Immediately after birth, every child is informed that they are not in the USA.
The response is always pure and lasting joy.

My wife and I raised our kids, with the philosophy that they need to do what makes them happy, not what others expect from them.

As Dutch parents me and my wife always told our kids it don't matter wat kind of profession wat they want to do when they are adults, it is importent that they have jobs what make them happy. Our kids are adults now and were educated for the jobs what they like, have jobs what they like and have happy famelies for their own. I hope they wil do the same with their kids in the future.

As a Dutch grandpa I picked up  my 3 year old granddaughter to our garden plot on the backseat of my bike to harvest potatoes and vegetables to bring back to her parents home to eat the next couple of days. She had so much  fun searching for the potatoes. And I had so much fun watching her.

We have a saying here in Germany: Kinder, die nichts dürfen, werden Erwachsene, die nichts können... meaning Children who are forbidden from doing anything grow into adults who are incapable of doing anything.

I grew up in US, live near Rotterdam now. My kids and grandkids roam the globe as happy human beings. Because we raised them the Dutch way. Let them learn by making mistakes

It’s not only the parents. The UNICEF study also mentioned the school.

As a German, I always enjoy visiting the Netherlands. People there are much more relaxed than in Germany. And they’re not as stressed as people in Germany. I also really appreciate the hospitality in the Netherlands. On Top of that my Wife is dutch

There is something important: the Dutch good life is a result of staying sober: kids get what they need (like adults) but there is no outrageous expensive gifts, meals etc. It must stay nice, cosy (gezellig). The result is a life without tensions, worries, high expectations; There is this expression "normal is actually crazy enough".  A pleasant life with little disappointments.

And....we all learn to swim!!
They start with baby swimming!! Than school swimming. And you can learn rescue swimming, if you like to!

It is the same in Scandinavia. Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have kind of same structure, society.

My children got their first little bike on their first birthday—a tricycle with a small bin on the back. Soon after, they moved on to a small bike with stabilisers, and by the age of three, all three of them were riding without them. We also used to walk to school in all kinds of weather, since we lived quite close by in the 90s. And along with their first pair of shoes came rain boots and a little raincoat.

The rest of the world works 5-6 days a week. In the Netherlands they work 3-4 days a week max(80% of Dutch people)! That’s also a reason to have more time for your kid(s)

What I remember especially of my upbringing is the trust my parents had in me and my brother who was only 1½ years yonger; we were always together. For instance, my father informed us at ten y,o. thouroughly about the dangers of the sea and from that time on we were alowed to bike from Alkmaar to Bergen at Sea (about ten kms, all bikepaths) to be on the beach by ourselves!!! That trust amazes me still now! But the effect was that we thought: when we show we are trustworthy, we are alowed to do anyting! We were never told when to be home if we went somewhere, my father only asked: at what time do you think to be home again?
Once when we were about 16 yo a neigbour girl asked her mother, a friend of my mother, there will be a garage party with Charleses may I go there? The mother asked: Are Chris and Jan there too? Then you may!

10.31 After my mom divorced from my dad, she went form on e part of Groningen, Nrth East in Netherlands ( NOT Holland) .l.her new man in her life lived in actually Holland, North Holland, Heiloo and he bicicled to her to come over for the weekend. He never bothered to get drivers licence.  HIt took hom two days to get from Heiloo to Groningen, he camped in a small tent along the way, had fantastic weekend with mom, and took off, for a two day bike trip back to his home.  Mom did move closer later, now they live in same city, keep their own homes, but are now both past 70 years, and walk to get to eachothers homes..both in flats, one libes 6 high, other 4high and both rather take the stairs then the elevator.  They use the staircases as excersise. Even bringing a case of beer up, or a box of wine...   reitired ones...   every meal needs a wine or a beer... hahahaha!!

Als ouder ben ik heel blij dat ik zoveel mogelijk tijd met m'n zoon heb doorgebracht. Samen naar de speeltuin, voetballen, karate doen en natuurlijk fietsen. Hij kon net als ik fietsen op z'n vierde en vanaf z'n zesde ging hij zelf met vrienden naar school fietsen (toen 1 kilometer). Me echt nooit ergens zorgen over gemaakt.
Verschil met de US is natuurlijk wel dat NL een klein land is en met de beste fietsinfrastructuur op aarde. Plus, denk ik, dat wij meer om kinderen geven dan om geld.

parents have work life balance, school are well organized and health prevention and medical services are on the good level.... simply it is the country for people ....

I was in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 recently. There are cycle paths everywhere, lots of cycles parked outside train stations or in streets. I saw children on the back of parents bicycles or riding in an attached box at the front of their parents  bicycles or riding their own bicycles 🚲. I saw a number of kids riding their bicycles in Arnhem over the bridge (which British 🇬🇧 paratroopers tried to take under Major John Frost who the bridge is named after, he was played in film “A Bridge Too Far” by Sir Anthony Hopkins). Also cycling past the drop zone where British 🇬🇧 paratroopers landed in 1944. There are more cycle paths over there than there are here in the Port of Grimsby.

I sometimes have the pleasure of looking after my nephew—at home, in restaurants, and while out and about. If you explain to children clearly and kindly why they are misbehaving, they understand.

Starting around 7:15 reminded me of some parents, and two fathers in particular when I was involved in athletics. Both had no understanding of any kind of energy management over a 2000m or 3000m cross country race, yelling at their kids to push & sprint it 500m in. One of those fathers did a complete reversal in attitude when he took up running and realised that going too hard too early didn't work. The other one was so rotund that he couldn't even run a bath without breaking a sweat!