Fathers

The coronavirus pandemic and the state of alarm have given us more time to live with our children. Hours to play, laugh and learn, but also more hours in which conflicts have arisen between them, fights and situations that wear down the relationships between parents and children, and between the brothers themselves.

Since March our routines and way of living have changed and since the state of alarm was lifted we have tried to adapt to what we call "new reality."

We all want to do the best we can for our children. And as parents, we naturally look out for their good and we care about educating them, loving them and protecting them from anything that could be harmful to them.

There is no experience similar to being a mother. It can have many drawbacks, but it always compensates a lot. Even so, we are aware that there is still a long way to go so that society and the world of work do not penalize women who decide to have children. That is undoubtedly one of the reasons that cause the birth rate in Spain to be lower every year. Currently, Spanish women only have 1.4 children on average, compared to 2.1 in the United States, 2 in the United Kingdom, or 1.9 in Germany. Also the average age to have the first child is delayed in Spain (31 years on average) compared to 27 in Germany or 25 in the United States.

How would you define motherhood or fatherhood in one word? Having a child is one of the most important events in a person's life, and each one has a different definition of it.

The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and confinement has upset us all, to a greater or lesser extent. It is clear that some people are better able to cope with adversity while others require professional help at certain times to learn how to cope with difficult times.

While we are living it, it seems impossible to think that even from the most adverse situations something positive can be obtained. And the harsh confinement that has kept us locked up at home for two weeks is no exception and has left us learning about ourselves that will always accompany us and make us go back to these days.

My husband, partner and friend, the love of my life, died of a brain tumor when my oldest daughter was just seven years old and our youngest son was just a six-month-old baby.