We live in Madrid and my son is also in preschool. He will turn three next week.
The way it works (at least in Madrid) is that you must immediately get "empadronado" (registered) when you have a permanent address. You do this at the ayuntamiento in your town or neighborhood. You then take this document to the "oficina de escolarizacion." They will show you a map with the schools in your area and let you pick five. You are guaranteed a spot--but not in any particular school--but they do their best to put you in the school closest to your home (especially for small children). You can enter in the middle of the year this way. Persistence and knowledge of Spanish language and bureaucracy is key to success.
My son loves his school. His classes run from 9:30 to 12:50 and 3:30 to 5:00. He only goes in the mornings, as he is still taking an afternoon nap. If you want your child to stay for lunch (comedor), you pay extra. There is also the possibility of having them arrive earlier, which also costs extra (these services are usually provided by the parents' association). The class is 20 kids with a teacher and a helper. It is almost entirely geared toward socialization. From what I've learned, here in Madrid, the older more established schools are often preferable to newer ones--which tend to be overcrowded and understaffed.
Try to do as much research as possible on neighborhoods and schools before you get a place. And, yes, try to make your child as bilingual as possible before you land in Spain. It helps immensely, because there are so many other changes (food and schedule especially)--you want to make it as easy as possible for them.
About living in Spain with a small child... For me it is heaven. Kids are much more accepted and appreciated in public here that in the US. It's true that there aren't a lot of structured activities geared strictly toward children. This is because children are welcome to do almost any activity alongside adults. Parents usually take their kids along on their evening paseo, stop at a park or plaza for a copa, while the kids play with one another. It's very relaxed and impromptu, but you'll start to get to know people this way.
About the schedule. You absolutely have to adapt to it. Everyone here does everything at the same time. If you don't, you'll be unhappy and miss out on a lot. Especially in the summer. Because of the heat, kids take very long naps in the afternoon and stay up late... playing after the sun goes down--often until 11 or 12 at night. A lot of playgrounds are located near places where you can have a drink, so everyone gets to have fun...
The way it works (at least in Madrid) is that you must immediately get "empadronado" (registered) when you have a permanent address. You do this at the ayuntamiento in your town or neighborhood. You then take this document to the "oficina de escolarizacion." They will show you a map with the schools in your area and let you pick five. You are guaranteed a spot--but not in any particular school--but they do their best to put you in the school closest to your home (especially for small children). You can enter in the middle of the year this way. Persistence and knowledge of Spanish language and bureaucracy is key to success.
My son loves his school. His classes run from 9:30 to 12:50 and 3:30 to 5:00. He only goes in the mornings, as he is still taking an afternoon nap. If you want your child to stay for lunch (comedor), you pay extra. There is also the possibility of having them arrive earlier, which also costs extra (these services are usually provided by the parents' association). The class is 20 kids with a teacher and a helper. It is almost entirely geared toward socialization. From what I've learned, here in Madrid, the older more established schools are often preferable to newer ones--which tend to be overcrowded and understaffed.
Try to do as much research as possible on neighborhoods and schools before you get a place. And, yes, try to make your child as bilingual as possible before you land in Spain. It helps immensely, because there are so many other changes (food and schedule especially)--you want to make it as easy as possible for them.
About living in Spain with a small child... For me it is heaven. Kids are much more accepted and appreciated in public here that in the US. It's true that there aren't a lot of structured activities geared strictly toward children. This is because children are welcome to do almost any activity alongside adults. Parents usually take their kids along on their evening paseo, stop at a park or plaza for a copa, while the kids play with one another. It's very relaxed and impromptu, but you'll start to get to know people this way.
About the schedule. You absolutely have to adapt to it. Everyone here does everything at the same time. If you don't, you'll be unhappy and miss out on a lot. Especially in the summer. Because of the heat, kids take very long naps in the afternoon and stay up late... playing after the sun goes down--often until 11 or 12 at night. A lot of playgrounds are located near places where you can have a drink, so everyone gets to have fun...
