Rocío Monge, 63, and Enrique Barreda, 64, have lived in Tibás all their lives. When they were a young couple, they built their house in a residential project that they created with friends. They have a daughter, Catalina, 34, and a son, Mauricio, 32. They now have three grandchildren as well: Franco (8), Arturo (6), and Jimena (2).
When Franco and Arturo were little, before they started school, Rocío received them every morning at her house so that their mother, Catalina, a nutritionist, could go to work. Now that both boys are in school, the young family needs less support.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, Rocío and Enrique pick up Franco and Arturo from school at 2:30 pm and take care of them until the end of the afternoon, when one of their parents comes for them. On Mondays, Jimena, the daughter of their son Mauricio, also joins them. Jimena’s maternal grandmother takes care of her three times a week. On the other two days, her paternal grandparents help out: on Mondays she goes to Rocío and Enrique’s house, and on Thursdays, Rocío goes to Jimena’s house to care for Jimena.
The dynamic is a familiar one for Rocío.
“That’s how it was with my mom,” she recalls in a conversation with the photographer. “They took care of Catalina for me. It’s tit for tat.”
Rocío doesn’t like to drive, so Enrique takes charge of ferrying Franco (right) and Arturo home from school. “My commitment to Cata is transportation,” says Enrique. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío wipes Arturo’s eyes as he leaves school. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Grandchildren and grandparents have a routine when they go home from school: they stop on the way to buy something to eat or play with. This is usually an ice cream. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Enrique draws the line with Arturo, indicating that he cannot buy a product that he wants. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío makes sure Arturo behaves properly in the supermarket. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Once at their grandparents’ house, Franco and Arturo can move freely from one room to another. They both enjoy sitting in their grandfather’s office and watching television. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Mónica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío appreciates Franco’s creativity. That’s why she looks for tools and materials among all the kitchen drawers to help him build his latest invention. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío helps Arturo as he tries to repair a miniature. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506When the end of the afternoon approaches, it is time for a snack. Rocío prepares the bread while Arturo watches television in the main room. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506When Catalina (left), Franco and Arturo’s mother, arrives, she pulls up a seat at the table and listens to her mother’s concerns about her grandchildren. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío tries to make her grandchildren feel safe in her home so they can relax and clown around. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Arturo interrupts to announce that he doesn’t want to hear any more talk about project management and civil engineering, his grandfather’s profession. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Enrique tells Catalina and Rocío what the teacher told him about Arturo (center) the day before. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506Rocío laughs at the story about Franco and Arturo at school the day before. Monica Quesada Cordero / El Colectivo 506
Mónica (Co-Fundadora, Editora Gráfica) es una galardonada fotoperiodista con 15 años de experiencia en el desarrollo de proyectos fotográficos en el área editorial, retrato, vida silvestre, comida y arquitectura. Además, cuenta con experiencia en escritura y redacción y una maestría en Producción Audiovisual y Multimedia. Mónica (Co-Founder, Graphic Editor) is an award-winning photojournalist with 15 years of experience developing photographic projects in the editorial, portrait, wildlife, food and architecture areas. In addition, she has experience in writing and a master's degree in Audiovisual and Multimedia Production.
