It's 10:30 a.m. on a winter Friday, and when we arrive at 12-year-old Martín's room, we find him with his hospital teacher, Alba Sau. Together, they're trying to identify the fruit scent of each of the perfume bottles arranged on a tray. The young boy, who suffers from a rare metabolic disorder called sulfite oxidase deficiency, laughs every time he correctly identifies one of the fragrances, showing off his keen sense of smell. The day before, they had been painting, improvising a paintbrush with a straw and a pencil that Martín used in his mouth. "We try to adapt as much as possible to each child's tastes and interests to connect with them," Alba explains, while trying to set up Tobii, the tablet Martín uses to communicate through his eyes, on Martín's bedside table. "For me, it's essential that Martín can communicate, not only with me, but also with his mother and the healthcare staff; it's part of his recovery," she emphasizes.

This weekend, Mada is looking after her nephews Vera and Ibai, aged nine and six, respectively. Her sister-in-law, the children's mother, is preparing for competitive exams, so she's using Saturday morning to study at the Ignasi Iglesias-Can Fabra library in Sant Andreu, while Mada takes the two children and her seven-year-old daughter, Ona, for a walk around the neighborhood. At midday, the children and their parents will all gather at Mada's house for lunch. Although they live in different neighborhoods and each cousin has a different circle of friends, both families try to see each other often. "We alternate Saturday lunches between our house and theirs," explains Mada, who emphasizes how the three children enjoy the evening the most. They also occasionally babysit for the children. "That way, the parents can enjoy some free time when we need it or when we feel like getting away without the kids," she notes. These are moments that Mada considers ideal for enriching their relationship and doing different things, "but also for learning about other routines and ways of doing things, and for them to understand that every family can have different customs and rules." In the summer, Mada's family spends the season with their caravan at the campsite, and sometimes Ona receives visits from her cousins. "All of us being there, sleeping together and playing and running around the campsite in semi-freedom is quite an adventure!" she emphasizes. Mada and her brother—Vera and Ibai's father—are from Cantabria, so during the summer they also take the opportunity to visit family. "Our other brother and our nephews David and Regina live there, and although we don't see each other as much as they'd like, when all five cousins ​​get together it's fantastic," she explains.

Efforts have been underway for some time to eradicate sexist language, including reducing sexism in areas such as advertising and toys. Is the same effort being made in the children's costume sector? In other words, has the range of options broadened beyond princess or ballerina costumes for girls and superhero, police officer, or athlete costumes for boys? For psychologist Elena Crespi, the answer is a resounding "no." She points out that although a new self-regulation code came into effect three years ago, aiming to prevent catalogs and advertisements from linking a type of toy to a specific gender, "wherever we're going, we still see that in firefighter and police officer figures and toys, boys continue to be the protagonists of images typically associated with girls." The only change, he adds, is that if there is, for example, a police costume in which we can see a girl as a model, the dress automatically changes to sexualize that child with tighter trousers or a skirt, a shirt that opens more or a shorter t-shirt."

Fourteen-year-old Fiona Olivé lives with a constant cough and runny nose. It's as if she's always sick. During the cold season, her family is always on high alert to prevent her from getting seriously ill, as any respiratory infection can easily become complicated and develop into pneumonia. The young girl is allergic to various types of dust mites, grasses, and cats, and for a time, there was also a suspicion that she was allergic to eggplants, which was recently ruled out after controlled food exposure at the Sant Pau Hospital's day hospital. However, for the two years she lived with this suspicion, she had to act like a person with allergies. de facto to this vegetable. During this period, explains Karla Islas, her mother, the hardest thing for her was having to constantly be aware of the allergy "and, before eating anything, having to ask or be alert in case it contained eggplant." The young woman "also found it difficult at school," she adds.

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience parenthood with particular intensity for several reasons. Aina Durán, a psychology graduate and student of the Master's program in General Health Psychology, cites the constant changes involved in caring for a baby or child, such as irregular schedules, unexpected needs, crying, and other sensory stimuli. "These can be especially demanding for someone who needs predictability and routine," she points out. Difficulties may also arise in interpreting subtle nonverbal cues from the child, especially in the early years, when they cannot verbalize what they feel or want. This can generate insecurity when trying to determine if the baby is hungry, in pain, or tired. According to Durán, who also supports people with ASD at the Friends Foundation, sensory overload must also be considered, which, "as a result of loud noises, musical toys, lights, or the inherent clutter of parenting, can quickly lead to exhaustion." It is also necessary to pay attention to executive functions such as planning, organizing, and coordinating tasks, which can present a considerable challenge. Finally, the psychologist states that many autistic mothers and fathers have been "victims of discrimination and infantilization" by other parents or educational professionals, which "increases stress and can contribute to isolation."

Antimicrobial drugs, including antibiotics, marked a turning point in modern medicine. However, this great advance is threatened because, every year, more microorganisms are found. learn To defend themselves against treatments, bacteria become stronger and more resistant, rendering medications ineffective. Eneritz Velasco, attending physician in the infectious diseases department at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and coordinator of the hospital's antimicrobial stewardship program, points out that among the uses that most compromise their effectiveness is "using them when they are not necessary," since antibiotics are effective against viral infections such as the flu, the common cold, or COVID-19. Velasco emphasizes that "they are also not analgesics," so they do not relieve pain "nor do they treat coughs or reduce fever."

The dictionary of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC) defines the term resilience as "an individual's ability to overcome an unfavorable or risky situation." This is a highly valued attitude in the adult world, especially in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous context in which we currently live; therefore, it is an important skill to cultivate as soon as possible.

During the autumn and winter months, we tend to spend less time outdoors than at other times of the year. The colder weather and fewer hours of sunlight mean that families often spend more time at each other's homes, places where children can enjoy the company of elderly relatives, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but also where viruses that cause colds and flu circulate more freely, often increasing the risk of infection. It is no coincidence, therefore, that year after year around this time there is a peak in viral infections such as the common cold, the flu, COVID-19, and bronchiolitis.

Ona Lloveras was born with Shwachman syndrome, a rare inherited disorder that causes the pancreas and bone marrow to malfunction. She was diagnosed at the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell at the age of two. Until she was six, Ona was frequently hospitalized for neutropenia, anemia, bronchitis, and various infections. At age 12, her bone marrow began to fail, leading to severe myelodysplasia, a type of pre-leukemia. In April 2013, the family was informed that the only solution was a bone marrow transplant, as chemotherapy would not resolve the problem in her case. No compatible donor was found, and so, on May 27, 2013, they opted for an umbilical cord blood transplant. Afterward, Ona—who was 13 at the time—spent many months hospitalized and isolated at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, first due to the transplant itself and then because of intestinal and skin rejection and the numerous infections she faced. "After a lot of things I don't want to remember anymore, I was able to go home," she explains now. However, she clarifies: "Home care didn't prevent a lot of trips back and forth to the hospital and having to take a lot of medication."

Recent studies on tourism trends point to a growing preference for 3- or 4-day getaways over longer trips. This is evidenced, for example, by a recent study conducted by the Eurostars Hotel Company among its more than 8,000 clients, which reveals, among other things, that 64% of travelers prefer to take advantage of weekends and long weekends to enjoy nearby destinations, leading to more frequent and planned trips. However, a shift away from seasonality is also a visible trend, as 30% of respondents prefer autumn, given its pleasant weather and charming landscapes, far removed from the crowds typical of summer. The hotel chain's survey also highlights that 52% of travelers seek authenticity and a break from daily stress through immersive cultural experiences, while 41% also opt for wellness tourism.

Over the past few years, the Directorate General of Tourism has redoubled its efforts to make Catalonia a leader in the responsible and innovative management of tourism. This mission is shared by the rest of the team, including the Deputy Director General of Territorial Tourism Development, Xavier Font, who cites the reactivation of the Catalonia Tourism Board and the creation of a knowledge hub, called the Group of Experts, as key steps in the last twelve months. This group is made up of academic experts, such as economists, who, in Font's opinion, "stand out for their contributions to tourism."

Boí Valley

Between four and six in the afternoon, while his parents are still working, Luca Azañón typically spends time with his maternal grandparents during the week. They pick him up from daycare, have snacks and play together at home, and go to the park or shopping. When his two-and-a-half-year-old son falls ill, Hilario and Jacinta also take care of him. His parents, Carlos and Miriam, point out that the grandparents' role "is essential" in being able to manage everything, especially when his work shifts change and he has to call on his in-laws to care for the child. "My shifts rotate, so if we didn't have their support, maybe I should ask to be transferred to another department where the shifts were more consistent," Carlos acknowledges. Beyond being a vital resource when it comes to balancing work and family life, the grandparents and grandson also enjoy leisure time and free time with the rest of the family.

"I would like to spend more time with you, but I need to rest." These were the last words Pau Verdaguer spoke just hours before his death on September 17, 2024, at the age of 20. The young man suffered from an autoimmune disease since birth, congenital erythroblastopenia or Blackfan-Diamond disease, which prevented him from producing red blood cells. He was diagnosed at birth, on January 5. Pau arrived like a true Three Kings' Day gift. The icing on the cake of a close-knit family made up of his parents, Cristina and Sergi, and his siblings, Adriana, Miquel, and Albert, who at the time were 10, 11, and 14 years old, respectively.

Just a few months ago, Gerard Ribas managed to break into one of the most prestigious lists for board games, the German Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year), which annually recognizes the best board games in the world. In this case, the award recognized him in the children's category. Thanks to his game Island in sight, it reached a ranking in which two more games from our home team had already debuted, Sherlock –co-created by Martí Lucas and Josep Izquierdo– and Baobab, by Josep Maria Allué.

When a child loses in a competitive activity, emotions such as frustration, anger, sadness, or helplessness are often triggered. These emotional responses, explains Júlia Maria Bonet, a child and adolescent clinical psychologist, have a neurobiological basis, since the brain is still developing the structures responsible for emotional regulation, such as the prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, Bonet continues, their self-esteem is still highly dependent on external success, and they may perceive defeat "as a threat to their personal worth." Bonet emphasizes that, according to Bandura's self-efficacy theory, which stipulates that self-confidence influences behavior and success, "if children have not developed sufficient confidence in their abilities, they may experience defeat as a deeply personal failure."

Atopic skin is the most common inflammatory disease in childhood. Symptoms include dry skin and eczema or red, itchy welts that interfere with sleep in babies and children. As Asunción Vicente, a dermatologist at San Juan de Dios Hospital, points out, these symptoms usually appear before the age of one.

Today, access to housing is, along with insecurity, the issue that most distresses the citizens of Barcelona. In a context where exorbitant prices have become the norm, the city council has been working for some time to reverse the situation and provide decent and affordable housing for citizens through the construction of social housing, 88% of which was planned to be built on municipal land by 2023. Now, with the rollout of the Vivir Plan and under the slogan "We prioritize housing," the city has placed access to housing at the center of municipal action with three objectives: universalize the right to this housing; rehabilitate and improve homes based on criteria of sustainability, accessibility, and comfort; and address vulnerability, the demographic challenge, and life stages. This milestone requires the collaboration of all stakeholders involved in the management and execution that must lead to its achievement and explains the recent creation of the new Department of Protected Housing, which must help plan, coordinate, and implement the necessary actions. Areas such as Glòries, La Sagrera, Marina de El Prat Vermell, and 22@, which have great potential for expanding affordable housing in the city, will be strategic.

According to data from the Companion Animal Identification Archive (AIAC) of the Council of Veterinary Colleges of Catalonia, 1.3 million dogs and 344,385 cats were registered in our country in 2024. In Barcelona, there is already approximately one dog for every 10 inhabitants, which means that in many homes, children and pets coexist amicably. Now, which pets, and from what age do experts recommend families incorporate one into their home? Psychologist and animal-assisted intervention (IAA) professional Silvia Guillamón advises introducing animals into the home from 3-4 years of age, starting with easy-to-handle pets such as fish, hamsters, or rabbits. From 6-7 years of age, "if the child shows interest, empathy, and a capacity for responsibility," she clarifies, living with dogs or cats can be considered. Likewise, with children who already live with a pet and have established a healthy bond, adding another one can be considered, "as long as the well-being of the first animal and the family's ability to care for two are guaranteed," emphasizes the director of the L'Arbre Center.

The 2025 Oral Health Barometer in Spain indicates that orthodontics is the tenth most common treatment among the Spanish population. For children, it is a key treatment, "especially for those in their growing years, who are replacing temporary teeth with permanent ones," notes Dr. Manuel Poveda, founder and clinical director of QuickSmile. The benefits range from correcting bone asymmetries in the maxilla and mandible to improving chewing habits.