That Berlin is on the roll and constantly moving isn’t a secret any more. More and more moving to the big B, spending more money on the same old things, houses and there living . The ones who have been here for a long time and made it to what it is can’t keep up with the higher spending and simply not afford it anymore. Artist, alternatives and Socialist along with the working class is getting pushed more and more to the edges and affordable parts of town while the old art districts become young and hip and the new mecca for the upperclass and the young rich.

But lets not get lost in this, too many tears have been lost on this already.

But there is a side effect to the boom which wouldn’t have crossed my mind if i haven’t had kids (two beautiful ones) the past year.

When you are pregnant in Berlin you need as in any other city too a doctor and a midwife who are doing there best on your monthly check ups and your babies developing. You will need a Hospital or alternatively  a Geburtshaus* if you don’t consider yourself as a woman who will give birth at home. If you have been working and living in Berlin before the pregnancy you will be more likely be covered by a state insurance who is also happy to pay for you a birth preparation course or birth preparation yoga.

Along the line as you start to begin to tick off all these boxes you will find out quite quick that not everything can be found as easy as you had in mind. You have to run fast for each spot as they are very limited. As happy and supportive the government towards the baby boom is the city’s capacity simply hasn’t catched up on it. It wasn’t only once that i heard from other pregnant mothers that they couldn’t find a midwife in there area or that they couldn’t get a spot in the hospital the wanted. From the beginning of your pregnancy everything turns already into applications, requests and waiting list. I personal found it hardest to find a doctor and had to travel quite far each time as i couldn’t get onto one in the area i was living or working in.

But there is and was one thing i haven’t obviously thought about early enough. And since we moved to town only a few month prior i didn’t know anyone with kids and there experiences and missed out all the baby gossip. Only a few month after my Son was born i sensed from some mothers in the open babiegroups and there faces that i was overdue for application on Kindergarden spots. When my son was only 4 month old i got already the first shocked reactions on ‘what you still don’t have a Kita (in Berlin short for Kindergarden) for your son?’

I dint. I didn’t even had it on my mind. From where i was from you would  just eventually go to the Kindergarden of your choice and let them know when you would like your Kid to enter and sign the papers to it. The great east german way. That there was a increased desire on the kindergarden spots in Berlin only then came to me. And so i began…

It took me 11 month, 113 online application on Kita’s, 49 application on mother day care centres and 20 Flyers handed out, a hand full of private Kita inspections and a few docents open inspections. You think Berlin has not such a amount of Kitas but yes it has, and it still is not bloody enough to cover the amount of Kids will ya believe it!

Out of all the above i had two responses(!) which was one in the middle of Marzahn, ages away above a Döner(Kebab)-Shop surrounded by concrete and the other one was on the top of a 8 Lane road surrounded by cars. As soon as you hit the door the smell of urin would stuck to your nose. I felt so bad for all the kids in there.

I must have annoyed every one around me as i haven’t spoke about anything else anymore. I simply coulnt believe that no matter how much effort i put into it i wouldn’t have success.

It was only two weeks ago that i got onto something new. Out of the Krabbelgruppe i got the hot tip that a new Kita would open just next to my hood. That it was one working after the Kneipp and Montessori concept would just come to my ears like the sweet rhythm of ineedyouinmylife.

I went home straight. Did what i had to do to find all about it on the web, applied and made sure they won’t forget us this time.

Yesterday was the final day. The day of the opening. As to expect a massive line up already out the door. My hopes staid low my interest still high. The head of the Kita organisation was constantly surrounded by a circle of other Mothers in similar situations, trying to give there best impression.  After an our of playing with my oldest the lady was to my surprise alone next to us and this is when i went for the chat. She invited us to a more personal parent meeting a few hours later and gave us as well the others in that meeting the happy news of a spot for every single one of us.

And so it goes. The search, the fear, the anxiety an the doubts from the past year came to an end. A massive weight felt off my shoulders and lifted my new level of happiness to the sky. The unmanageable has been done, a milestone of work finally paid off and the end off my nightmares would have suddenly gone into finish line. Me and a docent other parents got to hear the sound of the magic 4 words they been waiting on so long. ‘You got the spot’.

As i hovered home in a cloud of happiness i couldn’t stop smiling. This was the great ending to a long rocky journey . A new chapter is waiting around the corner full of new challenges and adventures along the way. My oldest will start at the Kita. The feeling of transition never felt as clear.

Berlin aint make it no easy no more. But surly the taste of success never tasted this sweet.

 

*Geburtshaus – a home arranged by midwifes with all the arrangements for all your natural birthing needs and no paramedics. The closest to a home birth without being home.