Every parent wants their child to be happy, and they do all they can to make sure that they have a happy childhood. They try and shield them from any struggles they may face, and they really try to make sure they have everything they need to live that healthy life. However, here is a whole world out there that has different countries. These countries have their own parenting traditions, cultures and styles and it would serve every parent well to pay attention to what these are.There is nothing wrong with looking outside your culture and country to see how other parents are doing things. Especially if that country is known for having happier and healthier parenting strategies and children. Parents can learn a lot from listening to other parents, taking the information that works for their family and applying it to their situations. When it comes to happier children, the Netherlands may be the place to look to.
Their Children Are Happier
According to Childhub, children who live in the Netherlands are among the happiest in the world, and parents are all dying to know why. A report was made by Unicef, that can be read in full here, and it found that these children are happier and healthier than a lot of other countries, including the US. They looked at children’s mental health, physical health, and how they develop their academic and social skills. The top three were the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. Let’s take a closer look at why that could be.
Less Pressure
According to CNBC, one of the biggest reasons why the children are happier is because there is less pressure in the school system. School takes up a large part of a child’s life and it can be very overwhelming. The Netherlands there is not any focus on GPA’s or “elite” colleges, and school is seen as just a way to a child’s wellbeing and social development. All children need to do to attend higher education in the Netherlands is pass their high school exams, they don’t need specific grades, letters of recommendations or anything like that.
Parents Are Home
It is also important to look at how parents are treated in other countries, because that can have an impact on a child’s happiness and wellbeing. In the Netherlands, children get to spend more time with both parents as the country has figured out how to make a more positive work-life balance. They only have 29-hour workweeks and most of the adult population in the country works part-time and can still afford to live, so both parents are accessible to the children and this is only a positive to their mental health and happiness. Another small fact is that children in the Netherlands are allowed to eat chocolate sprinkles for breakfast. This is called ‘hagelslag’ and they are a normal and routine part of breakfast and are usually sprinkled on toast in the morning. How could anyone not be happy when they have chocolate sprinkles for breakfast?