Based in southern rural Germany (originally from the UK)
- The weather lack of vit d. ( thats not new though).
Big difference. Summer seems to last a month or so longer (not in the maritime north, but the rest of the country). More time outside here and most are noticeably sensibly tanned at the end of the summer. Lots of time at the local lidos.
- Rise of the nuclear family. No more it takes a village..... Europe has more involvement with extended families.
Very much. Children walk alone earlier and still meet on the streets (chalk drawings everywhere, even in the cities). Older people and other parents will step in and it isn’t seen as weird.
- Loss of youth clubs. Apparently they have them in Germany and it’s cheap and relaxed.
Lots to do locally so there aren’t big commutes.
Didn’t know youth clubs were gone from the uk.
- Too many organised activities kids can't be bored anymore and all their time is structured.
Agree. It seems to come with much more pressure too and often a commute.
The exception here is swimming, which is taken seriously from age five. I do think this is important and there should be more emphasis on swimming in the UK.
- Cost of living and see the pressure on their parents so no hope for things being better than them.
Has increased but not as much as the UK and overall less costs as housing cheaper (unless in a major city).
- Strict army style school system vs 90s uk and Europe.Blazer uniforms even if hot. Screamed at if have a coat on in the corridor, silent corridors. Toilet control.
I hated this rubbish at my school in the UK. I remember it as a place of petty rules to be rebelled against, rather than a place of learning.
- Affordable houses, some parents can't even afford to buy.
In the countryside yes and many houses inherited. Most cities have got much more expensive over the past 15 years.
- Brexit knock on effect of costs and schemes such as erasmus being defunct.
- Lack of resilience and entitlement here in UK.
Independent play early on will feed into resilience/ability to cope.
- Helicopter parents and mollycoddling . Kirsey Allsopp highlighted this. A Dutch lady said kids walk to school at 8 in Holland. Apparently since M.Mcann as a nation we are more fearful ( don't know how true).
Far more informal play and children are generally left to sort themselves out. In Germany there still is this freedom to walk, though in the cities this may be changing.
From children I know in the UK, an issue is that where there is unwillingness to let children go out and about they are given screens and can easily isolate themselves. I think Soham had a huge impact. That really was the case that could have been any of us.
- Nursery from 9 hours a day. Does this happen abroad?
Shorter nursery and school days. Positive for the kids, but a career killer.
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Sewage in water ( that would be adults too though)
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Too much homework.
Still a fair amount here and I wish it was more creative in the younger years.
- The diet.
Overall much better, much more fruit and veg which most kids will eat. Good food provided at kindergarten.
Obviously not perfect and still has its issues - Haribos and salami.
15.15. Constant media input about the poor pensioners eg. The vast majority of pensioners are richer than the childs parents. ( obviously a lot are not but a high portion are) so shows a lack of understanding for youth.
- Underfunding health and mental heath services.
All of the above? Some of the above?