American SHOCKED by How German Parents Raise Their Kids..

[@MoreJps]

Hi all, thanks so much for the comments and I appreciate hearing your thoughts on raising kids along with your thoughts on my reactions. I urge you to watch this video in its entirety before commenting as I do see some misinformed comments from people who obviously didn't watch the full video. My thoughts developed throughout the video and if you only watch part of the video and stop after a specific reaction you aren't getting the full picture. Regardless thanks so much for watching this and I do appreciate all of the thoughtful comments :) take care all

[@manuelplate6370]

There is something about the Germans and their Walls I think. 😅

[@daysailertogo]

Hello Jeol, I often watch your videos and they give me a lot. You're a young reflective and sensitive man and open to get to know the world. I'm 57 and I have a lot of respect to your thoughts. Thanks a lot and good luck.

[@aw3s0me12]

I can highly recoment to watch videos from a US Expat family living in Germany with *4* kids!! *My merry messy German Life,* they make top videos in details inc. Numbers/Payments they get directly from Germany for *each* child etc. So i urge you, also related to "parenting" in Germany, to react to one of their amazing videos

[@chere6577]

When my kids were little they very rarely wore shoes and when they did they were taught to take them of at the door, they never wore shoes in the house. They only had one pair of shoes. Before School uniforms were introduced for primary schools you would see kid walking to school in bare feet even in winter, especially the young one's. It's better to splash in the puddles bare feet than have wet shoes.

[@gerdaschulze2333]

@@aw3s0me12 That nice US family has 4 kids, 3 boys, 1 girl.

[@katjabochannek5742]

German mom of three grown up kids here. There is a saying in Germany that goes like this "children who are not allowed to do things become adults who are not able to". Kids need to learn about their own limits and boundaries. 😊

[@felic86kaufmann57]

same with her first example... kids dont know what boundaries are, we need to teach them and they need to explore that. If we dont do that, than later in live they will become "doormates" or extremly selfish, because there parents forced them constantly to share and be friendly with others...

[@user-ry9of1jq5d]

I was raised to share my stuff and told where are the boundaries and still become and adult who can do anything and is not afraid! The saying you have in Germany should only be in my opinion a saying!!!

[@aufimmerundewig]

​@@user-ry9of1jq5dexceptions prove the rule

[@MOVE_1904]

What is more dangerous for children? A high wall or a school in the US? I think children in Germany are less afraid of a high wall than children in the US are of school.

[@fzoid3534]

I seriously don't understand how parents in the US can still send their children to schools there. I'd be terrified.

[@jenskirschner]

American parents in Germany routinely freak out over the fact that German schools have no guards (armed or otherwise) and the doors are always unlocked. Weirdly, no other parents seem to have issues with that.... 🤔

[@daveamies5031]

But I'm pretty sure your kid would be fairly safe in a Kiwi school (the girl in the Video was a Kiwi)

[@doposud]

@@fzoid3534 why ? Kids are shooting not teachers .... Most of the time it is parents fault anyway , if they want to have more weapons than Sadam Hussein in their house , that's their choice but also their responsibility not to allow kids access to wpns ... They keep 300 years old law that allows everyone to carry a weapon.... Just imagine Europe with medival laws , that shit does not work today... Nothing suprising when you let any mental carry a weapon...

[@MattyEngland]

Tens of millions of American children go to school every day without incident. Most school shootings are false flags designed to try and take away peoples firearms.

[@jacquelinesuter1843]

hi, I'm a german mother of 4 kids. the reason behind the toy share situation in germany is not that we don't wan't our kids to share with others. It's more to teach our kids to respect the possessions of others. at least they should learn to ask if they can play with a toy of an other kid, not just grab and run with it. I personaly think when they learn it at such a young age is important for later in there life 😅

[@turbo8n546]

sehr gut erklärt, danke. das hat etwas mit respekt zu tun. 👍

[@wunwun9974]

This! 💯

[@WTFcriticalthinking]

Agreed wholeheartedly, love my time in Germany. Very respectful people.

[@rqn1998]

Im a german dad in australia and i agree with letting them learn like that wall trick. We all used to do crazy things and lived and learned growing up. Today everyone is treated like a toddler including grown adults and its sickening.

[@bufanda]

You only can get tough when fall from time to time. And only learn from your mistakes. When you don’t fall of a wall you never learn how to stay up on it.

[@agatopol]

Absolutely! My eldest son moved from Europe to Australia and he is raising his children the way we raised him 🙂

[@lynn69jackson]

I'm from the UK, and I let my kids climb trees when they were in elementary school. I ended up shouting at a woman who tried to tell them they were a bad influence because their child wanted to climb the tree. They don't understand that children need to explore and take calculated risks to learn independence. My sons are now 27 and 24 . They are both independent and never did the stupid and dangerous challenges on social media for likes.

[@listey]

Can do what you like in Australia. She'll be right!

[@yannis1578]

@@lynn69jackson Couldn't agree more!

[@VaSa-on-Tour]

Ich damals noch 4 Jahre alt, hatte ein ganzen Dorf als Spielplatz. 😅 Bäume hochgeklettert, Mauern bestiegen, verstecken im Wald gespielt, im Bach gespielt, usw. Alles normal. Ich lernte nur was Fehler sind wenn ich sie auch begehe. Dazu gehören auch kleiner Verletzungen wie Schlürfwunden oder halt richtig Ärger von den Eltern.

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

In anderen worten: eine normale kindheit! Ich bin hier in der Schweiz auf dem Land in einem kleinen dorf aufgewachsen und habe das gleiche erlebt! Meine kinder sind auch so aufgewachsen, ich glaube das nennt man kultur!

[@vomm]

Ich würd auch sagen dass der ein oder andere Knochenbruch halt eben zur Kindheit dazu gehört. Hatte mir auch einmal einen Arm und einmal das Bein gebrochen. Ist mir tausendmal lieber als wenn ich dauernd kontrolliert und eingeschrränkt worden wäre ...

[@gerdahessel2268]

@@vomm In Deutschland/Europa ist es ja auch kein "Beinbruch", wenn ein Kind ärztliche Versorgung braucht, anders als in den USA.

[@vomm]

@@gerdahessel2268 Ja, schon verrückt wenn man drüber nachdenkt wie das ausstrahlen kann in die eigene Freiheit und Entwicklung Auf der anderen Seite sind die Amis aber was Kinder betrifft ziemlich Sportfanatisch, und grade da gibt es ja ein hohes Verletzungsrisiko ... aber vermutlich haftet da dann die Schule oder der Verein oder so, ka

[@steffenriedel4752]

Und all das hat Riesenspaß gemacht !

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

Ok, I have to know. If I told you that I was playing in the wood from about the age of 5 or 6 for the whole day without any supervision, how freaked out would american parents be? Most of the time my parents or the parents of my friends didn't know where we were. And we weren't some neglected kids. We were clothed, fed, our parents read to us, they looked after our grades, played games with us and all those things. They just firmly believed that we should be able to roam about and that this was good for our development.

[@MattyEngland]

Roam about in the European woods today, and you'll likely be assaulted by illegal immigrants.

[@Ati-MarcusS]

we were out ther sometimes with a tend for days alone armed with knife and Machete

[@ClaudiaG.1979]

yeesss exactly..my mother always told me i had to be at home when the streetlight goes on. And we sticked to this rule.. good in summer, bad in winter, but we sticked to it.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

@@ClaudiaG.1979 More or less. I had to be at home at 6 pm to feed the dog and to take it for a walk. After that I coud head off again, if it wasn't a school night. We often sat by the lake or went swiming at nights in the summer.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

@@Ati-MarcusS I actually never did that as a child. I got into camping when I discovered music festivals. Mostly we came home some time around 6 when it was a school night or winter and around 10-11 when it was summer break.

[@agatopol]

They are not gonna break your heart - the point is to teach your children that they can't have everything they want (other kids' toys) and at the same time, to be confident of their possession (which inspire them to take good care of their toys). You'll be surprised how often kids start to share of their own, because they want to play together - not because they have to. 😀

[@walkir2662]

If you think telling them they can't just takle other children'S toys breaks their heart, just imagine what happens if they never learn to respect other people's property.

[@Hansen710]

i dont agree.. they should learn they can have all they want in the world.. but its all about learning them they dont need it... why limit the kid by telling it lies.. why should they not be able to become more rich then elon musk or more importent then the president of usa... and if the kid becomes rich, they might think about how they spend their money. compared to if you never prepare them for that situation, by telling them they cant have some things others have

[@drakulkacz6489]

@@Hansen710 No. You teach them not to take things without asking their owner. And that´s important. Respect the ownership. They usually share the toy or exchange toys for playing for a time period.

[@resathe6760]

@@Hansen710 I don't agree with what you said. It's not about telling them they can't achieve something. It is about telling them you can't just take other people's stuff without their consent. And I think the whole concept of consent starts there. If someone says no and sets personal boundaries (be it material or physical) kids have to learn to respect that otherwise you get adults who can't take no for an answer and take what they want by force. And in the adult world that can be far worse than someone taking your toy. Also if your kids get everything they ask for they most definitely will become spoiled rich brats.

[@juttaweise]

yes nowadays mothers meddle too much when their children play with other children! They should just leave them alone to find out for themselves.

[@SW-gf6zl]

"Don't worry, children's bones are quite elastic", a pediatrician once told my wife... 😀

[@justmaria]

Climbing up on stuff is the same in Scandinavian countries too, the German parenting ways is common here too. How can they else learn?? And make good decisions on their own?

[@hellemarc4767]

Kids aren't stupid, they're very sensible and careful. I was scared, too, the first time they wanted to ride their bicycles around the block with the other kids in the neighborhood, but I watched them secretly without them noticing and I saw that they would ride in a line, the two oldest ones in front and behind, with the younger ones in between, they would pay attention and not go too fast. It's the same with heights, they're very careful. How else would they learn if they're never allowed to do anything? They sometimes had bruises or an open knee, but nothing serious. We did the same when we were kids. During school breaks, we'd play in the woods for hours, or in the Winter, we would ride sleighs all day.

[@jennyh4025]

Exactly! And German playgrounds are designed to be dangerous. Even though the worst „estimated hurt“ to be allowed would be a broken bone or maybe a concussion. The worst I have seen (as a child and a parent) were bruises and small cuts.

[@Kamil0san]

@@jennyh4025 "dangerous" in a certain way but approved by TÜV 😁

[@Hansen710]

it depends.... to much screen time and a lack of freedom can make anyone stupid... some kids also do run out in front of a car (even adults do that sometimes), i guess evolution is not done sorting the smart ones from the stupid ones yet...

[@jennyh4025]

@@Hansen710 what you described was parents (and maybe society) making the children unable to „survive“ as an independent person. My child cooks better at six than my best friend, who is over 40!

[@hellemarc4767]

@@Hansen710 you sound like you're projecting your own experience onto everybody else. 😂

[@DutchLabrat]

About the shoes and clothing: Like in Scandinavia and the Low Countries Germans are outdoors-people that want their kids to be comfortable in all weather from a young age. Kids also often bike and walk to school from a young age and it really takes a 20-year storm for many parents to consider taking them by car. And the risk? We here in the Netherlands consider German parents too controlling :) . Kids thrive well if they are allowed to take risks on their own, builds confidence and self-ownership. You'd also be astounded how well they bounce.

[@sigmaoctantis1892]

I'm Australian. I would have let my kids walk on that wall when they were small. My idea is that children need to understand and learn to manage risk. Being a good parent is making sure that the risk is within the child's ability to handle it. My son is totally fearless so there were a few times I had to call him back, hey mate, not today, we'll try that some other time. I think being able to confidently an competently manage risk is an essential life skill.

[@Randal_the_Vandal]

1.) These are two lessons for life in one: Nobody can take what belongs to you, and whether you share it is always up to you. And that life is not a pony farm, and you don't always get what you want! 2.) If you wear shoes, be sure they're good ones 3.) You summed it up well, it's the most natural thing in the world and shouldn't bother anyone. 4.) This is a very important life lesson. Explore, learn and test your limits and when you fall, get back up and try again! There is no giving up! 5.) Pregnancy is not something unnatural or ugly. The lesson behind this is: Don't judge other people, treat everyone how you want to be treated! Good video as before I like your channel keep up the good work Greetings from Austria

[@kikixchannel]

> Good shoes are important, especially in the early years. A good shoe leads to healthy feet and fewer problems as you get older. No shoes are even better. Of course, if possible. A child in a crib or baby carriage of any sort? Why?! Shoes in kindergarden where the rooms are supposed to be made for kids?! Again, why?! Wooden floors, and even regular tiles, absolutely DO NOT require shoes. Shoes for a walking kid on a concrete? Yeah, that does very much require shoes. Same if it's cold outdoors, or raining (which more than it being 'cold' is more of a biological problem...with the water all around there's a higher risk of parasites or whatever infecting the children through the feet). The societies in the world with lowest rate of feet deformities are the poorest ones, where people walk barefoot their entire lives through necessity. The higher the amount of time in shoes there is in a given country, the more frequent deformities or issues with balance there are in said society. A KID SHOULD NEVER WEAR SHOES AT HOME. Except maybe some sort of workshop, if they're allowed there.

[@Randal_the_Vandal]

@@kikixchannel You misunderstood me a little. I refer to everything that takes place in the OUTDOORS. Sports, hiking, walking, running, winter-summer.

[@kikixchannel]

@@Randal_the_Vandal That's still not technically correct. On softer ground, barefoot walking is healthier (alas dirtier), unless you just happen to be unlucky and get a parasite. Shoes, especially the ones that have high amortization, can not only hurt your feet (by squishing them), balance (by forcing your toes inwards despite them being supposed to form a fan shape outwardly), but also...by giving you a false sense of comfort. As a result, humans start walking and running more rigidly and that puts more strain on the knees and ankles. Yes. Amortization in shoes actually leads to greater impact on the legs. That's because shoed individuals put all of the impact on the heel, despite the feet being made to absorb that impact by standing on whatever that bone bridge that the toes are attached to is called, first. Any real thickness of sole changes the gait to remove that absorption. That's because it's becoming quite hard to not stand on the heel. After years of walking like that, it just feels incredibly awkward to try and step on your toes first. Again, this is not just theory. It's proven by the actual state of feet in people too poor to wear shoes at all. People that walk, run, even hunt outdoor. Fairly, they do so in climates that are warm all year round, but then again, due to how dry it is, they often also walk on tough and heated soil with plenty of hard pebbles. And yet, they have healthier feet than mostly anyone from 'civilized society'. Humans towns are horrible for barefoot walking (concrete is absolute nightmare). But you are underestimating how tough feet can be. Yer regular broken glass is actually not a threat to a person that regularly walks barefoot since the foot will just envelop it without the skin breaking, unless said glass is quite large (at which point, you would be irresponsible to walk on it with shoes on either, for entirely different reasons). Though it'd still be rather uncomfortable. There are people that specifically go forest-trekking or mountain hiking barefooted, and they have no issues as a consequence.

[@Randal_the_Vandal]

@@kikixchannel I understand your point of view and I totally agree with you but we are talking about children in this case. And as you've noticed yourself in cities everything is concreted over, dirty and not really safe to walk barefoot. Also, I wouldn't take a child barefoot hiking.

[@kikixchannel]

@@Randal_the_Vandal I merely disagree with the open-ended nature of your first post, not the concept behind it. Basically, you implied 'you should buy good shoes', meaning that people need to buy shoes, but only good ones. If you wrote something along the lines "If you wear shoes, be sure they're good ones" or looking from other direction "You shouldn't be buying bad shoes", then I'd have nothing to really argue against. Because, as I said myself, there are most certainly situations in which shoes are a good thing (or rather, far less bad than trying to go barefoot under the circumstances). Then there's the fact of fashion which, yeah, is a valid reason to affect ones health now and then.

[@Kurono_Tsuki]

German here: You should definitely watch a video about the differences between american & german playgrounds! And yes - the parenting styles are very, very different from culture to culture ... but honestly .... I was more amused by you reaction to the cobblestone fence, than I was scared about these kids xD In germany we say: "If he could climb up there, he can climb down, too." / "Wer hochklettern kann, kann auch runterklettern" or "Wer hochkommt, kommt auch runter" We trust our kids and they learn to estimate what they can do and test their limits. We are there to help them if the need it, but we want them to try to do it on their own first. It really helps them to grow their confidence and self esteem :) But you will see parents, that see this differently - no parent is the same, but some share the same values. Have a nice day - y'all!

[@normanroscher7545]

And especially: "Runter geht's immer." :-P

[@Kurono_Tsuki]

@@normanroscher7545 Das sowieso ;) "Runter komm'n se alle" :D

[@123Baddy321]

I thought exactly the same. Our kids climbed on trees like we did. And they broke an arm, but they learned a lot. They defeat their fears and know where the limits are. And that is something you that helps when you are an adult too.

[@majisafe]

I am a german grandma and my Kids and Grandchildren still grow up by bring able to test their abilities. But fear for all creates differencies nowaday in that case. "Helicopter parents" ...

[@matshjalmarsson3008]

You won't believe what potentially dangerous things I did as a kid. And I was encouraged to do them by my father!

[@pixelbartus]

If you are interested in childhood in Germany, you will find some of the best videos about this topic on the channel of "my merry messy life". One good starting point would be their video "Are German Kids more Indipendent than American Kids? German Childhood + self-reliance" And maybe their video about german playgraound could be also interesting to you. "Are Playgrounds Better in Germany than in the USA? Our American Kids love Them!" Your questions about the shoes have two different answers. Kindergarten (wich would be preschool in America) is very different than you know it, with many daily outdoor activities. They don't need the shoes to get to the Kindergarten, but for the activities in Kindergarten. And for the costs it is maybe interesting to know that parents get monthly money from the government to help with the costs of raising children. When you want to learn more about that, the video "Germany helps parents in a way americans can only dream about. Is it cheaper to raise children here?" could be right one for you.

[@winterlinde5395]

Yes! And I like the videos they made with Feli from Germany where they talk about being young in Germany in comparison to the US, too.

[@PhillipLWilcher]

"There's an entire world out there with people who do things differently ..." Joel, this speaks to cultural diversity and the wonder that is our oneness in Life. What you have said is v very true and yet again, I'm touched by your sense of compassion and caring.

[@jennyh4025]

As a German mother I have to say other than the eight pairs of shoes that’s all perfectly described. But I live in a region with very little snow and they don’t do outdoor exercises in our kindergarten, so it’s just four pairs of shoes (winter boots, gum boots, gymnastics shoes and house shoes).

[@daveamies5031]

I grew up In Australia (QLD and NSW), I never had shoes till I went to school, I had a pair of sandals for formal occasions (like church), even when we needed shoes for school we called them school shoes and only wore them to school, when you got home the shoes and socks cam off with the rest of the uniform, change to house clothes and go outside to play barefoot.

[@jennyh4025]

@@daveamies5031 I wouldn’t dare that in the city (or even right now, about 10°C and rainy). But when it’s warmer and when we are somewhere, where you are in little to no risk to step into something ugly (dog poop, cigarette butts or glass) and you don’t need shoes as protection (e.g. while hiking in the alps) the shoes are off as soon as possible.

[@ClaudiaG.1979]

When i was a kid, i had my normal everyday shoes, rainboots, snowboots, houseshoes for the kindergarden, houseshoes for at home, sportshoes for outdoors and sportshoes for indoor with a white sole.

[@jennyh4025]

@@ClaudiaG.1979 I only had my outdoor sports shoes when I started first grade, not in kindergarten. Same with my child.

[@mats7492]

@@daveamies5031 well, germany is a very cold and rainy country.. you need proper shoes

[@DougBrown-h1n]

Joel, I think it's a great idea for you to describe your journey of "awakening" through the course of your (now) years of reacting to the outside world. I've often thought it, but never mentioned it before. I've kinda watched you grow from a kid to a fast maturing, thoughtful and rounded man - it's heartwarming, satisfying and great viewing.

[@Ati-MarcusS]

right? it is satisfying greetings from Germany :)

[@denzzlinga]

I noticed the same. At the beginning he seemd to have still belived in what he has been told all the time, that the US are the greatest in every regard etc etc and so on, but now he has a much more mature and reflected way of seeing how things actually are.

[@mrgrumpy6408]

America, Its ok to walk around with a gun on your hip but not ok to breast feed?

[@100100freak]

open carriage is only allowed in texas I think

[@listey]

Anything gun related in the US is absolutely bonkers. "Greatest country on Earth"? 😂😂

[@mrgrumpy6408]

@@100100freak That is incorrect, A quick google search will show you the truth.

[@100100freak]

@@mrgrumpy6408 youre right, my bad. Damn these people are even crazier than I thought

[@mrgrumpy6408]

@@100100freak Crazy just dont cover it

[@ThomasKnip]

As for 1) German parents just tell their kids, it is their toys, therefore their decision. So this is teaching kids how to make their own decisions from an early age on. As for 4) German parents just are not over-protective. Kids are not raw eggs. As Emilia said, we learn at an early age what our bodies are capable of. Did I have some injuries as a child? Quite some. Did my mother take care of me, then? Of course she did. Did it stop me from taking risks? Nope.

[@SleepyBranf]

Being from Australia, I can relate to the taking risks point. At probably age 5 or 6 I used to climb this one large pine tree on my grandfather’s property, I would get quite close to the top of the tree, which was about 20m/60ft tall. So i was a good, let’s say 15m/45ft off the ground. I should add that this was pretty un-supervised, as my grandfather would sit on the back porch of the house talking with my parents, I was in view of them, but this tree was a good 30m/90ft from the back of the house. Good times

[@almanoor-bakker5964]

Usa style of raising kids: bubblewrap directly after being born and keep safe and sheltered, drive in the car from school to playdate and back. Unwrap at their 21st birthday and voila! There you have a responsible adult!😂😂

[@wunwun9974]

😂😂😂

[@zellyjordan]

I really appreciate your attitude. As an Aussie with Croatian heritage, I find the American attitude to many many things so confusing and very abrasive. Ive watched so many of your vids and you always display such a level headed and open attitude, particularly for someone as young as you, that it gives me hope for the future. I agree totally with you that it’s incredibly sad/frustrating that more people in the US don’t educate themselves about the rest of the world - they’re missing out on so much. Keep up the great stuff, mate. 👏🏻💋

[@slaize1337]

Well, as my father used to say "if you don't fall, you won't learn to get back up, you won't learn how to assess risks and you will always be afraid of falling".

[@TukikoTroy]

Sorry, it's the US that is different, especially about letting their children take risks. When i was a kid, we could scale 8ft brick walls in seconds and run along them. We climbed trees too. We explored the town and countryside around the town. Basically, the instruction was; 'if you are going out be back for tea (about 17;00)' and that was it, the day was yours. Of course, if you weren't back BY 17;00 then your ass was grass. But the point is, we were allowed to take responsibility for our own safety. We did things as a gang, after all, playing alone is boring when you don't have anyone to share the adventure with.

[@HenryAusLuebeck]

If you forbid your child to climb trees, walls, etc., they do so secretly when you are not around. And then if it hurts slightly then you can't help. Deutsches Sprichwort: "Kinder und Betrunkene haben ein Schutzengel." Heißt, die verletzen sich meißtens eh nicht doll. German proverb: "Children and drunks have a guardian angel." That means they usually don't hurt themselves that much anyway.

[@klaus2t703]

German father here. In my childhood I climbed trees, very high. Started low, slipped, regained grip. experienced danger. But with this knowledge, step by step, I climbed higher and higher, it took years. Always had the best cherries ;-) And my kids were raised the same way. As parents, we learn/know what our children can do, but step by step. It's a different way of thinking. We think it's better to constantly teach (or let them learn on their own). From simple tasks... to the level they can handle. Not one big step, but many, many small steps. The good thing is: the children know their own limits... and the older children teach the younger ones... and help them when necessary ... and taking care of the younger ones. But the parents don´t push their kids into danger ... it´s the decision of the kids. It´s their life and their freedom. But for sure, if there is a risk that the child will obviously not be able to handle it, we will discourage them. We also don't want our children to be seriously hurt.

[@Chuulip]

you know, reaction videos also changed my view on things a lot. I am a bit older thank you (in my 30s), I've finished university, I've lived in a different country for a few years, so you could say I have a bit more life experience than you, but I still learn new things about countries every day. This is why I love watching reaction videos about cultural differences between germany (my country) and other countries. Every country does things a little bit differently and i love learning about those and sort of implementing those in my own life a little bit. Of course it is not always possible with how things are, but I prefer some things from other countries. For example, I've taken an example from the netherlands (which i live very close to) in adressing people by their first name more often. Older germans might get offended being spoken informally to but I think if you approach a young adult rather informally (and i don't mean with a lack of respect but rather on a more casual note) they appreciate it and it immediately takes the strain out of any situation. Ive also taken an example from Japan where they live in very small living spaces and just make every corner work. I grew up in a big house but I intentionally moved to a small 1-room apartment now and I love how i can use the space more conciously. Every corner has a purpose. Plus this also helped me get rid of stuff that I didn't need AND save a lot of money. So even your videos are super cool to watch because I can see you as a young person and how you view things. I rarely get to see the views of people your age so I appreciate it. And I also think it's really good for you to "see the world" outside of your own country at a young age.

[@emiliajojo5703]

If you're forced to share,you don't share at all.

[@harmony8623]

I’m only a 20yo but I grew up in Australia and constantly climbed tall trees, walls like in the video and other stuff like that. Dad took me on my bike up tall and steep dirt hills. Fell off, got back on and kept going. Kids need to do these things. It develops skills, teaches kids how to use their body to keep balance and move, increases confidence. Kids bounce back quick if they fall, it’s not that dangerous.

[@tom.jacobs]

What to learn from this difference? I think self-confidences is build early in life and should be embraced? (walking walls, you are owner: you decide if you want to share and later in life; breastfeeding is a natural thing and so is the body in the shape it is in)

[@DoHeHa]

You are an amazing young man, very thoughtful and full of respect. Keep up your good work and never stop learning.

[@tubekulose]

Climbing walls like that is just a daily routine for kids, not only in Germany but all over Europe. This is obviously lower than three meters. So what?

[@larsmuster]

For me it's similar to breastfeeding - it's a completely normal part of our lives and we should never deny it. And considering that we humans are descendants of great apes, I find it understandable that we like to climb a lot.

[@stefantegethoff5523]

About the different shoes: I guess we like functionality over here in Germany 😅 We got a saying: "There is no bad weather, there are just wrong clothes."

[@meicke621]

Love You'r mindset... It's Not about beeing agree with everything, but about beeing Open mindend and questioning You'r owm opionion! Thanks for You'r content.

[@anunearthlychild8569]

The one with the wall is actually quite simple. The parents did it themselves when they were Kids. The tell their children it could be dangerous and they could fall off the wall and break legs ore arms, if the children don't be careful. But children need to gain their own experiences.

[@martinehermans6661]

I’ve learned a lot about my own country through watching reaction videos. You are very right about broadening your horizon by learning about different cultures and opening up for different perspectives. It’s fun to see your mind 🤯 😂

[@m1ccey]

when i was a kid my parents told me when it's dangerous... and they said as soon as you fall, you know..... and i never broke a single bone in my whole life....

[@ivylasangrienta6093]

Even as an adult I have different types of shoes for different weather and event! Rain boots, winter boots, indoor sports shoes, trainers, sandals...also, people in the middle ages would breastfeed anywhere and everywhere! It's the modern people that are overly modest. The first time I took my son climbing (up a cliff) without any safety harnesses etc. was when he was 5. Kids today are way too coddled.

[@Alpha-pe4os]

Hey, I love the way you react and how you start thinking differently! So open and reflective! We need more people like that from all over the globe 😊 I'm a German mom as well and my son started to walk to school when he was in first grade. I showed him the way to school and taught him to cross the street safely and off he went... Was quite hard on me but I trusted him and he's now 13 and safe and sound. Thanks for your videos and have a nice trip to Germany!

[@judithrowe8065]

There were no helicopter parents in UK when I was growing up in the 60s. I was allowed to go out and play on my own from age 4. I knew not to go on the road, or into the field with bulls. But I could play on swings, climb ropes, fall off my bike, and learnt to have confidence in what I could do safely. Also learned how to swim at that age, so yes- gross motor skills need to be exercised from a young age.

[@NicoVeenkamp]

Re climbing walls. People forget that young kids have amazing balance and climbing skills. With allowing climbing walls you encourage your kids to develop these skills even further together with inherent feeling about risk taking. As a climbing instructor I had little kids with me and always amazed me how sure they were at placing there hands and feet without any instructions. And you have to love the very big smile when they reached the top. When you don’t allow your these kinds of exploring and continuing harassing them on their behaviors, they wont become confident kids who are sure in their motor skills and exploring skills. You raise timid kids that are afraid of everything.

[@axell964]

I am a german here. I was raised in the 80ies and I had great freedoms as a kid. I would walk to the kindergarden on my own (after having learned it) and I had almost zero supervision from my parents. At least in my area it was absolutely normal as well. Most of the time my parents didn't even know where I was exactly as we roamed around a lot. I could bring friends to my place for lunch or dinner without a warning or asking, and did the same many many times at other kids parents. Only rule we all kept to was give a phone call if we stayed after dinner so the parents knew all was fine. Did I get hurt during those exlorations? Surely I did. Did I fall from stuff? Surely I did. Did I try again because some other kid managed without falling? Hell yes I did! Did I ever feel unsafe? Not a chance. The only longlasting "injury" I got in all that time was a deeper cut in a finger trying to rip out reed with bare hands. Did have a little scar left from that adventure. Would I trade away that scare for a "safer childhood"? Not in any universe! Today I see the german way of raising kids as heavily restrictive already, they are much more monitored then I was in my childhood and have less freedom to explore the world on their own. I am horrified that other countries see the current level of kids freedom already as far too high and unacceptable.

[@nagut1727]

As my son was a child we had a deal, he could go, climb, skate or something, until he was afraid of, then he made two steps back and made a new decision by himself. I learned to trust him, he learned to trust himself! That's it! We are german😊

[@sabindot3540]

I would love to see what you think about Volker Pispers and german satire humor :D

[@Una_one]

It's true that you need different shoes for the children, but that changes with school, there are fewer. Children grow very quickly in kindergarten, so shoes are often bought at special children's flea markets. The kids grow so fast that the shoes are often like new. You also talk to mother friends more often, so it doesn't really get expensive.

[@bluebear6570]

You may have had just one pair of shoes and also lots of snow, but you were drive around by your Mom. I Germany, you either walk, or take public transport. Ever got your shoes soakin´ wet? Parents in the US seem to be overly protective in my eyes. You have to let kids take risks, evaluate danger and act accordingly. After all, you can´t watch them 24/7.

[@lindaostrom570]

before the mid 80's and the serial killer scares kids were free. you came home from school and were told to go out and play. that didnt mean your yard that meant your neighbourhood. no helmets or pads or safety gear. i remember being covered in bandaids for about 10 yrs straight lol.

[@juttaweise]

🙂🙂🙂

[@nicolestock7391]

If you allow certain things. It is not as interesting as it would be if you don't allow it. Not all children will climb this fence but kids who want do this will do this. I learnd to not watch every step so my children get comfortable with their own strenght. And after a while you notice how they learn to know how far they can go. Sometimes I wonder when do american children start to explore their strength and their city?

[@OkkulterO]

the children are outside in kindergarten as often as possible. They play outside in almost any weather condition. Therefore, the child needs more than a pair of shoes. But nine pairs of shoes...that's definitely an exaggeration Kids Playing outside the kindergarden is not an US thing. The kids there mostly hang around inside.

[@jennienoppers210]

You should watch this one: Denmark's Forest Kindergartens😅😅😅😅

[@ldt6513]

The kindertarten my youngest kid went to had a 15-20 meter tall cliff they used to climb in. When I was young, we climbed everywhere. It improves both motorskills and risk assessments. It teaches you respect for what is actually dangerous. Traffic accidents with deadly outcome in Norway is less than 1/6th of the US.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Quote of the Day: “Sometimes, I think the plague is still going on.”

[@rainermarx5217]

I fell off a higher wall in 1967/8 when I was 7/8 years old, I was lucky, nothing happened, so back on the wall again. Greeting from Germany.

[@Maruun1986]

There is a huge difference in the US you go bankrupt if your child has a broken arm, in Germany you wash the tears away go to a doctor and let it get fixed without getting bankrupt.

[@tins369]

I'm a really angsty person. I sweat blood and tears when I watch my niece play on a playground while her parents and both of her grandparents watch her, smiling 😂 I think kids should discover and try things, but it's hard for me to watch 😅 greetings from Germany

[@SovermanandVioboy]

8 pairs of shoes seems to be a bit exaggerated, lol. You need 3; regular shoes for outside, house shoes for indoor and rubber boots for rainy days... dunno where the other 5 come from.

[@jennyh4025]

Gymnastics shoes for indoors exercises - most Kindergartens have a small gymnasium, where they get to do special exercises or just play on stormy days.

[@lorrainemckay2622]

About children having to share. As an adult, would you like it 😢if a stranger visited and said “ you have to let me use your computer. You have to share.”

[@romeoelliott]

hi your the best KZbinr i ever see

[@Welterbe23]

Im a german the risk stuff that we do is, because we want our children to be able to calculate risks themselves. Everybody gets older and we want children who are able to see a risk, but also to decide whether they take it or not. This makes them better adults later and also better soldiers so we can marche into France again.

[@kroo07]

I think that the right of a mother to feed her baby/child naturally wherever and whenever she chooses is fundamental and non-negotiable.

[@onehandcowboy]

In Germany, especially in the mountains (also Switzerland and Austria), they say "there is nothing like bad weather, but bad clothing ;-)

[@adrianhempfing2042]

Jps is the sun out, you've got "guns out"

[@Renzenrocker]

You should look-up pictures of german playgrounds. A lot of them have big climbing structures which are designed to teach them risk management. In the US many overprotective parents would sue the fck out of the city if their kid fell down one of those.

[@JoeTuub77]

Second one on the clothes, so real. You can tell it's a German kid with the skiing outfit, boots, etc. :) With 'extreme' weather OK, but they are wearing it every winter day outside.

[@R.o.d.y_the_p.o.n.y]

To me, 8 pairs of shoes might not to be the normal meter. 3-4 is more realistic. One warm pair for snow, one for rain, one for inside. Maybe one as a backup. As for the climbing, you might wanna compare playgrounds. German playgrounds are designed to practice such skills. You’ll find amazing gear that might seem as dangerous as said wall to you. But boy, we did so much more when we were young. I climbed on trees, played on the roof of the shed (and jumped down)… Kids practise these skills from a very young age here. Sharing toys, there’s another perspective. You can’t just take and use stuff that is not yours. If you wanna play with it: ask, nicely. And even if you do, the owner might say no. If so, it’s their right to do so, they own it. We want our kids to respect the boundaries of the other kids. You can’t have everything you want and the world does not evolve around you. That’s the lesson to learn.

[@krissee6961]

as an australinl i agree that children ought to be treated as people of value with the same choice whether to share or not as an adult. we dont have to share our "toys"

[@improvesheffield4824]

Helicopter parenting is one of the worst things ever. From about the age of six I would be out playing with friends who lived on the street without any parental supervision. I don’t see the wall as being a problem as long as there is a soft landing at the base. There are lots of walls of various heights where I live in the U.K. and we used to walk and jump from one to the other all the time. The sharing thing I think relies on context. There’s a lot of psychological evidence that shows that when kids learn to share, and it often has to be something they’re taught to do, they become more well rounded individuals but if their attitude to sharing is to go and grab a toy from another kid without asking then that needs to be addressed. What I certainly don’t agree with is that a child in a social situation totally gets to decide whether they wish to share their toy ir not. If necessary the parent should say to the kid that they now have to share their toy for a while when the parent thinks their child has played with the toy long enough, especially if it appears the child is simply holding on to it to stop another child from playing with it.

[@jennyh4025]

In my experience (as a German mother) it’s usually that children are encouraged to share toys they don’t actually play with at the moment as long as the other child asks (when it’s old enough). But if a child is playing with a toy, they get to decide if they want to share or not. And how do you decide, if a child has played enough with a toy?

[@improvesheffield4824]

It’s a combination of recognising that the child is just ‘going through the motions’ with the toy combined with the altruism of allowing other children to get from playing with the toy that your child has got from playing with it.

[@jennyh4025]

@@improvesheffield4824 that’s a state I have never actually seen on the playground, just at home. And then I just offered something else to do. 🤷‍♀️ But at the playground? There are so many things to do all the time, that the children tend to play intently with one thing and once it gets somewhere close to that point, the children tend to look up and see something else to do.

[@improvesheffield4824]

I agree that there are all kinds of things happening in a playground but I’m talking about a specific situation along the lines of what was raised in the video. Fundamentally I believe that a child below the age of responsibility doesn’t get the final say on whether they share their toys or not - that’s a decision for the parents coming from a position of understanding that sharing is necessary for developing better close relationships and increasing the well being of the wider, in this case infant, community.

[@nordicbynature2775]

Hi from Germany 🤗 I and the kids around raised up wild and free..up in the trees ..jump into dark lakes swimming.. steal Apples Play with unknown dogs around..a good day if Weber rot bloody jenes and bur from the Sun.. or in Winter with some blue marks from iceskiing. It was wonderfull..not even one adault had the idea watching us for every Minute...they just Trust us. And we grow up with confidence strength and trust ourself.

[@nordicbynature2775]

.*.if we had bloody knees🙄 #fck autokorrect

[@Nithrade]

Loved the video. Hers and your reaction to it. As a German, I was quite happy seeing it. I thought the Kids in Germany were mostly brought up by helicopter parents right now, who drove them as close tho the kindergarten / school as possible and insisted that they always can be reached by mobile and such. It is heartening to learn that this is not always the case. Also a shout-out to all the hippy mothers back in the day, who made breastfeeding and showing their big belly normal back in the day. I remember clearly when I was a child in the seventies, how young woman were frowned and sneered at when doing so.

[@brianduffin5405]

There's nothing more natural than a mother breastfeeding their child !

[@DeDaanste]

In the Netherlands lots of parents give away the clothes and shoes their kids grew out of so if you have kids and small budget you might end up with garbage bags full of clothes in the right size and shoes. Washed and perfect. And in the Netherlands kids play outside also, unattended. I loved roaming my neighborhood and woods etc as a kid. Climbing trees, walls, swimming in a small pond or making a fire with friends. It teaches you valuable lessons.

[@little_roomplant]

About the shoes part. There is (at least in my area) something called a "Baby Basar" it's like a flea market but just for baby and toddler stuff. You can find shoes, clothes, strollers and so much more there for much cheaper than in stores. I like the idea of that because it's not wastefull and helps parents with lower income - also, because the kids are growing out of the clothes and shoes so quickly they are mostly in a pretty good to new shape.

[@danielspenner3683]

I like your open minded attitude towards traditions, habits and general way of life. Many parents however would not agree with some of the parenting-styles. I guess, it may somewhat differ between east and west, north and southern Germany. This is a really fun to watch video-series! Also it's inspiring to hear, how people from another country reflect about german lifestyle and community life. One should never take their lifestyle for the only true way of life.

[@aufimmerundewig]

I'm from Germany: As children we played on the tracks of a freight yard, where of course the police came regularly and sometimes if they caught one of us, they would take him home to his parents and tell the parents why. You got in trouble from your parents in front of the police, but when the police left you were just warned not to get caught and sent back outside to play. We also played "catch me" on the scaffolding of high-rise buildings, where we opened the windows in two stairwells on the fourth to ninth floors and played catch me at these heights. The residents threatened to call the police, but they knew us children and knew how difficult we were to catch. We could escape to the roof and the police didn't want to get involved in our games. For us, being chased by the police was a pro level of "catch me" that we always had a lot of fun with and if we did get caught, there were no serious consequences, not even if we were caught with a stolen moped (we had found them), we were still just children (10-14 years old) in the eyes of the police who had crossed the line too far, but that didn't make them criminals. All the children in our settlement practiced running away from the police while playing. We always played with 20-30 children and formed groups, which was harder than escaping from the police because the other children also knew all the ways and secret doors to escape, better than the local police knew them. That was a beautiful childhood

[@Robinson160277]

Well the daycare will go with Toddles on fieldtrips into the woods, some stay there for the whole day, so they need propper shoes, our kids play outside no mater what wheather. Whitout the shoes they are there with wet feeds for hours. If we don´t have to be worried of the health, we can let them from the leash and learn...

[@beyonderprime5020]

I'm a father and German and I don't raise pussies you have to challenge children who dare to do something, thereby increasing their self-esteem and confidence in themselves If they hurt themselves then that's just the way it is, that also helps to assess themselves

[@lorenaledger6547]

I am glad I taught my kids to share

[@vuhdoo7486]

The wall thing is just normal and harmless. When I was a kid we climb a lot on a blue fir with a height of 15 to 20 meters, that's around 45 to 60 foots, in our garden. We also played a lot with straw bales. like climbing them and jumping from one to another. One year I was not so lucky, and missed the next one, which resulted in a sprain in the foot ankle. It took 6 weeks to heal :)

[@SOFTCOCOGIRL]

I am Dutch, we have same Climate. We had also one pair of shoes for summer and one for colder/wet days.

[@Mugtree]

When I was 5 I was doing all this inc climbing high walls, plus being outside all day without my parents playing in the woods with my friends having adventures and exploring. I also wales to school and back on my own too. 👍. Children need the freedom to learn

[@Ordog213]

funny thing with the wall climbing. IF a parent want the kid to come down, there will be a loud shout like "Komm da runter" (get down here". Often the Kid jumps down, and the parent catch them in their arms....

[@Nightgrauen]

Yeah, but letting 6 year old kids holding and/or firing guns is so much safer... ^^ The skewed view on so many things in the US has me flabbergasted regularly.

[@MattyEngland]

Very few 6yr olds fire guns in the USA, and I can't imagine that Joel would argue in favour of such a thing either.

[@Nightgrauen]

@@MattyEngland Maybe I generalized too much, I agree. But I would say it depends on the state you are in, if and at what age kids start handling guns. Especially in more gun loving parts of the US, like Texas, etc.

[@GeleeRoyal_DnB]

min.13 With the right shoes, fence is not a problem !!😄

[@tupG]

I'm married to a Filipina and let me stepson of 12y join a short cave tour on his own in the Philippines. Of course I talked to the guide and my wife first. The boy was so proud when he returned but the extended family freaked out after they heard of it. And, yes.... I'm German 😂 I grew up in a small village and my age group went riot by comparison. Mind you, there was almost always a watchful pair of eyes in the neighbourhood to make sure that we didn't overdo it. It really takes a village to raise a child. That's not just an empty proverb.

[@nadinechen8819]

I remember being 5 and falling out of a tree I climbed, straight into some wire fence and grandma and mom patted me down, checked if anything was broken or more than scratches and bruises did some minor first aid for the largest cuts and immideately send me back climbing 😂 my grandma urged me even, because she didn't want me to get too scared of falling because of this, she said "are you dead? can you move, talk, breathe? Than you can go back playing and climbing. You are fine" 😂😂

[@erzsebetnilsson580]

about the shoes for the kindergarden I HAD TO DO THE SAME in sweden because they let the kids playing free in the snow and they get wet all over , but just because of that you can not keep the kids inside all the time for not to get wet. So you have to bring a lot of deferent tipe of shoes and also change of at least two par of winter overal dressed for the kids. Plus hats and glows.... so it is LOT you have to buy for the kids to play freely in the snow and reign and all kind of the weather for to get use to the European weather and learn to enjoy no matter the different weather and sesons from the early age for to prepared for to later age.

[@manub.3847]

Regarding breastfeeding, I can imagine that many American mothers who pump and bottle the mothersmilk because they often have to return to work far too soon and there is no paid statutory parental leave. "Risk": the wall appears to be about 5 ft. high and is probably about 1ft. wide, there is soft soil on both sides, so little can happen. In the first or second school year, we school children tried to crawl between the wall and the tree, if possible to the end of the wall, about 7 ft high. Have jumped off jungle gyms or jumped off the top of a swing set in motion.

[@peterjf7723]

I think that is probably down to the inadequate parental leave in the US. In the UK the Government states that employees having a baby whilst working may be entitled to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave. This consists of: Ordinary Maternity Leave for the first 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave for the last 26 weeks Employees are required to take at least two weeks’ leave after the baby is born or four weeks if they work in a factory. Taking the full 52 weeks is not a requirement. Parental leave is unpaid. You’re entitled to 18 weeks’ leave for each child and adopted child, up to their 18th birthday. The limit on how much parental leave each parent can take in a year is 4 weeks for each child (unless the employer agrees otherwise).

[@MrDekuchan]

"What is going on" i find it so funny because its a phrase that shows confusion and he says it all the time xD i know i know it doesnt has to mean that but its funny either way :D

[@fakkii]

Looking at the fence as a german, my first reaction was: Why aren`t they swinging in the Tree behind them? In German it is called a "Trauerweide" and as i was a kid my friends and i were swinging Hills up and down at these kind of Trees. Sometimes it went not realy good but the landing was worth the fun!

[@79BlackRose]

ONE PAIR Joel, REALLY? You must have a dozen trainers plus whatever else.

[@manub.3847]

Maybe he just remembers his favorite pair of shoes? And even if you only need 2 or 3 pairs of shoes, the parents buy new shoes 2-4 times a year during the period of growth. The younger the children are, the more often they need new shoes. And yes, in Germany the shoes cost a lot of money in comparison, but the shoes from the first few years are often worn by siblings or resold at children's clothing flea markets.

[@adrianhempfing2042]

Maybe that's why Jps has millions of shows now ... "deprived" as a child. Not really haha. I think the 1 pair works fine

[@Techmagus76]

Parenting in germany is very easy. You and the kid can do anything as long as you make sure the kid wears proper shoes in each situation.

[@cincu4168]

i grew up in germany, i remember that i climbed everything, sometimes i needed help to get down again.. but was allowed to get up there... we even been on a construction side for a scyscrapper and got down again because of the ice cream van...

[@Oradon01]

I'm lucky that I grew up in Germany without permanent supervision from my parents. I was playing in the forest for hours, climbing on walls and trees and it was a lot of fun and I'm still alive.

[@potatochip8181]

My parents always said to me when I was younger: if I need to climb somewhere up, I should do it. But if I hurt myself it is my fault. After that they would ask me if I had learned something from it and I did.

[@Luca-hp6fg]

Hi,I think the mostly important thing is when some accident happen to a child in Germany time and how they Intervin the authorities,extremely fast,mostly with helicopter 🚁 and knowing this you have more confidence in letting them to explore. 😊

[@TZBuer]

I love to see the reaction of you and her about things that are so normal for me in Germany. I love to hear these other perspectives. One always think that on this world everything is quiet the same but it is not