5 Great Things about Raising a Child in Korea

[@MyKoreanHusband]

Yul is actually 22 months now, this was filmed a few months ago. We have a chat about positive things in South Korea when you are a parent. Every country has pros and cons, but we really love some of the pros in Korea and wanted to talk about them. When you live in another country you do end up being part of some expat communities whether in real life or online. Unfortunately some expat communities can be negative about EVERYTHING. That can be a slippery slope when people ONLY talk about negative things, especially when everyone views things through their own cultural lens. So we wanted to make sure we talk about and appreciate the things we do like in Korea.

[@AndreaJF]

So many advantages! Raising a child in Belgium is made easy for so many things too, but is soooo expensive (even with a government grant we also have as long as the child is a full time student (or 26 - whichever comes first). I’m (Im)patiently waiting for a video about Korea’s education system before I actually make comments about it. But so far, im impressed by the level. Not so much by the pressure and stress it generates among young students though. I’ll wait to have an objective and Korean perspective for the rest :) Thanks for talking about the pro’s in having babies in Korea !! Very interesting! Take care

[@Gyu_and_Agata]

You guys are doing a great job! it can be see from how happy Yul is!

[@MyKoreanHusband]

aww thank you

[@OhKeiSyd]

This video helps so much ;-; My SO and I aren't sure if we want to raise our kids in Korea or the US... We are so worried about dual citizenship, potential military service if he is a boy, potential bullying in school, etc. Things like this really help us!!! Thank you!! p.s. If you could make a video about these topics specifically I would appreciate it! I know Yul is still young, but if you have anything to say on the topic I'd love to watch!

[@patriciamariasoares]

I can totally relate to the social and cultural benefits of daycare. My child is Australian born but we don’t come from an English speaking background. It’s very cute to see her come home to teach us all the games and songs that We wouldn’t know!

[@Donnasherwani]

Love this! Thinking of returning to Korea now that we have two kids, hubby and I both watched you guys and I think your video convinced us thank you both ❤️

[@Donnasherwani]

We pay $125 a day to childcare and yes as Hugh said it’s almost one persons salary

[@OddlyElly]

Also in Queensland, ambulance is subsidized through electricity bills so it's essentially free. Even when you are out of state, you show that you are a QLD resident the government pays.

[@bluekimchiandrea4476]

Jeez, health care, day care. I'm jealous for sure! It is like that in U.S. for costs of day care. NO politician in America care about child/daycare costs it seems. Vermont is mostly rural and green is everywhere, so I'm thankful for that and pretty safe. Kid cafes here are McDonald's or pizza places. They used to have indoor playgrounds, but have taken those out recently. Ha ha, I would be the ahjumma! 🤣(Sorry for misspelling). Housing is expensive in VT, especially our small cities, as they are also college towns.

[@Anjel1e]

As someone who worked in childcare in Toronto/Canada, I can say childcare is expensive in Canada. There are a lot of benefits and help, but not everyone can or will qualify.

[@jackandamy]

Thank you for sharing! This is helpful information. Makes moving back to Korea(now that we have children) more tempting. Great video!

[@lizawithaz9524]

Daycare here in Australia is ridiculously expensive. Personally I had to stay home when my children were pre school age because if I had to go out & work 75% of my wage would have gone to daycare. You do get a percentage rebate/refund at tax time, but you still have to pay the amount upfront. Having said that there is an increase in private homes opening up their doors for childcare services. Like childcare centres, they also have to pass accreditation & security checks to work from home, but it's slightly cheaper & your child receives a more personalised care as these homes are only allowed a handful of children. As you can imagine, there is a lengthy wait list for this type of care as you can imagine many parents preference for this type of personalised care for their child. Also wanted to point out that national Ambulance memberships are free if you have a concession card/low income earner, but for a working family the annual fee is approximately $90. I think in some states (QLD?) the fee is absorbed into resident's amenities bills too. As Australia's healthcare system has been ranked within the top 10 worldwide, I think these payment/non payment options are pretty reasonable. Australian Government also provide children with free yearly dental health care from 2yrs - 17yrs of age.

[@yarasarkis5619]

Thank you so much for this video.. i was actually having a hard time thinking about a similar situation with my boyfriend.. he is korean.. and we are planning a family soon.. and we were weighing the pros and cons for having our family in korea vs switzerland.. Switzerland is so similar to australia with the life costs and so on.. but i was also scared about having children in korea because many many people scared me.. so thank you soooo much for this video! It is so so so helpful!

[@imigracaocanada]

Here in Canada daycare is so expensive... I’m trying to go back to work now, it’s been a challenge. My husband always tells me to go to Korea because of this. 😁

[@earthstar7534]

This was incredibly interesting from a cultural perspective. I would love more of these eastern western culture comparisons.

[@TV-nh8sh]

보기 좋은 커플이에요 국커 힘든 일 많죠? 힘내요 You guys look great together. It must be tough as a international couple. Let's cheer up! I am currently in a dilemma about raising my kid here or in Singapore.

[@sunnydelite144]

Thank you for the video ! You guess explained it wonderfully! When you started talking about insurance, I low-key cried in American. Anyways I'd love if you guys talked about the special mutlicultural schools! In one of your previous videos, you met a woman who ran a multinational school! Could perhaps talk more about primary education? Because as parents, even though Yul is not a toddler yet, the next step would be enrolling him in pre-school or thinking about primary school. I would love to hear about what you've encountered/ your thoughts on elementary education because that is completely different from the high school system in SK.

[@Ellaniya]

I would have loved to have a daycare or school like they do in many Asian countries for my sons to go to as I think many of them are so much better as to how they work with young kids. I also would have loved to have a granny come to my house when I was a first time momma with no family around and was so overwhelmed! Yul is just too cute and I'm glad he has you both for parents as well as a daycare that he loves! You're both wonderful parents and I think the daddy competition is funny.

[@NybKww]

I’m getting married in Fall 2021 to my Korean (soon to be) husband! I was also wondering about this and now I feel so much better. My work is kind of free lance, would our kids be able to go to daycare only days needed or is it like a school schedule where if they sign up they have to go every day? We are going to live in Busan though so it might be different depending on the daycare

[@MyKoreanHusband]

Depending on the daycare, but it can be flexible, I think just a certain minimum of days per month they need to attend at least.

[@anonymousanonymous-wc4wx]

Let me tell you something about American. American is considered one of the wealthiest country, but when it comes to Healthcare, it's like third world countries. Even if you have the best insurance, its hard to see a doctor when you need to because they are fully booked. No such thing as same day appointments unless you are going to emergency room visit.

[@ksb9469]

IKR

[@MrJasonMcintyre]

Great video. Fascinated by anything to do with South Korea.

[@wonjung1859]

That was an interesting story for like me kind of people, Korean family living in Sydney. :)

[@코메타-w5h]

Daycare 라는게 어린이집/유치원 같은걸 말하는 건가요?😊

[@rinchoi8882]

yes :)

[@EmilyArslan1]

Are these benefits for only people who have part korean child? I am planning on teaching in Korea. I didn’t know if these benefits would be for my child as well.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

I don't think foreign residents with no Korean family members can get them. However, even when paying full price for things like daycare and healthcare, people have found costs to be quite low.

[@lmeaey]

I may need a list of the kids cafes. 😂😂😂 Coming to Seoul in Dec. Guro Digital Complex area

[@UrbanSombreroCollector]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@pet_tularhodes3687]

Okay I want to live in Korea now

[@tranlily3001]

btw, your baby is so cute, too cuties!!! ❤️

[@ScarlettKriss]

I do have doubts that places like here US-Texas will ever be able to use these ideas. I think Tx is so independent-minded in how we raise people that it goes too far, people think we younger people just need to pull up our bootstraps. I have liked the Lil Try Hard= Baepsae song so much for so long, I'm also quite small...lol When I am feeling frustrated I'll play it so loud even teenage APs at college complain. I am moving to Korea after my BA is finished. I notice your tones about Australia sound similar, TX and Oz are sisters at heart. Alright, random comment over.

[@ssol2056]

Is Yul’s first language gonna be Korean? Do you speak Korean or mostly English with him? How are you planning to teach him two different languages? :) oh also can he have both Australian and Korean passport?

[@MyKoreanHusband]

Yul is bilingual and understands both languages and says words in both. At the moment he has about equal exposure to both. He also has both Australian and Korean passports and is citizenship for both countries:)

[@charlottenixon1471]

@@MyKoreanHusband But as an adult you can't have a dual citizenship in Korea - Yul have to give up one citizenship when he reaches adulthood.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

@@charlottenixon1471 which is a long time away and things may have changed by then, especially as Korea becomes more multicultural. But until then he has dual citizenship and even if he does give up one in the future he will still be Australian and Korean.

[@laXrockera691]

For the record, I am a single woman living in America with no kids. That being said, as far as you're aware, what services are there available for single mothers in Korea?

[@hyunhong4610]

la_rockera691 At least you get the same benefit as what they get. Actually you may get better benefit

[@laXrockera691]

@@hyunhong4610 yes, but I would still like to hear details of what is available in South Korea.

[@MsLuckyone17]

Is it on anyeay par to Canada/Ontario for health care or day are costs.

[@sbug2705]

If you are on a Centrelink benefit and have a relevant card, you do not have to pay for an ambulance.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

That's good at least.

[@KyanneSummer]

Ooh you can feel the love in this couple💕

[@anonymousanonymous-wc4wx]

In America, you never hand over a child to a stranger. Thats a big no no

[@hyunhong4610]

My baby was born just little over two months. I am leaving in America and there was no support from government. I had to pay almost $4000 from out of pocket. After I use $5000, my insurance cover lest of medical bill for a year. My wife goes to work during weekend and I work on week. I feel It’s really hard to raise kids In America....

[@lz738]

In the U.S., ambulance trips are super expensive: one time I was charged over $5,000. They are privately run, for-profit businesses. The health care industry is pretty inhuman here. It's crazy that so many people want to come to the U.S. It's no paradise, for sure. And just forget about free, quality child-care. No chance of that! In some cities, there is some free daycare for low-income children, but it is almost universally poor quality.

[@bluekimchiandrea4476]

Wow on health care! I was born 3 months early and could have used discounted medical care.

[@Caterpillargirl100]

The Australian/Ambulance fact isn't correct, I've had to use ambulances for my kids a few times and never had to pay in New South Wales. Childcare is also subsidised.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

www.kidspot.com.au/health/family-health/going-to-hospital/a-staggering-number-of-aussies-think-ambulance-services-are-free/news-story/47b6b13feae6f58e837abdd536b8b045

[@Caterpillargirl100]

@@MyKoreanHusband I'd assume sometime in the ten years since we've had to use an ambulance (thankfully) we would have been billed if it wasn't free. I have not moved in that time and no bill ever arrived so I'm assuming that equates to free.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

It sounds like it was covered by something, not free exactly. www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/Accounts--Fees/Fees-and-Charges.html

[@charlottenixon1471]

@@Caterpillargirl100 Are you on a benefit from the Centrelink? If so then the ambulance service is free. Or if you have a private health insurance and have ambulance cover, then it's free. Otherwise, it's not covered by medicare (in NSW) as I had to call an ambulance once and I was billed which my private health insurance covered the cost.

[@lmeaey]

We don’t have to pay for the ambulance per se in QLD because we pay for it through our electricity bill.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

On interesting! I just looked it up and it seems Queensland and Tasmania you don't have to pay that way. www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-20/ambulance-fees-around-australia/10015172

[@lmeaey]

It was good when my son was a day before 1yo. We had to take the ambulance. So glad he was okay and we didn’t have a massive bill to pay.

[@anonymousanonymous-wc4wx]

Are you saying that if you don't send your child to daycare, you get 200 dollars from the government every month? Is korea paying people to have kids?

[@ksb9469]

I think so

[@tranlily3001]

wow i'm shock that you're Australian citizen and when you call ambulance and you have to pay it. I though healthy care system or insurance pay it all or at least 70-80% percent of the bills!!

[@lmeaey]

Does Yul feel comfortable with the ahjummas playing with him or holding him at restaurants? I feel like my almost 2yo would not like it at all.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

It depends on how interesting it is for him haha. Like if it's our local cafe where he knows the workers and knows they are going to show him interesting things behind the counter he has no problem. Local restaurants where it's familiar people he is okay. When he was much younger he didn't mind but these days he is pickier haha.

[@lmeaey]

MKH that’s sweet. Yes. Picky. Good word choice. 😂😂😂

[@lmeaey]

MKH also, I’m coming from Australia and if you’re missing something, I’d be happy to bring stuff over for you!

[@MyKoreanHusband]

All I can think of is Malteasers lol

[@lmeaey]

MKH too easy! I can totally bring some for you in Dec if you want.

[@Keliiyamashita]

Kids cafe sounds like a germ paradise!!! Great idea, good luck sanitizing all day long!

[@MyKoreanHusband]

Everywhere is a germ paradise ;)

[@brendamarcus4405]

Very interesting, but I wish she would let him finish a sentence.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

sigh... this type of comment.... We are a married couple and we finish each other's sentences all the time. We interrupt each other all the time. He does it a lot to me as well. This is also a 40 min video edited down. So much of what he said was edited, sometimes I'm interrupting 5 mins of him talking where I have not said anything. Some parts may not even be interrupting but actually a jump cut that cuts to the next point to make it more precise, not actually interrupting. Anyone who has actually been in a long term relationship understands the way couples talk. Anyone who films and edits videos knows it's not rudely interrupting but trying to make the video flow. It's also kinda sexist when women are always the ones who are criticized for interrupting when people don't comment the same way on men.

[@tamtam7546]

@@MyKoreanHusband I get your point about editing long videos, but what the hell does sexism have to do with the interruptions? Defensive much? Just like the commenter above noted, I've noticed the interruptions as well in other videos, so perhaps either the video editing could be improved, or be more conscious of letting each other finish a point without interrupting. It would improve the flow.

[@MyKoreanHusband]

@@tamtam7546 It is very much about sexism because there are literally studies that show that people always perceive women to be talking more than men, or interrupting more than men when actually the opposite is true. Yes I am defensive because it's so stupid when we get these comments. English is my native language so Hugh prefers me to lead these videos but he is a grown man who can interrupt me anytime and does. We are filming these casually but also quickly as we have limited time... like come on... we are talking about being parents! That means limited time. Have some understanding. I'm sorry that the video is not up to your standards.

[@HughGwon]

@@tamtam7546 what r u talking about? I talked a lot and I'm very talkative and when we are editing the video we cut it out a lot. If don't like the video then you don't need to watch it.

[@earthstar7534]

@@tamtam7546 its sexism because he "interrupted" several times and you only registered it when she did it. It looked more like they helped eachother articulate their thoughts when discussing the things about the country that is their home country. Its sexism because you only felt the need to scold the woman when they clearly were communicating by bouncing off eachother.