Know THAT about parenting in Germany versus the USA (culture shock)

[@lauraweaver91]

I was a german 90's kid. I had a 15 minute walk to the public bus stop and another 1h bus ride to kindergarden/school every day since I was 5. No mobile phone. I knew the home phone number by heart and always had my wallet with a few coins so i could call home on a public phone booth, in case of emergency. My parents did only have a rough idea where i might be every day, typically somewhere in the neighbourhood playing with the other kids or in the forest nearby. I let them know if i went somewhere unusual, but it wasn't a requirement. One rule - be home for dinner. I never got into any trouble, knew how to beware of traffic and strangers, and how to catch public transport. I loved having so much freedom in my childhood.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment. I like the information about being home for dinner! Was for me the same when I was a kid. All the best

[@uwekall6281]

Same here in the 70/80ies

[@tihomirrasperic]

I am from Croatia in the early 80's I used to go to school by bicycle, a distance of 5 km not only me, the whole school In the sun and in the rain, even in the snow 30 cm of snow was not enough reason to "miss a day of school" * there were no phones or mobile phones, and we were like a small gang running around on bicycles, no one knew where we were all day, except that we showed up for breakfast, lunch and dinner I know that once my grandfather got on his bike to look for me, when he finally found me, on the way he picked up orders for the whole company to return home one neighbor said "they're not here, they cleaned my cherry tree like skunks the day before yesterday" * today's kids are too spoiled

[@palantir135]

In the Netherlands, the moment kids learn to ride a bicycle, usually about 4-6 years old depending on the child, children get their first taste of independence. That independence grows fast and soon they can play unattended, go to school on their own etc.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Palantir135 and thank you for your comment. Looks like in Europe kids are more independent than in the US.

[@miztazed]

Same in Germany you lovely oranje neighbors. Love yah. ;)

[@palantir135]

@@miztazed vielen Dank. Liebe euch auch.

[@E85stattElektro]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life I feel like in France everything is more strict. Not on US level, but more than in Germany or other countries.

[@roberttownrow3606]

Thanks, yes and I read somewhere that Dutch children are, on average, the happiest in the world

[@elvenrights2428]

If i understand correctly, in US, the child must not gain any indepedence till he or she is 15, then he or she suddenly can learn to drive a car and get license when he or she is 15. It is insane! I am jsut wondering how teens are supposed to learn to drive car when they are 15 if they have no experience walking on sidewalks alone, riding a bike alone, etc.

[@robertspencer6085]

It’s because the kids in the US are too consumed by video games and have no idea how to entertain themselves without the internet. Get rid of tictok, Facebook and social media or better kill the internet and watch kids AND adults have a mental meltdown.😊

[@madrooky1398]

Yes and with 18 they can in many states very easily buy a gun legally, and still have 3 years to go before they are allowed to drink even a beer. Its like shock therapy, when they turn 21 and behaved so far, suddenly alcohol becomes a thing and in many cases many other drugs too. When i hear about how common cocaine is on college parties i am not surprised about certain problems the US has with drugs in general. Its a weird country.

[@elvenrights2428]

@@inkey2 what is learners permit?

[@pfichtner01]

You are allowed to drive and wear guns earlier than drinking a single beer.... They know nothing.....keep them uneducated an poor, argue in a religous way and you can become a patriotic republican. It is that easy to grow up well behaved in the Land of the Free 😂

[@Eysenbeiss]

@@elvenrights2428 Almost the same as being able to get your licence at the age of 17 over here, when you have to have an adult with licence next to you ...

[@uwekall6281]

As I was a kid we didn't have cellphones in Germany and still we went out roaming the countryside as far as we wanted...

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

hi Uwe, yes, i grew up the same way important was just that we were back for dinner ;-)

[@uwekall6281]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life Exactly. One of us would remember to check the time so we all would go for dinner.

[@PetraR.-er8dv]

In Deutschland nennt man diese Art von Eltern Helikoptereltern. In unserem Bezirk in Berlin(Lichterfelde) musste die Direktorin echt Ansagen machen, dass die Eltern die Kinder nur bis zum Schulgelände bringen dürfen und nicht bis in die Klasse. Ich kann mich daran erinnern, dass es außerdem eine Ansage gab die Eltern sollen wenigstens mit Ihren Kindern üben wie man sich als fußgänger verhält, weil diese helikopterkinder nicht wussten wie man über die Straße kommt ohne von einem Auto angefahren zu werden. Unsere Kinder konnten das, weil wir es mit Ihnen als Vorbereitung auf die Schule schon vorher geübt haben, genauso wie später das fahren mit bus und Bahn. Liebe Grüße aus Berlin

[@geertrebreps191]

Wie haben wir es früher geschafft als es noch kein Mobilfon gab? Mit 5 haben wir gelernt wie man eine Strasse überquert. Ja, es war weniger Verkehr, doch einerseits waren die Bremsen der Fahrzeuge vergleichsweise katastrophal und es gab weder Mittelstreifen noch Ampeln. Mit 6 gingen wir alleine zur Schule. Bis zu 2 km war normal. "Schulbus" konnte niemand buchstabieren. Mit 10 in's Gymnasium. 25 Minuten mit Bus und Tram, dann 15 min zu Fuss. Oder 6 km mit dem Fahrrad (ging schneller). An keiner Schule wurden massenweise Kinder per Auto "angeliefert". Auch die Kinder von Millionären kamen mit dem Fahrrad. Heute habe ich zuweilen den Eindruck kinder wissen nicht wie man atmet wenn nicht daernd das Mobilfon sagt "einatmen - ausatmen -einatmen - ausatmen - einatmen - ausatmen".

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Geert, thanks for your comment and sharing your perspective. I agree, things have changed compared to how it was in the past. However, the new technologies also brought a lot of positive things-living in the US and still staying in close contact with family and friends in Germany was wonderful and I don't want to miss it. Without a phone, there would have been no way. However, I agree that many people, including kids using it extensively.

[@alis098]

Oh je, meine Kinder sind ab 7Jahre mit den Öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln zur Schule gefahren (das letzte ab 2019)

[@geertrebreps191]

@@alis098 Und sie leben noch! :-) Sogar mit normalen, anstelle von Helikoptereltern. Das Problem liegt meiner Meinung darin, dass viele Eltern ihren Kindern nicht beibringen wie man ein Problem löst z.B. "wie komme ich über die Strasse", sondern ihnen alle Probleme abnehmen. In diesem Fall wird es an die Hand genommen und dann zügig , in einer Verkehrslücke, über die Strasse "gerissen". Was lernt das Kind dabei? "Ich kann mich auf Mutti verlassen, die macht das!". Ab besten 100 m von einer Ampel entfernt. In dieser Art geht es weiter bis zur Volljährigkeit. Und dann fehlt Mutti . . . .Und der Spross hat nicht aus "1000" kleinen, kindgerechten Fehlern gelernt, sondern haut gleich mächtig rein.

[@austropithecus7055]

Einen gab´s der jeden Tag von der Mutter in die Schule gebracht wurde. Der arme Conny! Er wurde den Ruf, ein Muttersöhnchen zu sein, nie los...

[@Eysenbeiss]

Das ging selbst mitten in Berlin, im Kreuzberg der 70er und 80er Jahre, mit ordentlich Verkehr, aber man hat es halb beigebracht bekommen, war mit der Schule regelmäßig im "Vekehrskindergarten", allerdings fing die "Oberschule" erst mit der sechsten Klasse an, was ich auch besser finde.

[@henriettejosephine]

That‘s really bizarre. They are not allowed to walk to school on their own but they are allowed to have guns.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Henriette, I know that was also weird for me in the beginning. But one of the reasons is also the distances that are much longer in the US.

[@sirfizz6518]

Kids are not allowed to have guns; they get them illegally. It's just easier here because it's much easier for adults to legally buy and possess guns. The laws vary a lot between states. I'm no expert on the issue, but i think these laws stay this way because of firearms industry lobbying and propaganda.

[@alihorda]

​@@sirfizz6518Problem is that guns are normalized there and you can buy guns at the local petrol station. Some people buy guns for their kids as present. Also they market guns towards kids (there is hello kitty painted assault rifle gun). Black market exists everywhere and not USA specific, but the perception of guns in the USA is just insane imo

[@maximusextreme3725]

​@@alihorda As a gun owner stop spreading misinformation. You cannot buy a gun in a "petrol station" we call that a gas station. There are restrictions, but there are loopholes that allow people to get guns that should not be able to.

[@alihorda]

@@maximusextreme3725 you literally can, it is comical that there are gun sections /corners in shops

[@turbotino1975]

Wow, how did we all survived in the eighties to walk 1 km to school at first grade and walked back the same distance after school was over. I remember we got bike training at the age of seven or eight and a bike pass if home was less then 1,5 km away. We have been proud to be allowed to drive to school by bike. Only the kids who lived more than 1,5 km away got a one year ticket for public bus. I remember: No one died...

[@robertspencer6085]

Coming from the US and moving to Eastern Europe I am pleasantly surprised on how well the children in Europe are independent and better mannered than the US children I’ve seen. I will say, watching children walking home by themselves is a pleasant thing to see and I would have rather raised my kids in Europe than the US (California/Utah/Wyoming and Florida) I was military. I got tired of the crime, and realized I had a much better standard of living in Europe than the US. On a positive, women actually wear dresses and act like women.😊

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks Robert for sharing your new experiences. it’s always a pleasure to read through other people’s view all the best

[@siriosstar4789]

Robert - "women actually wear dresses and act like women" ?😳 Wow !

[@Kelsea-2002]

Als gebürtige Amerikanerin,bin ich meinen Eltern sehr dankbar dass ich in Deutschland aufwachsen durfte. In diesem wunderbaren Land dürfen Kinder noch Kinder sein ohne Angst und Einschränkungen. Werde ich jemals in die USA zurück gehen? Wohl kaum,denn Europa bietet all das was an Freiheiten in Amerika undenkbar ist.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks for your comment, I highly appreciate it to read about other peoples opinions and experiences!

[@palantir135]

In der Niederlande, können Kinder auch frei aufwachsen.

[@Supersean0001]

Born and raised in the US, but became aquainted with Germany during my service in the US Army (in Fulda, specifically). This was during the late 1980s and early 1990s, so it's been quite a while. Growing up here in the US in the 1970s was very different than today. I traveled by myself at 10 years old on an airline to visit relatives in Florida, which included making a connecting flight in St. Louis. No one thought anything of it, and there was no special accomodations or arrangements; just got on the plane, found out when and where the next flight was leaving, and got on that one, and met my relatives there at the airport in Miami. The return flight was much the same. Similarly, my three brothers and I were what was known as "latchkey kids"; we got home from school (we sometimes rode the bus and sometimes walked), it would be a couple of hours before our mother got home from work. We did chores, I helped get our dinner going . . . this was just how things were. I was perhaps 10 at the time, and my brothers were 7 and 4; the 4-year-old was in a day care, but the rest of us just came home and stayed out of trouble. I think that some of the sensationalized TV news coverage in the 80s, 90s, and ever since have convinced that children are not safe unless an adult can physically see the children everywhere they go. The laws enacted since then do not permit children to be left unattended until the age of 12, and I think that came about in the 1990s. I do not believe that things in America are inherently unsafe for children (our tendency to have school shootings are a clear exception), but there is a widespread perception that it is. And it was not always so.

[@austropithecus7055]

@@Supersean0001 What happend, that things changed so radical? I surmise, cause in America, lawyers are lurking behind every shrub, to find an opportunity, to sue...

[@xiaowong6651]

Ich werde es Mal unterlassen, zu teilen, wie es für mich hier in Deutschland war...

[@joegerich641]

Where I live in Texas kids can also ride their bikes to school

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Joe, thanks for your comment, I like it! Then Texas is ahead of many states.

[@tschaytschay4555]

I was a child in the 90s in Germany and I grew up in an area which was considered a bit problematic. "Our" part was still okay but one street over was already the part were things were a little bit rougher. Our "plattenbau" was build like a half circle with not busy streets confining the other half (not really in a circle anymore, it was a bit wider there). So as a little kids this confined space was our playground with a meadow, bushes, sandpits, ping pong tables of stone and concrete etc.. It was great. We knew exactly where our boundaries were and didn't overcross it, until we where a bit older and were allowed to. As we got older we were allowed to also go "vor's Haus", the area on the other side of our plattenbau and as we got a bit older we where than also allowed to go over the street into the a bit rougher part where also many class mates lived. It was great and my school was just a 2-3 minute walk away, so I walked there since I was 6 years old. :) So even in parts where not everything was "rosy" with lots of poor foreign families we had a lot of freedom and it wasn't a big deal. Didn't know it is actually illegal to leave your kids alone. We were alone from a pretty early age because my father worked in shifts and my mother had to work in the evenings.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for sharing your personal story, I highly appreciate it that viewers are so honest and open. All the best

[@csabacrisan9412]

I'm an 80s kid from Eastern Europe. When i was 5, i walked to kindergarten by myself, for a couple of km, on a road with no sidewalk. In the summer, i spent most days at the local swimming pool with 3 pools: the small with knee deep water, and the other 2 with water over my head. I couldn't swim back then. Still, my parents had no idea where i was, and when i the conversation got there, still they didn't worry!

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for sharing your very personal story, I appreciate it a lot. All the best

[@helenebach3440]

We have the same issue here in the Uk (as Germans) where we constantly get complaints about letting our sons 4/8 playing outside unattended , Our 4 year old just loves to play outside with his cars, riding his bike or just exploring, watching was is going on, who drives past, greeting the post man. He sometimes goes for a little walk well within the boundaries of the farm we live on, but our landlords are freaking out about it and say that we should keep him inside/in our back garden. In their eyes I suppose we are considered to be careless and it is also always about safety. It is the "Totschlagargument" no offense against you, we just want to keep everyone safe. Just think about your son's safety. Thanks to your video I now can see it as a cultural difference and also different parenting styles

[@emiliajojo5703]

You can find many videos about the science of this parenting style common in Germany, and yes yes yes northern countries as well

[@emiliajojo5703]

Hopefully you don't change just because of this crazy fear culture. Once gernan angst was a thing.😂

[@tranquilthoughts7233]

When i was a child i had a simple rule. When i went out i would tell my mother where i went or, if she wasn't home, just leave a note on the kitchen table. I didn't have my own key to the house but there was always a key in a slightly hidden place outside so that me and my sister could always enter the house when we wanted or needed to. And me, my sister and my friends would walk all around the village, visit our friends and even go all the way to the stream or forest and play there. All alone. We also both went to school alone and when we went to (i guess in american it would be ) middle school in the nearest city we took the bus. Alone.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a million for sharing your personal story. It's always great to read through these individual views. All the best

[@sytax1]

its not only to teach your childs from an early age on how to gain confidence. its also about responsibility and the sense of responsibility. childs need to learn that because it has a huge impact in the adult life. also the trust in your community arround you plays a huge role. you might not be fully aware but your kid is never alone even if its out alone or with friends. someone has always an eye. and childs usually teached to ask for help (here comes the sense of responsibility). childs are small humans with a very good working brain even at a young age, not a dump pet. i know its also a cultural thing and the USA is not designed in the way germany is but from what i see the USA is overdoing the helicopter. i hope your daughter has fun with the flight to HH. greetings

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi sytax, I totally agree, thanks a lot for sharing your perspective.

[@AlbertSchoenenberger]

That is why European kids are much more mature and responsible than in the USA!

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment, I think you are right, as least thats also my experience from living in the US and Germany. all the best

[@poro9084]

yeah, i am czech and i think around age 6-7 i was able to wander around my village - mostly in vicinity of my home, so like 10-15 minutes walking distance

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for sharing your personal story!

[@murkel7765]

as a single mother I wouldn't know how to handle it the USA

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

yes, I hear you, it most be very hard!

[@dinnng]

I went to kindergarten alone when 5 year old, i went to school some kilometers away alone, i went out of the house to play with my friends outside at 9am and came home at 8pm at the age of 9y, at 12y we drove 20km away with our bmx-bikes and came home with bleeding knees or whatever. Why was that possible? Because my parents teached me how to manage that situations. They teached me not to play on roads or railroads, they teached me to check out the water before i jumped in, they teached me not to run on a street when i kicked a ball too far....and so on. I would love to teach that to my twins, but they got killed in postnatal depression by theire mother, before she killed herself. Better stop here, getting weak from this...sorry therefore...

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for sharing your very personal experiences. All the best

[@mariaz.-k.3546]

I am so sorry for you and your family. I wish you strength and loving people around you. I work in a hospital, where mother's with postnatal depression are treated. I wish, we would have much moref this hospitals. Sorry for my English

[@AvesPasseri-Jinysvet]

I remember going to school alone when I was 7 (the first grade). It was not far away, not too many cars then. And we spent a lot of time playing outside with other kids. My daughter used to go alone to school from the 3rd grade (almost 10 years old). I had more control over where she is than my parents had though...even though she did not have her own mobile. Most kids have at this age. She used to stay alone at home for an hour or so alone even before. It is def. not illegal here. :-))) And it is pretty standard because parents are at work and it is not easy to get the afterschool club at schools after some 9/10 years old. Kids are condidered to be big enough to go home and stay there. But if anything happens during that time, people would see you as the irresponsible parent. That is true.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comments and additional information

[@miztazed]

Well, where do I start? We have a kind of safety system in Germany. I remember it when my son goes to the Kindergarten. When your Kid doesn`t arrive till 9am they`ll call the cops. So if you have other plans that day you have to inform and call the Kindergarten. Also if you`re forced to do overshifts and don`t be able to pick up your child on time. In this case the teacher is forced to take your kid to her own and found out whats going on. - hope you get the point on my bad english - As soon as my son went to school we slowly teach him how to get to school alone with public transportation. And at 2nd grade he master it by himself. No big deal. It`s a "I trust and believe in you". The biggest gift you can gif your child. ...PS. Kindergartens and Schools are usually locked during the operating time. So that no one creapy got entrance to it.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for sharing your experiences, I always appreciate it. all the best!

[@embreis2257]

6:28 regarding phones for kids even before they turn 14 [in the US]: one reason might simply be to put another layer of surveillance on your child. it may be overkill as you already know the whereabouts of your child in the US, but smartphones and their insidious tracking abilities can be utilised by anxious or paranoid parents too.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment. I always appreciate other peoples feedback and experiences all the best

[@jensesau3148]

My son showed around the phone in the first class which was a novelty for the teacher. We gave him one, before school age, because he took the city transportation before he entered school to go to gymnastics completely on his own at the age of 6. (he couldn't read the bus stops but "sing" the complete line by heart). One time he should join a neighbour to go home but he preferred walking 4 km home on his own. (My wife would have difficulties to find the way but not my really good oriented 6 year old son.) (At age 10 we cycled from Hamburg to Denmark Legoland with day trips up to 90 km).

[@greenmanontherun4401]

Das waren interessante Informationen für mich als nichtamerikanischer Vater. Fairerweise muss erwähnt werden, dass auch hier das Helikoptern zunimmt. Beispiel: Schulweg. Die Kinder werden zunehmend gebracht. Das war früher zum Beispiel nicht üblich. Beispiel: Regen. Der wird inzwischen häufig als gefährliche Zumutung für das arme Kind interpretiert. Es könnte einen Schnupfen geben.

[@Brainreaver79]

traurig aber wahr....

[@rainer2810]

Als ich Schüler war ,bin ich die 6 km zur Schule mit dem Bus gefahren. Die Kinder die direkt an der Schule wohnten ,sind zu Fuß oder mit dem Rad gekommen. Es wurde kein Kind mit dem Auto gebracht. Vor ein paar Jahren wollten sie an meiner ehemaligen Schule schöne alte Bäume fällen,um einen Parkstreifen für Elterntaxis zu schaffen. Zum Glück hat es große Empörung gegeben, und das Projekt wurde nicht durchgeführt. Kinder sind doch auch normale Menschen die zwei Beine haben,die kann man auch zum laufen benutzen.

[@heindaddel2531]

Our daughter flew as a UM (unaccompanied minor) from Munich to Hamburg to her grandparents when she was four years old. No issue at all.

[@G4KDXlive]

Interesting. I’ve seen children of maybe 9 years old travelling alone on trains in the former East Germany, but not in the big cities.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@juttapopp1869]

I used the train on my own every day to get to school from age 10. Never a problem.

[@sirfizz6518]

I'm not sure how much of this varies location or how much laws and norms have changed, but most of this definitely wasn't the case when I grew up in suburban Maryland (near Washington DC) in the 90s. It was pretty common to come home in one's own time on foot from the bus stop, or by bicycle if one had taken it to school. It definitely wasn't illegal for kids to be alone, and aside from some extreme parents, children were pretty free to take their time getting home, go to friends' houses, play in parks or explore elsewhere etc. I don't think the laws have changed much nationally, while i do know that there have been restrictions in certain places. Beyond laws there's the matter of what's socially acceptable. From what I've seen it seems that generally parents set these rules according not just to laws, but to a general sense of safety in terms of walkability/traffic and risk of public violence. Parents have indeed gotten more paranoid over time, but i think again this is less true in areas with less violent crime, and which are more pedestrian friendly. I lived in such a more relaxed town just 6 years ago, and a lot of kids still had a bit more freedom compared to dangerous cities and sprawling suburbs. I'm not sure if it was legal but it was definitely normal. Just reporting from my experience. My impression is definitely that Americans are relatively paranoid, especially in the last 20 years or so, but that the USA is so huge and diverse, it's hard to really pin down what is normal.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for bringing up that point. I also have heard from friends in the US that things have changed a lot in the last 15-20 years. They grew up differently from what their kids do now. All the best and thanks again for sharing your personal opinion and experiences.

[@alis098]

I'm raising 3 children as a German in Germany. We gave them a Smartphone at the age of 9/10, because they needed a messanger App e.g. to have an acess to homework and social groups in their foam.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Lis, thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. I think it makes sense to give the kids a smartphone in that age. All the best

[@Leiseful]

in den 90gern bin ich alleine zum Kindergarten und zurück nach Hause gegangen, waren den Ganzen Tag Draußen unterwegs und wenn die Straßenlaternen an gingen haben wir uns nach Hause zu begeben. Das waren noch Zeiten und da hatten wir kein Handy.

[@michamcv.1846]

´´the Airplanecompany has a service...´´ -Sorry your package couldnt be delivered.

[@henryluebberstedt7819]

Did she grow up bilingual? Otherwise it's a real shock for her. Friends of ours, both German, returned after 15 years. They never wanted to emigrate, they just had their jobs in Boston. Both children grew up over there, at home even the parents spoke English with their children, the nanny was from Ireland. The son refused to return to a country he had no connection with. The younger daughter had to go with them, but goes to an international school here. She speaks German with a clear accent. The brother hardly speaks German. Pretty much tore the family apart.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Henry, thanks for your comment. Our daughter grew up bilingual, we spoke German to her but when we were with friends who did not speak German, we switched to English and with her friends and at school she only spoke English. So she was fluent in German when we moved back here. otherwise, I agree, it must be really hard for the kids.

[@_-ressix-_1930]

Ich, geboren im Jahr 1981, kann mich noch lebhaft daran erinnern, wie stolz ich war, als ich mit 4 oder 5 Jahren meinen "Alleingänger-Schein" bekommen habe. Das war die Erlaubnis, dass ich allein zum Kindergarten und mittags wieder nach Hause gehen durfte. Heute beobachte ich wie Kids teilweise bis zum Abitur von ihren Eltern zur Schule kutschiert werden... Sowas hätte es damals nicht gegeben. es war jedem einfach peinlich, wenn man mit Mutti vor der Schule ankommt. Zeiten ändern sich wohl, und nicht unbedingt zum besseren. Am besten finde ich dann immer die Eltern die sagen "ja, aber damals war auch viel weniger Verkehr!"... Erstens stimmt das nicht, und 2. wenn nicht jeder zur Schule gefahren würde, wäre ebenfalls viel weniger Verkehr... zumindest um die Schule herum.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for your comment. I was laughing a lot about the traffic statement ;-) all the best

[@viomouse]

Some Kindergartens in Germany still allow the older kids to come by themselves. We had had the opportunity to get our kid into a kindergarten like that, that's how I know. I don't even get why parents drive their kids so much, don't they have something better to do? In the 90s and 00s we called those kids "Autokind" and made fun of them... how times change

[@owensomers8572]

Not sure where you lived in the US, but there are many "latch key" children here. We lived in several states while our children were growing, and the only time our kids were taken to school was while they were in pre-school, after that they took the bus or walked, and we never waited for them at the bus stop (although I have seen some people do it).

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks for this information. we lived in New Jersey and here it was normal. our daughter took the school bus but we had to drop and pick her up from the bus stop until grade 4. all the best

[@thorstenkoethe]

That kids have their own transport service is crazy. That they are not allowed to move between home and school bus station on their own or to stay at home allown is hardly to believe. Treating the problem in this way isn´t pleasant certainly, neither for parents nor for the children.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Hi Thorsten, thanks for your comment. Yes, its totally different in the US versus Germany

[@not7205]

experience here from a native: left running and exploring in the age of about 7 or 8, going alone to school, public bus etc, even in foreign countries for vacation, no telephone, no gps, just trust (yes i forgot myself twice but what, we in eurupe are friendly as somebody got us to the next official and reportet) no harm, - I MUST SAY: it was the 90s. however i ever had the choise of going out, with one rule: be back at sunset (or at 10pm etc according to age) I once sneeked out at 4 in the night, 14y old, with my bike to see a girl, 12 km away, talked with her till 6, and kicked out by her parants but no problem. that was germany at the time (90-late 2015)

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

great comment, thanks for sharing. Yes, it was different back then

[@AnnetteLudke-je5ll]

I really undestand thst you waited to buy your daughter a cellphone . We did it exactly the same way.

[@rairei]

I'm wondering when 'driving service' will end ... ok when the kid gets his own driving license (and car) maybe. At which age does the 'parenting duty' stops so nobody calls the social service... For real I don't get the US system... ...big impact and efforts to parents ...how does your daugther react to the German style now (from her pov) .. I guess she has an big culture shock as well and I assume, it' s her (German indepentent) friends helping her due to being outside is often to with friends or some other parents driving them to cinema etc.. so I guess she will be fine with it 🙂

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

usually the " driving service" stops when the kids are allowed to drive, so with the age of 16. It totally different from what we are used to in Germany where kids with the age of 6 walk by themselves around. This freedom is very much appreciated by our daughter.

[@gia3308]

Bis 8 Jahre hast du auch in Deutschland die Aufsichtspflicht....so locker ist das nun auch nicht. Mein Sohn spielt draußen, und kommt nach Hause, wenn die Kirchenglocken läuten. Im Winter, wenn die Straßenlampen angehen. Dann ist er so dreckig vom spielen, dass ich ihn in die Badewanne stecke, anschließend wir essen zu Abend, und er schaut noch etwas Fernsehen, und dann geht es ins Bett.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks a lot for sharing your personal experience.

[@austropithecus7055]

Me, a countryside- Austrian spent my childhood in the 80ies favoured with neighbourkids in an abandoned quarry. My god son an his brother are nowadays also self-reliant and little monitored. I know, in the US, there is a different sight, how to raise children. But my question is: Is this opinion valid in general, or just for the white wealthy suburbian families? Are children in black or latino neighbourhoods also overprotected? Or children in poorer circumstances? Or children in rural areas? As a rural and rather poor one remember, that the tourist-kids from Vienna were much less self reliant as we were and anxious and clumsy....

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment and sharing the experiences from your childhood. Unfortunately, I cannot answer your questions, as we were lucky and lived in a wealthy suburban area. All the best

[@austropithecus7055]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life Thank you, for answering, Julia! It is not a big surprise, that your description of an (over?)protected childhood, the description of an archetypally wealthy suburb lifestyle is. Nothing wrong with that! But also residents of a more or less privileged neighbourhood have eyes and are able to see, how the situation in other communities and neighbourhoods is. I presume rather, I touched a taboo. I guess, the maxim "Don´t ask, don´t mention" is at least so typically for the contemporary America, as the total-monitoring of children is. I hope, you don´t feel offended ; that was not intended.

[@Jacob_._Roberts]

Here in the city of Garland, in Texas in the United States, the school bus drops a child off. Most parents work. Therefore a parent can not meet the bus. I don't know whether this is the case in other cities in the United States.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks Jacob for your comment. In NJ starting with Grade 4 the kids are allowed to walk home by themselves if the parents have given the permission via the school before.

[@Jacob_._Roberts]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life Thank you.

[@circemuller1933]

I am so happy, live in Germany

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment. its definitely different in Germany than in the US. All the best

[@emiliajojo5703]

My parents never knew where I was.no need for a phone,we just think this.sad.

[@vbvideo1669]

Nice Video! :)

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks a lot for your feedback! all the best

[@cellevangiel5973]

American are obsessed with safety. But in my 77 year live in Belgium, I know of one murder near by, 50 year ago. We have no shootings, no violence except some drunks pretending, which ends with a bleeding nose. Why should I worry?

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

seems to be a very nice neighborhood you are living in! All the best

[@cellevangiel5973]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life I am not just looking at my village, but say a 100 km circle around and then I cover part of the Netherlands. There is some stealing in houses but we talk about physical violence. I don't know anybody who has been the victim of it. Oh yes, there are some drug dealers, but I don't feel threatened by them. Thank you Julia and my best wishes to you.

[@kateoneal4215]

Fascinating! And so sad the US is so dangerous now that the kids grow up dependent on parents for so much they're stunted.

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment. Yes, the kids here are more dependent but also the distances are way further that they can not walk to ride their bikes. All the best

[@bennosimpson]

Das ist also das freieste Land der Welt!

[@martinjunghofer3391]

Mich interessiert, wie es Deinem Kind hier geht. Ich habe es beim Schüleraustausch erlebt, wie Franzosenkinder hier wahnsinnig über die Stränge geschlagen haben, als sie merkten, dass hier die extrem rigiden französischen Reglementierungen weg waren, aber nicht wahrgenommen haben, dass es hier auch Regeln gibt!

[@anacasanova7350]

Es mejor la costumbre Alemana, pero es un pais superseguro. EE.UU no es un pais seguro. Hay demasiados bandidos y locos.😢

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks Ana for your comment, I can neither agree nor disagree as I have no experiences in that. I felt very safe when we lived in the US.

[@anacasanova7350]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life la realidad es otra, Usa es , tiene más criminalidad que Europa Occidental . Es un hecho. Otra cosa son las manías y normas absurdas y chocantes para los europeos, que tienen los estadounidenses.🤗☺️

[@yusufhossain4096]

Hi there! do you want to grow your channel?

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

yes, I am on it

[@yusufhossain4096]

​@@Julia_simplifies_your_life can I help you?

[@MichaelFMeyer-lz5fv]

No, not every mum is doing a great job, stop beeing so ignorance

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your comment, I am always surprised how people communicate their feedback

[@Why-D]

Ab wann darf denn ein Kind in den USA alleine bleiben?

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for your question, I learned that in Nee Jersey kids are allowed to stay by themselves for a while with the age of 12. all the best

[@Why-D]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life very interesting. If you trust your kid, you could leave it alone, at any time. You wouldn't probably, before it goes to Grundschule. But even if a four year old wants to go or ride to a friend, and you know, it will be aware on the street, it is fine. Seems crazy for me.

[@viomouse]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life wow, that's terrible. My mom went on a work trip for 4 days when I was 13, she just gave me 50 Euros, I had other adults I could go to in need, and then left. I was happy, ate at friends houses, kept 50 euros for myself and cleaned the whole house, while she was gone 🙂 I think most parents leave their kids alone for a while (like quick grocery shopping, letting the dog out), once they're like 4-5 years old, depending if the kid is ready. My 3 year old can sit on the curb alone and wait for me, while I get stuff from upstairs for a bike ride. Also I let him at the playground for like 10 mins or so, if I need to get home to get something. He'll just play. Usually I tell other (random) parents, that I'll be back soon, but it's never an issue.

[@orangeguy3314]

Watch you kids playing football and they come back and try and sell your lies on the american product called youtube. Germany can't even come up with their country web app to complete with youtube. 😂😅

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks Orangeguy, great comment-very funny 😆

[@orangeguy3314]

@@Julia_simplifies_your_life guess you love the money coming from a american company called youtube. Guess you couldn't find a way to earn money from german companies. 😂💰

[@agn855]

Du stehst dem orangen 45er offensichtlich in Nichts nach.

[@theblackjack753]

Ami go Home.

[@georgfritz]

American Helicopter Moms

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

Thanks for your comment. it’s different in the US than what we are used to in Germany. all the best

[@xiaowong6651]

6:20 fun fact: I'm glad I didn't want a phone until I was 16 even though my parents wanted to give me one when I was like 14... Nowadays the 2 year old gets raised by the iPad, freemium games with "micro"(I wouldn't call 100€ aka ⅕ of my monthly salary for working 40h/week micro, more like macro)transactions and TikTok, which is extremely sad. Nowadays seems to be the worst time ever to do that (in my opinion the internet from back then was better and you learned things from it without making your parents poor, because they were inept enough to save their credit card details on the iPad they gave the child to play with), the stupid "challenges" which are more like telling someone to off themselves e.g. overdose on medication challenge, eat washing capsules that are not intended for eating challenge, undercook a chicken breast in an extreme overdose of sleeping medication, etc. .

[@Julia_simplifies_your_life]

thanks for sharing your opinion!