Update from Mexico City

By AdventureDad on February 9th, 2006 Print This Post Email This Post

Finally a little time for blogging down here in Mexico. Sorry about the late update but it has been a busy time. The plan has been to spend a week in Mexico City with family, then a week on the beach in sunny and warm Ixtapa, and finally ten days in Baja California. The first week has been pretty good and less stressful than expected. I love Mexico, but not Mexico City. The country is so lovely and the people so different when you depart the city. Last year we spent two months in Mexico and a few of those were in Mexico City. I thought that was way too much since the town is kind of a nightmare, especially with kids. It's nice to see family and friends but even the simplest thing is a project in this city. Why? It's the worlds largest city, 25 million people, and that should give you a good idea of some issues. Security, traffic, pollution, and inefficiency that makes you cry are a few of them. It's nearly unbearable to do his without kids so you can imagine how it is with children. So this year we are just spending a week in this crazy town. And is has been a good week.

I have mentioned before that Daniel is an easy kid and a phenomenal traveler. He has once again been his usual cheerful self and adapted without problems. It can be difficult for a young child to face dramatic changes but fortunately we got him started at an early age. NYC is definitely a big change from base camp in Stockholm. Mexico City is an even larger step because the climate is so different and you spend more time in traffic. Going from -10 (15 F) to +30 (85-90 F) is also quite a chock for your body if your not used to it. It's probably a good idea to do the worlds largest city first before we head south where it's REALLY WARM. Sleeping in a hotel, not your own bed, different noises, etc. are other factors that can be troublesome. That's why I recommend traveling early on with your child so they learn to adapt.

Being in Mexico City means traveling by car to get anywhere. Daniel is used to being outside a lot and that is a challenge here. I feel kind of trapped since people don't go out and walk with kids on the streets so if you're in the city and see a father running around with his son you know who it is. I guarantee that I'm the only father in Mexico City that do this. But I just can't stand being inside or drive 45 minutes go get to some little park. Last year I felt like he had to spend way to much time in the car on a daily basis so we tried to take it easier this year. But everything takes so much time and the traffic is so awful it's difficult to spend less than a couple of hours a day in the car.

One great thing with traveling as a fairly new parent is all the different parenting styles you encounter. It's a very educational process and you learn a lot. Having children in Mexico City can be summed up as a complete nightmare. I clearly don't understand how parents think. If children would be anywhere near a priority for parents of this city, it would be half empty instead of the world largest city. Kids are far down on the list. Which is kind of weird considering that the Latin's are well known for being much about family.

Don't get me wrong, there is much to see and do in this huge place but the problems with infrastructure are enormous. It's unsafe, the air is extremely polluted, there is no natural nature or green areas, decent schools are incredibly expensive, and the traffic is beyond horrible. Even in the nice areas you always have to be aware and alert because of the many kidnappings for ransom that have increased exponentially. When I go out walking with my son, I'm 80% bodyguard and 20% father. Therefore most children face the involuntarily punishment of being inside 99% of the time. Try to occupy a toddler creatively 12 hours a day 365 days a year and you'll see how frustrating it is for the child. And nanny. Actually, just try it for a week without going crazy or parking the kids in front of the TV.

There are unfortunately a high percentage of poor families in Mexico who face an everyday struggle with raising their children. Their issues are sadly financial and educational. For the people with money, the choices are many but the direction is fairly clear. It's the maid and the nanny who raise the children. The father is working and the wife usually doesn't. That is slowly changing with this new generation though. But not working doesn't necessarily mean taking care of the kids since there are many other (fun) things to do. Regardless of working or not, it's the nanny that takes care of the children and run the household.

The contrast in parenting style compared to other countries is dramatic. Perhaps not much compared to U.S. or other Latin countries, but the difference to our current place of residence (Sweden) is huge. The priority in Sweden is family and children. Then comes the rest. As a dedicated father I can't imagine being involved like a Latin father. That should actually read uninvolved, the Latin fathers are not involved. At all. Finding a father who can take care of the evening and morning routine alone would be a struggle. So would finding fathers who have dropped their kids off at school, or spent time there. The parents role in more affluent families, especially fathers, is limited. A hug when the father comes home from work and a couple of trips to the playground during the weekend. That's about it for the week. But you might take my opinions with a grain of salt since I'm apparently a judgmental asshole

AdventureDad