Marc comes to my 'functional' training class. At some point, 'functional' became a word to refer to a type of physical exercise and we all accepted it. It sounds strange to me. 'Functional' sounds to me like 'the minimum you can do to get by in life'. I'd like to know why it is, functional. Does it make you functional? I understand it does, that you get strong to be functional as a human being. Which is the reason I signed up for it. To have some strength, in the future, to be autonomous, control my sphincters and not defecate on myself after giving birth (if I ever do), for example, or to be able to carry milk cartons and not need the help of these children I will have given birth to. I don't know. I don't know why I think about it in terms of motherhood. The thing is, if I don't do anything about it, my musculature will start to detach more and more from my bones, until it becomes totally dysfunctional. Now I see it that way, in practical terms. But for a long time it wasn't like that: it was in aesthetic terms that I thought about it. And I feel sorry that Marc ends up experiencing the same thing.

Who hasn't found themselves in the situation of asking a child or young person something and receiving, almost systematically, a rude response, as if they were constantly angry? This attitude always stems from some underlying situation, and it only takes a little digging to understand the cause and how to address it. As Laura Aut, psychologist and director of the Psilaut center, points out, it's important to understand that every expression from children is meant to convey something: it's a reaction and, often, a way of communicating a need, even if it's done inappropriately.

When most people finish their workday, a second job begins in the pavilions and fields of the Balearic Islands. Coaches, managers, assistants, sports directors, and club presidents swap their work clothes for tracksuits and dedicate hours to children and young people who form the grassroots of sports, often without pay or with only symbolic compensation. This effort is sustained by a vocation and the conviction that sport educates, instills values, integrates, and shapes lives. With almost 125,000 registered athletes in the Balearic Islands – this figure comes from the Higher Sports Council and corresponds to 2024 – the system is maintained thanks to people who act as coaches, managers, educators, and, in many cases, personal role models for children and young people. They do this after their regular workdays, with busy weekends, and with a responsibility that goes far beyond sporting results. Without this invisible dedication, grassroots sports simply wouldn't exist.

Although it may seem like a pipe dream now, there was a time when humans shared consensus on many matters. Even on the now highly subjective field of child-rearing: "Children walk at one and talk at two" was the illuminating, unifying motto that served as an educational compass on the fascinating journey through this evolutionary period.

The last week of the term has begun. Grades have been posted, and the atmosphere in the classrooms is the same as every year: pent-up nerves, anticipation for Christmas, and boundless energy. Managing the final days before the holidays becomes a challenge, and traditionally, recreational activities are the norm: games, workshops, a film, or a video shared with the group. But this year, this common approach has very clear limitations. Due to stricter regulations on screen use, preschool students are not allowed to go to the cinema or watch any type of audiovisual material, not even occasionally or for recreational purposes. This is according to an email that the Pitiusas Islands' Education Inspection Department has sent to schools across the islands to remind them of the current regulations. Schools and families consulted understand and support the general ban on screen use, but believe that, in specific situations such as the last few weeks before Christmas—when children are more focused on the arrival of the Three Kings than on the regular classroom routine—these resources can have a recreational and inclusive function, such as showing videos with music or dancing in groups. "Some schools used to take them to the cinema, but they've stopped. We have to play music for them without images," says a school principal in Ibiza.

Days of wishes, smiles, and surprises are coming, and for parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles, days of nerves and often, not knowing what to choose from so many options. We've put together a carefully curated selection ofevolutionary toys which guarantee many hours of play and a wide selection of toys to choose from, depending on their interests. There are also options designed for children with special needs. Four key points to understand this guide:

Only three out of ten schools offering lunch service have their own kitchen where the food is prepared. The rest depend on third parties: 63.2% use catering services, while 6.6% receive food from other schools, a system that, for all practical purposes, is also catering. Furthermore, the sector is highly concentrated. Five companies control 64% of the cafeterias in the Balearic Islands, and three of them manage 30 or more schools. This dynamic leaves little room for independent cooks and small businesses to make managing a single cafeteria viable. Operating costs are high, and competing on price with large companies—which can benefit from economies of scale and negotiate better with suppliers—becomes an uneven playing field. But a school cafeteria is much more than just cooking and serving food. Schools value those who manage it, as they are integrated into the life of the school, collaborate with the teaching staff, and understand that the cafeteria is an educational space. "When a company runs a single school, the service is of higher quality, and there's a better relationship with the management team, the children, and the teachers," explain sources from the Federation of Families of Mallorca (FAPA).

The childhood of the Palma-born writer Miquel Àngel Llauger is marked by a disappointment that he has just recounted in his latest book of memoirs, a booklet entitled Whale diptych (Ensiola Editorial). It was early 1973, and I was nine years old. Franco was still more than two and a half years away from death. The country was glued to the images arriving from Nicaragua, in Central America, where on the night of December 23, 1972, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale had devastated the prosperous capital, Managua. The press reported more than 10,000 deaths, although the true number was never known. There were another 20,000 injured and an undetermined number of missing. The scene was apocalyptic, with its historic center in ruins. More than half of the 400,000 people who lived in the city lost their homes. The tragedy was worse than the one experienced with the 1931 earthquake.

In Magaluf, surrounded by apartments, tourist bars, and hotels, students who live there could go their entire lives without ever recognizing Galatzó, the Tramuntana mountain range, or the history hidden behind Palma's old streets. This is the reality for many children in the Balearic Islands: they live confined to their neighborhoods, unaware of the island's culture and heritage, and depend on school to show them the world around them. "Many never venture beyond Portopí," summarizes Marilena Suau, the principal of CEIP Cas Saboners. The school tries to mitigate this inequality, but it can't always succeed. "This lack of awareness isn't new, but it's much more widespread now," explains Guillem Barceló, a social studies teacher at IES Santa Margalida. He recalls how, in the 1980s, some students had never been to Palma's seafront promenade or the Serra de Tramuntana mountains; today, in his experience, this is the norm. "In high school, there are people who don't know what the Seu is. They may have been there, but they don't recognize it." The key, she says, is that many students are first- or second-generation non-natives, and their contact with cultural role models at home is limited, with families who haven't always been able to support or guide them in their integration process. This gap is addressed by schools through outings, cultural activities, and traditional festivals. Maria Antònia Reynés, a teacher at IES Antoni Maura, emphasizes the importance of experiential learning: "The curriculum isn't enough. Students need to experience the culture: participate in festivals, attend events, go on excursions... This is much more effective than theory," she argues. The teachers at Antoni Maura organize scavenger hunts through Palma's Gothic Quarter, outings, and activities that, more than teaching facts, aim to awaken a sense of belonging and curiosity in a school with a high percentage of foreign students.

A woman and her three children were evicted this Friday from a home in Son Gotleu, according to the Palma Housing Union. The eviction, scheduled for 8:30 a.m., took place this morning at number 76 Calle Tomás Rullán, where several people gathered to try to stop it, but without success.

The Ministry of Health will begin vaccinating the target population of children in all public, private, and state-subsidized schools in the Balearic Islands against the flu, totaling 353 schools. By island, vaccinations will be provided in 275 schools in Mallorca, 43 in Ibiza, 4 in Formentera, and 31 in Menorca. During the campaign, which begins on October 6 and runs until November 7, vaccination will be offered to approximately 28,000 children enrolled in the second cycle of early childhood education, that is, children born in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Accompanied by the Regional Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, and the Director General of Public Health, Elena Esteban, she emphasized that they have expanded school vaccination to all schools in the Balearic Islands following the positive results obtained in last year's pilot program, in which 43.2% of children were vaccinated, while those who were not included were vaccinated. Schoolchildren.

Bea Oliver's pregnancy was perfect, "like a movie." "Everything was normal. No vomiting, not a single discomfort." Guiem was born and rushed out of the delivery room. Something wasn't right. She received no explanations, only uncertainty. Bea felt "very questioned" because they asked her repeatedly if she had used drugs during pregnancy. When she finally saw her son, "there wasn't a part of his body where he didn't have a wire." "I wanted to die. I just cried while I watched the woman next to me give birth to a completely healthy child. You never erase these moments from your mind. You just accept what you've been dealt. You live with it," she confesses.

It's always a good time to encourage a love of reading. We recommend several titles for all ages and tastes to get your children hooked on books. This selection was made by Marta Gil, bookseller at El Gat Pelut in Barcelona, ​​specializing in children's and young adult literature.

It's a humid summer day, and the air is thick with mosquitoes. A three-year-old boy is bitten on the cheek and begins to scratch vigorously, causing the skin to itch. The wound is treated and a bandage is applied, and in principle, everything is resolved. But the next day, redness begins to appear and a honey-colored scab gradually forms. For pediatricians, the diagnosis is clear. He has impetigo, a common summer skin condition caused by bacteria in the dermis. Normally, they reside within the skin barrier, but if there is a wound or bite, they can penetrate and cause an infection. It can be localized or spread throughout the skin, either because the child has scratched other areas with dirty, infected hands, or because the germs have entered the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.

Álex is nine years old. He's "fun, kind, and loving." He gets up saying "I love you" and giving out kisses. He handles frustration badly and "is the town's mayor" because "he greets everyone on the street." Aina will be two. She's "smiling, independent, always in a good mood, and sleeps well at night." In short, "she's come to enjoy life." Rosa "has a lot of vitality and character, a sweet baby." Her adoptive parents proudly describe them. Andrés and Alberto are Álex's parents; Miguel is Aina's; and Marta is Rosa's mother. They have been deemed suitable by the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS) of the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs) after completing training and interviews with all the necessary guarantees for minors. "We look for the best families for the children, not children for the families. They are the ones who have the right to be adopted, as a protective measure. And it shouldn't necessarily be as long a process as people think. We try to make it as quick as possible, but always taking into account the child's time and needs," explains Apol lònia Socias, Island Director of Services.

We want to recommend a range of activities for the coming days, such as the play El fill or the Petit Rec de Igualada, the great circuit of pop-up stores for fashion, gastronomy and culture.