Now this dear Lady might be strange to you
I walked to elementary school alone in germany. First grade..  with my friends  I remember my grandfather practicing the route with me when I was a very small boy, always reminding me: "At red you must stop, at green you may go."  , BUT what we did not know...on each intersection each road we crossed  there was grandma or grandfather, aunts and or neighbors hidden watching.Making sure we were save. Still I was so so proud .I was a very happy boy 👍👍

Playing in Kindergarten is a structure by itself! They play with each other and learn to socialise and get along with each other and sharing with each other.

Next to each playground is a sign that reads: „Benutzung auf eigene Gefahr. Eltern haften für ihre Kinder“ “Use at your own risk. Parents are responsible for their children.”

My older daughter was also the tree-climbing type. Shortly after starting to climb up she noticed, she did not know/dare how to get down again. So she asked for help. The next few times she ask us to be prepared to help her down if necessary BEFORE climbing up. A few weeks later she had mastered that part. But she still remembers the lesson when trying something new.

Hi Stacey!
I grew up right on Lake Constance. When I was 5, my buddy and I would go to the beach on our own every day (it was only 100 meters away). I had to be home for dinner, but my parents knew that people would keep an eye on us. And that’s exactly what happened. Today, that would hardly be possible—at least not at that age.

Your video was recommended to me by chance. Regarding the situation with daycare centers: I run a daycare center in Baden-Württemberg. The staff shortage isn’t necessarily due to pay - which was indeed low for a long time, but is now quite decent - but rather to what happened in the past.

About 20 to 25 years ago, childcare options in West Germany were massively expanded: there were nurseries/daycare centers, increased full-day care in kindergartens, and after-school programs for schoolchildren. Unfortunately, no one considered that this would also require a lot more staff. That was overlooked.

As for the cost: This depends on the city or municipality and varies greatly. It’s not always the case, but it often depends on income. In some states (especially in the east), attending kindergarten is completely free - but those are also the states where the staff-to-child ratio is significantly worse. The newly elected government of Baden-Württemberg wants to make the final year of kindergarten free for everyone.

Well said!

When I was supposed to go to school I got my first bike two weeks before school started. That's when I learned to ride my bike. I was riding to school from day one together with my older brothers.

The "beeing more calm" of the parents who´s kids ride their balance bikes on the sidewalk. You can be sure that every car driver who drives along kids on the sidewalks is VERY cautious und is always with one foot on the brake. Maybe thats a big difference to the US

Am i

When you are walking on the sidewalk with your kid the kid will be sometimes slower and sometimes a lot faster and ahead a few dozen meters, esspecially if it starts riding a bike or Roller. I found it hard to believe that my kid will stop at the next crossing and wait for me before crossing the street. So we started early teaching them to look for cars. We were surprised, but it worked out very well - until they started telling us not to cross the street because there was another car coming (but was still 500m away).

The daily €10.00 per day is for the food you receive in the hospital and not for any medical treatments

That was a really good video—very informative, yet entertaining. I am, of course, long past that stage of life—having been born in the post-war era—and I actually found it almost amusing to hear just how much the circumstances surrounding childbirth have changed... For the better. I hope it stays that way, and that money continues to be spent on diapers rather than on weapons. Warm regards, and ONLY good wishes for you, Stacey💐👵:hands-yellow-heart-red:

"Stillcafe" or other groups of new mothers can be great for your kids as well. Our daughters still are good friends with the kids of their Krabbelgruppe. And so are their mothers. And the kids are 30 years old now ...

Well when the Girls in the tree swinging in the Box Fell than they learend Something: to not climb in the tree swinging to get on the Box.

Glad, you, your son and the new on the way + your husband have these good experiences 🙂
to point it out once again: all the care, before birth, after and during giving birth .. that's a standard In Germany and many other countries, with just no or low costs. All the described things - it's not a highly cost stuff.
Yes, crying babies and kids are annoying. No, they're not. By German law it's defined as sound, not as noise.  
And in general, having kids as a part of the community, is seen as a community thing (with all the support towards parents and their kids)
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Giving kids independence and options to learn it by themselves imho: Parents are testing and controlling the kids whether they handle situations right and safely. And discuss it with the kids. Maybe the danger fear is less heavy here cuz you don't have to fear of a big bill going to ER
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Staff at Kita: the lack of missing staff is closing a bit. Consider: In Germany the qualification for it is 2 to 4 years, or done in part time, up to 6 years

Have you heard of forest kindergartens? I'm sure there's one near you, too!

I am an immigrant to the US and in my experience, breastfeeding is way more supported in the US. I have friends in Germany and they get really bad advice from midwives. Also, public breastfeeding is legally protected in all states in the US and I have breastfed in public in California and in Hawaii with zero issues. Even with a toddler, not a baby

Now this is a bit of topic: While listening to you I started asking myself whether you should rather talk in German all the time. I am a native German but I always stumbled when you used a German word with German pronunciation in an English sentence (like "Hebamme").

So viele US Bürger loben das sozial System in Deutschland, aber in den USA zählt das als Kommunismus. Wenn es in ihrem Heimatland etwas ändert möchten, dann wählen sie die richtige Partei