CAVE KIDS . . . WHAT'S LIFE LIKE?

Like many parents with young children, the idea of bringing up a child in the quiet, safe Andalucian countryside had huge appeal for us. In fact one of the main deciding factors of our move here was to give our son a different and in our opinion, better start in life than what he would have had if we had stayed in the North East of England.

Our chosen lifestyle is not for everyone and indeed many people thought we were a little mad to bring our child to a new home which had no facilities at all at first. The area itself is out of the way with not even a local shop and there are very few full time residents and only two other children.

However, children are very adaptable and our son thrives in his new environment without the need for the expensive distractions so readily available in the UK. You only need to look out of the window and you understand why. Miles and miles of open countryside with woods within walking distance means our son has his very own adventure playground on the doorstep. Long walks, nature trails, den building and making mud pies after the rain are part of his everyday experiences. We still have regular trips to the swimming baths but in our case the local pool is a natural spring with fish and given the Andalucian sunshine and the free entry, it's a perfect way to while away the hours which we often do especially between May and October.

When we first arrived and had nothing in the way of modern comforts, Joshua was quite happy playing with his cars in our building sand, bathing in a bucket or helping daddy mix some plaster.

For many children growing up in a rural environment whether at home or abroad, living side by side with nature is an important part of their everyday learning experiences. Aside from the rabbits, sheep, goats and foxes some aspects of nature can be a bit nasty as we have scorpions, snakes and enormous spiders which bite. Given the right education, however any child will quickly learn what is safe and what is not.

Safety is of course paramount in any parent's mind where their child is concerned especially when it comes to trusting other adults with your child. Not wanting to generalise too much, as every parent must make their own decisions, but derived from our own experiences and those of other parents with young children in the area, this is a very safe environment for children in that respect. The Spanish are very family and child orientated and during our years here we have never felt that the safety of our child has been threatened. If our son is out playing where we are now, we know there is no dangerous main road close by and we know he is completely safe with what few neighbours we do have.

That's not to say it wasn't difficult adjusting in the beginning because it was and visiting friends and family are often alarmed by the attention children get here and by what they are allowed to get away with. The Spanish do love children and think nothing of patting the head of the nearest child and our neighbours often take Josh on a walk or involve him in whatever they are doing just as we are trying to keep him out from under their feet.

It seems that children can do no harm, are never in the way and are always a pleasure to have around. That is why there are no 'child friendly' bars with their play areas safely out of the way of customers. Wherever you go in this area of Spain, you take your child with you and it's absolutely fine. Although we have people we can rely on should the need for a babysitter arise, more often than not it's simply not necessary. The Spanish tend to eat later than us Brits anyway, especially in the summer so it is not unusual to see whole generations of a family from baby to great grandpa having dinner in a restaurant at 11:00 pm. If you want to experience a Spanish fiesta and you've kids, then just take them with you, even if the party doesn't start till 10:00 pm everyone is welcome young and old. It seems that, although ultimately the child is the parent's responsibility, everybody looks out for everybody else's child and if the kids are running round a restaurant late at night, somebody somewhere will know exactly what is going on. The fact they are running around in the first place doesn't really matter.

It may seem very relaxed and lacking in structure but this really is not the case. You may see four year olds playing in the street at 11:00 pm on a summers evening but remember that they probably had a siesta from 3-7pm that afternoon. Children and young people can appear to do no wrong even though you may think they are being unruly.

Many parents worry that the difference in language will prove to be a barrier for learning and make it harder for children to adjust and settle in. Generally though, children really do not worry about this at all it is us as parents who worry the most! Young children up to the age of about seven or eight will pick up Spanish very easily and will be fluent in no time. Older children will have to work a little harder but they too will soon be able to communicate without any problem. With young children and toddlers you may worry about their English as it often seems they have forgotten their own mother tongue. In our house we went through a stage where our son spoke mostly in Spanish, and while he could count in Spanish very easily he couldn't get past four in English. In time however, things will even out. Children will soon become aware of when to speak in which language and they will switch between the two with enviable ease as it will come so naturally. The important thing to remember however is even if you as a parent speak Spanish, at home speak in English and encourage your child to speak in English to you. As they get older children may appear to have a low standard of English, but remember that they are studying English in school as a foreign language which is completely different to how it is learnt in the UK. There are plenty of resources available to ensure your child maintains a good level of their native language even though they use Spanish much more on an everyday basis.

The fact that your child will grow up speaking at least two languages fluently is fantastic for them and they will possess a skill which is invaluable in later life. The most amazing thing though is that they will have gained this skill without even realising.

The atmosphere, environment and culture of this part of rural Andalucia makes it, in my opinion the perfect place to bring up a young family. Not only are we fortunate enough to live in a beautiful part of the countryside, but life here is such that as a family you can spend more time together enjoying the surroundings and the weather. We have given our child the chance to grow up bi-lingual with experiences and understanding of a different culture and lifestyle. Another important factor is that children here are brought up with strong family values and a sense of respect which is arguably disappearing in the UK, another reason we decided to make the move. Life for children and families is excellent here and as long as you know a little of what to expect and are prepared to adjust, then moving to this part of Andalucia will be a fantastic experience for you, your children and family.