I took my kids to a birthday party yesterday and whilst I was there I was chatting to Lola, one of the mums (the dads never go), about the importance of the family in Spain and it got me thinking about the positive things we can learn from the Spanish people.

I have to stress at this point that my views are limited to the Andalucians as that is who I am mostly exposed to and have had time to get to know and understand.

So let’s take a look at what the Spanish can teach us…

La Familia

Lola couldn’t have put it any clearer that to her her family comes first and that includes immediate and extended family.

She says that it is a trait passed down from generation to generation.  Respecting the entire family and getting together very often and sharing happy moments and problems.  Lola is already making sure her kids spend lots of time with all their cousins further reinforcing the importance of the family for future generations.

My own family is very dispersed and we only see each other two or three times a year.  I think the Spanish have got it spot on with their family values and the fact that they tend to stick together very closely and support one another.  Family first.

Work/ Life Balance

I know I’m going to get some stick for this but I really think the Spanish (Andalucians) have the right balance when it comes to work and social life.  Their lives generally do not revolve so much around their work but more about what happens after it.  The Andalucians especially have thus earned themselves a reputation for being lazy with their “mañana” attitude to their work.

Lola was adamant in that the Spanish are not lazy, they just know how to enjoy life.  Yes they go to work and they work well, but they’ll then make sure they don’t over do it so that they can go out down the “paseo” at night and meet up with friends and family…with the kids in tow too of course.

There IS more to life than just work and the Andalucians may have swung it more in the direction of their social life but that’s no bad thing.  You have one life so live it.

Attitudes to Children

The Spanish have always been known for being very loving and tolerant towards children, even the ones that are not theirs.

You tend to notice this very much in restaurants where children can be running around making loads of noise and no-one bats an eyelid.  The Spanish are happy to let kids be kids, even if they do make sure that on a Sunday they have to wear their Sunday best.

There is an apparent trend in Spain where the Spanish are having less kids and later on in life.  This is probably more to do with the cost of having children and buying a house but their attitudes to let children be children remains and that is a very refreshing attitude and one which was a big factor in us moving to Spain.

Eating Habits

Eating well, and slowly, is so ingrained within the Spanish psyche that it is just so natural for them to do it.  You can’t rush a good meal.

If you ever have the pleasure of sitting down to eat with a Spanish family you’ll be amazed at what and how they eat.  Meal times are not to be rushed.  Lunch especially is a long drawn out affair with socialising more important than the eating.  It’s a real time for the family to sit down together, chat, have a drink and unwind.

They tend not to eat a load of junk food with the majority of families still cooking most of their meals at home.  The diversity of fish, meats, casseroles and all the other types of meals that they put together means they tend to eat quite healthily, whilst at the same time using the opportunity to spend further quality time with the family.

I’ll toast to that!

Outdoor Life

Continuing with the family theme, during the afternoons and late into the evening, the Spanish are out in the squares, parks and the paseos.  Most are not doing anything particularly interesting, just walking up and down the paseo, or chatting with friends whilst all the kids play in the park.  And it’s not just when the sun is shining.  It’s about just being out.

The Spanish take to the streets every opportunity that they have.  Just being out, walking around makes them very happy.  And best of all this is a free activity for the whole family.

Being outside is something the Spanish are very good at, winter as well as summer.  It seems most don’t want to be housebound and prefer to mingle outside, sometimes until vary late into the night…and yes, the kids go along too.

Being out is great for spending time with family and friends and it’s free.

Neighbours, Everybody Needs Good Neighbours

Although the Spanish are great at making sure that they spend plenty of time outdoors, they are very house proud too and that includes knowing the neighbours.

In many towns and villages people often sit outside their front doors watching the world go by.  If you have Spanish neighbours it’s quite probable that you’ll know them well and they will normally be very friendly towards you.

Love thy neighbour…the Spanish way!

Nation of Complainers…Not!

Everybody has a good moan sometimes but the Spanish are not big on complaining, at least not to others.  The Spanish really look after their own homes but what happens outside is less of a concern.

Problems such as rubbish on the streets, dog muck, etc, seem to bother the expats much more than the Spanish.  The Spanish realise that everything will get sorted out eventually so they don’t stress themselves out too much about it.

When I was the president of our community here the level of complaints from expats far exceeded those from the Spanish.

The Spanish will have a moan about Zapatero and the state of the economy, but few are inclined to leave the country and would never slate it the way many Brits do with the UK.

Message to expats (including myself):  Chillax!

These are just a handful of some of the traits of the Spanish people that I think we could learn something from.  Things have and still are changing in Spain.  As generations move on traditions and customs are often lost.  Many Spanish will tell you that the Spain of today is very different to the Spain of just ten years ago, and not necessarily for the better.  Hopefully future generations will continue to enjoy similar positive traits to those of today.

Are there any other traits you feel we could benefit from copying?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

I’m off for a siesta now...don’t want work to take over my life!