Best of luck though!
  
  Meredith

  Posted by Meredith May 09, 2010 21:11:59

• same story

  We had our second interview yesterday. All went really well except the part about family. My family are in Australia and England. My Spanish husband´s family are in Andalusia. The psychologist appeared to look deeply concerned about this, and said that we won´t have help on hand. After all the reading and excellent answers we gave, this was her biggest concern!?
  We told her we have good friends and we have and will have paid help at home. But this didn´t seem to be good enough.
  You are so right because it´s all such a farce in Spain. People are putting up with inlaws because they have no other option and friends are not considered part of the parenting team. I find this very odd and frustrating, coming from Australia where inlaws are mostly for weekends and parents´ friends play an integral part of raising a child.
  

  Posted by marcela May 07, 2010 10:06:47