The happiest kids in the world have social safety nets. “In a country like the Netherlands where parents like my sister receive ample parental leave, childcare stipends, a four-day work week, and universal healthcare, the low-level anxiety that many American parents feel isn’t as common.”
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Discussion 3 comments
My husband and I recently adopted an infant so I've been binge reading parent books in the middle of the night...while I'm waiting for kiddo to snort in her sleep so I know she didn't suddenly die (i've been told this is normal parenting behavior)
I recently read "The Happiest Kids in the World: How Dutch Parents Help Their Kids (and Themselves) by Doing Less" and all I could think the ENTIRE time was "Yeah this sounds amazing...and is a great way to get arrested in the US". This is more than government policy - this is an absolute cultural shift.
100% agree. This requires a shift in our thinking as individuals and more into a society. We're fighting 100s of years of telling people to do things on their own. It's feels near impossible.
I can only speak for my Montana town, but the people here don't want anything to change. Things suck for most of us, and they complain about it, but ultimately double down on the status quo.
We're working towards moving at this point. The Netherlands is our top choice so far, but really northern Europe in general.
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