Kids in Spain are often a reflection of Spanish society: boisterous, outdoorsy and straight-talking. But does their outgoing nature tend to veer into misbehaviour? We asked our readers what they think.
Spanish children are a visible and valued part of society, whether in the parks, on the terraces, or out in playgrounds until late (at least for Northern European standards) at night.
Some might see this adult-like freedom from a young age as unruly or bad behaviour. Others may consider it as a sign of social maturity and how integrated Spanish kids are in everyday life.
The notable noise levels in Spain might have something to do with this, and even Spanish teachers themselves admit as much: a recent study found that a third of Spanish teachers acknowledge that classrooms are noisy and that they lose a great deal of time due to disruption from pupils, a figure well above the average for neighbouring countries.
Or perhaps the Spanish propensity for swearing in almost any social situation rubs off on kids, for hearing a seven-year-old openly curse on the playground could, to non-Spaniards, appear rude or badly behaved.
As with all kids, there are both good and bad, well behaved and badly behaved.
It’s impossible to generalise about entire nationalities, of course, but getting insight from our international readership can give us some context and perspective we might not have otherwise had.
So we asked our readers: do you think kids in Spain are badly behaved?
Here’s what they had to say. Reader Paul made an important distinction when answering the question: “Depends on what you mean by kids. If I was walking on my own [in Spain] and came across a group of teenagers, I would have no hesitation to walk past them,” he said, comparing it with the UK: “I’ve done it many times and they acknowledge you. In the UK, no way.”
Interestingly, several respondents pointed to Spanish culture as an explanation for behaviour among Spanish kids, again pointing to the idea that Spanish kids make a lot of noise but also that it’s a reflection of Spanish society.
“Spanish kids are given a lot of freedom. Verbally and interactively. They are not “badly behaved, just noisy,” Vanessa told The Local.
This could partly explain why the supposed lack of classroom discipline, and that it causes a great deal of stress for teachers: some 50 percent of teachers and 58 percent of younger teachers admitted so, according to the study.
Similarly, loud children out and about without parents could be misinterpreted. Reader Almudena agreed, adding that “kids in Spain are much more integrated in the adult world. Some people misinterpret that as bad behaviour.”
But for some readers, this is one of the most positive things about the country: “One thing I really love about Spain is the way children are raised,” Rachael said.
“Spanish children aren’t expected to sit quietly in the corner or be “seen and not heard.” They’re encouraged to be children, to be warm, friendly, expressive, curious and part of everyday life,” she added.
However, in the comments another reader called Esther argued that this has changed: “there has been an evolution – or what I would call a devolution – in how children are raised in Spain. When I was young, parents didn’t take you along to bars or restaurants. If you didn’t have an older sister, a grandmother, or a grandfather to look after you, your parents simply wouldn’t go to bars. We were, however, present at all family gatherings and celebrations—weddings, baptisms, communions, and local festivals.
“The problem is that nowadays, children are taken to restaurants from a very young age (I don’t mind them in bars), and, to be honest, they can be quite a nuisance. One thing I liked about the UK was that there were no children in the restaurants,” she added.
READ ALSO: Why are Spaniards so ‘loud’?
But for American reader Marvel, compared to back home in the US, Spanish kids go out of their way to help: “I’m retired and every time I get on the bus, a young person offers their seat or offers to lift my grocery cart. In the US, that never happened,” she said.
However, not all of our readers felt the same way, and some said that Spanish kids are indeed badly behaved.
Jessy blamed it on something quite specific: “No, most of them aren’t [well behaved],” she said. “I do think that a lot of them are sleep deprived and that makes them more hyperactive.”
It’s true that Spain’s somewhat different sleep schedules have been proven to disrupt life. In 2013, a Spanish national commission concluded that Spaniards sleep almost an hour less than the European average, and that this led to increased stress, concentration problems, both at school and work, and workplace accidents.
READ ALSO: Why I’ll never adopt Spanish bedtimes for my children
Julie, a teacher in Spain, said of her experience: “I have taught, nursery, primary and secondary and no they are not well behaved.”
Another reader admitted she’d “had a few issues with aggressive young teenage boys” but added she “I’m hoping they are isolated incidents.”
Cultural considerations aside — namely personal space and volume, it seems, judging by our reader’s responses. Perhaps a commenter called Sheridan summed it up best: “[It] depends, there are badly behaved kids and well behaved kids in every part of the world”.
