Is it better to be a kid in the Netherlands Vs. The USA?

Is it better to be a kid in NL Vs. The USA?
As a Mom, I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to living in The Netherlands with kids. Suffice to say, I have been quite surprised and delighted by how friendly The Netherlands is to families and children!
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[@ikkelimburg3552]

We lived six months in the US (NY State). My ex-husband had to go for 12 months because of work. Our son was 7 yrs old at the time. We (son and I) only lasted six months before I caught the first plane out 😂. I was supposed to work at an international school but the paperwork was insane. So I was bored beyond recognition as a ‘stay at home mom’ in suburbia. I could handle being away from my family, no job and being the spectacle of the block (We didn’t have a gardener and being bored I kept my own lawn), needing a car to…well do things like shopping groceries. But the fact my son ‘needed’ 24/7 adult supervision did me in. On day two we got ready for school. On our bikes. Neighbours running outside with ‘Oh my gosh did your car break down? We can give you a lift! Please don’t ride your bikes it’s suïcide!’. Week three son decided he wanted to play outside with his skateboard. My next door neighbour immediately grabbed him and brought him back home: ‘You can’t let him play by himself outside in the park you know. It’s against the law, someone might call CPS’. I had to google ‘CPS’. My neighbour helped me to plan ‘the week’ for my son with adult supervised sports activities and such. Apparently I had to plan those activities with a goal in mind like college😮. And I was like ‘But he’s only 7 yrs old!’. I felt like a loser, an alien and a bad mom. My son was flying up against the walls like a caged animal (‘No! I want to go outside without you looking at me all the time!’). He was used to ‘select’ his own friends and run in and out neighbours’ homes. Everybody was really friendly and helpfull. But I just had to go home. I was dangerously close to the ‘it’s cocktail hour somewhere’ lifestyle. We lived in Africa, Arabia but with a child… it’s just so different. You’re just not that flexible anymore.

[@emmam3819]

Your "doei" is getting more and more Dutch! As a dutchie who has worked as a doctor at a consultatiebureau (and is planning on going back to that soon), I would be very interested to hear about you experience with the consultatiebureau!

[@livinglife.digital3399]

😊 Thanks, Emma! I had such an amazing experience with the consultatiebureau. We don’t have an equivalent of it in the US so I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was great all around!!

[@nicovantol7363]

Fiona,because my mental anf fisical problems I was the stay at home dad. My wife started working when our daughter was 7 weeks. Allso we had help from my mother,because she was/is soooo happy with her grand daughter. So once a week she took care of our daughter and I was able too do some work. Now our daughter is going to be 10 years old soon,April 12th. Looking forward to see your precious baby soon.

[@FacelessJanus]

Fi. In the US they have a very short term vision for profit. That is why the parental leave system is not there. They assume that because you do not work, they loose productivity. However they completely overlook the fact, that a happy person is way more productive, so in the end more profitable to them. So in the longterm they make less profit by their own system.

[@henkvandervossen6616]

What is also important you get assistence for a week or so to adapt to having a baby, re care, feeding, nursing and some light work in the house

[@in551125do]

Congratz with your new baby....!!.... Unfortunately in the US most laws only benefit corporations and the ultra rich, people are seen as a nuisance to the bottom line of corporations......(you know the infamous US "family values".....)

[@michalovesanime]

The Netherlands also has the same problems... The difference is that we had a bigger labor movement in the last century. We are still enjoying a lot of the work of those people. And unfortunately, politicians now have been chipping away at what makes this country better than the US

[@carelgoodheir692]

I think this episode might have been called "Is it better to have a kid in .." rather that "... to be a kid in ..". IMO it is very, very much better to be a kid in NL because you're not as restricted. Dutch children can explore, play with friends unsupervised in playgrounds or parks out of sight of the parental home, go to school on their bikes, go shopping, etc very much younger than is usual in the US. Our family left NL when I was a kid many decades ago to move to Scotland but I don't think I'm mistaken in thinking the US term "playdate" would be meaningless there.

[@frankgeurts3912]

The best country ❤

[@rudolphinawelles3440]

Hi Fiona Nice to hear from you. Hope we meet the baby next time ❤

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Thank you, Rudolphina❤

[@TestTest-eb8jr]

👍🖒👍

[@eddys.3524]

Great to hear the four of you are doing well... also due to the fair conditions overhere for parents with children.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

Thank you, Eddy!

[@chubbymoth5810]

Having children is important if you don't want to end up like Japan. The increasing long lives of people also increase demand for people working in care, who can't be working elsewhere. You need about 2.1 children per couple to keep you population healthy. Nowhere in Europe is that attained as far as I know, but investing in getting there is a logical thing.

[@vincenzodigrande2070]

If you think Japan is bad, try China in a few years. They are facing the worst ageing population in human history. The population is on threat to halve in the coming generation due to virtually zero births.

[@oetgaol]

Something least talked about when discussing having a child in the US is the atrocious death rate for women during childbirth over there.

[@livinglife.digital3399]

I've actually been reading quite a lot about this and it's just so unfortunate and sad.

[@oetgaol]

@@livinglife.digital3399 to be honest it makes me more angry than sad. It is so preventable but for political reasons and misplaced patriotism (US is number one and best in everything) Women die unnecessarily.

[@michalovesanime]

Usually, it's more productive for us here to compare ourselves with other European countries. The US is just so backwards on these subjects, it's not even worth comparing lol. We'd just conclude we're perfect when it comes to healthcare etc, which we definitely not. Most EU countries have even better conditions

[@chrispastoor7240]

I like your view on hoe Dutch society is. I would enjoy your video's a little bit more if you would just leave one second of silence so now and then... The message would sink in a bit more. All the cutting is a bit distracting for me to be honest.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

:)

[@jpfoto64]

the reason why in the usa the averige person has much less support from the goverment has to do with the way american society is build, mainly around compagny's and second for the people. That is why workers have much less rights. Everyone can get fired on the spot without a good reason. No payed minimum vakcation days by law. House renting favors the owner of the propety above the the ones who live in the houses. Health insurance is so expensive and favors big farmasutical compagnies and not pacients and also can refuse patienys who have sertain conditions or illnesses Do you realise that jay walking is a verry usa thing that was made illigal to favor car compagnies, so if a pedestrian gets hit by a car, it is the pedestrians fault. Most countries in the world the concept of jay walking does not exist and crossing a street is not illegal. These, among many others reasons is why there is such a big problem with homeless people in the usa. There is less support from the goverment, and rights for the common people than in almost every other western country. These are just a few examples how comagnies are favoured by american law above people. And these are a few examples and not exampions.

[@damiettes7140]

You need to change yr headline. This is about parental leave not about if it’s better to be a kid in the Netherlands

[@atropatene3596]

Just because it's better than the USA doesn't make it good. Other countries treat mothers and young parents in general much better than the Netherlands does. Daycare cost here is still among the most expensive in the world. We have the happiest kids because of our infrastructure, which isn't as car centric as most places. Not because the moms get to stay home for a meager 16 weeks after giving birth.

[@jennyvoorhaar9547]

Nag, nag, nag!

[@atropatene3596]

@@jennyvoorhaar9547 thank you for this incredibly interesting contribution to this conversation. This has been so insightful, I can't believe I didn't think of this angle myself.

[@playonkorg]

@@atropatene3596hahahaha...bingo