Frances Leate
SPANISH parents have come up trumps when it comes to their children’s stability.
Around 91.5% of children in Spain live with both their natural parents, making it the third most stable country for the under 14s after Finland and Greece.
Social commentators who helped commission the league table say the good positioning of Spain could be because of the countries high emphasis on marriage and family life.
A spokesman said: “Spain is a country that really values family life and marriage is still considered important.
“The older generations have passed down their values onto the younger ones who then strive to create a stable home life for their children.”
The stability league table was commissioned by the organisation of economic co-operation and development in 2007 and looked at every country in the Western World.
Spain was in joint third alongside the much smaller country of Luxembourg.
Britain came 27th in the table which revealed that only two thirds of children 14 or under are still living in the same household as their mum and dad.
Since 2005, when the Divorce Law was changed in Spain, divorce rates have skyrocketed. Not at all sure sure how this squares with the “stability league table” mentioned in this article. The stability of the family in Spain is yet another myth it seems.
See the many dozens of articles online: “http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&output=search&q=divorce+rates+in+spain&oq=divorce+rates+in+spain”
Maybe they can’t afford to split up physically,(two households to pay for etc.) and just carry on festering in the same casa. Sorry, parenting in the same casa.
I suppose this article is about family life for children but I do not think Spain is a good place for young children. When my kids went to a Spanish school there was a lot of bullying and what with no jobs and not much opportunity I think kids are better off elsewhere in the world albeit with one or two parents. It is a shame as Spain has a great climate, a lot of land but very bad politicians. It could and should be so much more.
Spanish children also gain from closer contact with their grandparents,who can often help to relieve the strain on parents in these difficult times.
Among the many damaging effects of divorce on children in the Uk, one of the worst is the loss of contact with the grandparents,usually on the father’s side when the mother has custody.