Whenever you consider the Netherlands, canals, tulips and biking in every single place might come to thoughts — and people are among the many causes Individuals are drawn to the nation. Over 31,000 Individuals reside within the Netherlands, representing round 6% of the nation’s complete immigrants, and that quantity has elevated through the years.
I used to be lured by the scenic allure — which the Netherlands definitely delivered. What I couldn’t have imagined was the peace this nation would give me in a call that wasn’t simple for me to make: having youngsters.
For a time, the considered having children introduced on a lot nervousness that I stored placing it off, and as a substitute centered on my profession and constructing a enterprise. I didn’t anticipate how a lot this small nation would make parenting really feel so pure. Listed here are some sudden issues I discovered about elevating my little one right here.
Biking At 30 Weeks Pregnant
You’ll be able to think about the look on my face once I confirmed up for my first midwife appointment and noticed a line of parked bikes with pregnant girls hopping off them, bellies a lot larger than mine. After I thought of being pregnant, I imagined morning illness, resting at residence and counting down the weeks till week 40, however that was not my expertise right here. As an alternative, I joined the crew who biked to each midwife appointment till I couldn’t anymore.
Sure, I used to be fortunate to have a comparatively clean being pregnant. Nonetheless, being pregnant within the Netherlands is mostly handled as a pure a part of life. Medical doctors, midwives and coworkers alike strategy it pragmatically. My expertise is that most individuals don’t see you as fragile; moderately, they encourage you to hearken to your self, make your individual selections and adapt as you want. It’s simply one other season of womanhood.
As Andrea Hamlet, a world board-certified lactation advisor from California who’s lived within the Netherlands for over six years, advised HuffPost, “Pregnancy here is seen as a natural process, not a medical condition. I was able to relax in a way I don’t think I could have back home.”
Postnatal Care And Parental Depart
Residing in another country usually means you don’t have household round for help. That’s why the postnatal care within the Netherlands is really a lifeline. Right here, new dad and mom obtain the help of a kraamzorg, a maternity nurse who visits your private home day-after-day for a few week after beginning and helps with the necessities like feeding and bathing the newborn, understanding your child’s indicators, whereas additionally dealing with family chores with the intention to deal with therapeutic and bonding.
Additionally, parental go away makes it simpler to make long-term changes and focus in your life with a toddler. Within the Netherlands, moms are entitled to a minimal of 16 weeks of maternity go away (6 weeks earlier than the beginning and 10 weeks afterward).
Each dad and mom additionally share 26 weeks of parental go away, with 9 of these weeks paid at 70% of their revenue. Paid go away can be utilized throughout the first yr of the kid’s life. The remaining time is out there as unpaid go away till the kid turns 8 years outdated, permitting households to customise their time at residence as wanted.
Along with the go away coverage, the Netherlands offers monetary help for fogeys of younger youngsters. They’ll obtain as much as 282 euros per quarter when their little one is a new child to assist with fundamental bills, and tax credit can be found to cut back little one care prices.
Letting Youngsters Be Impartial
One of many greatest surprises for anybody visiting or elevating youngsters right here is the extent of independence children have. Within the U.S., the considered letting a little one stroll to high school or take public transportation alone could make a dad or mum’s coronary heart skip a beat. Nonetheless, within the Netherlands, fostering independence from a younger age is the norm, and the group fully helps it.
Sim Sawyers, an American mother and photographer dwelling in Amsterdam, seen this distinction instantly.
“In the U.S., [many] kids don’t take the bus or walk to school; everything is very car-centric. Even as teenagers, they’re often dependent on parents to drive them places, which can feel both restrictive and unsafe at times. Here, I love how much freedom kids are given — it’s good for them to grow up with that sense of independence.”
Hamlet additionally shared her aid in watching her son discover freely: “He can meet friends at the movies, go for a drink, or bike to the ice rink. He’s almost 14, and I’m so grateful he can have the same kinds of experiences I had in the ’80s—safely. My only concern here is traffic, and I don’t worry about things like drugs, drunk driving, or guns.”
A Neighborhood That Thinks About Youngsters
One factor that instantly stands out right here is how built-in youngsters are into on a regular basis life. Household-friendly areas and a judgment-free strategy to elevating your youngsters are woven into the group. UNICEF’s examine on little one well-being persistently ranks the Netherlands among the many high international locations for kids’s happiness, psychological well being and security. That is due, partially, to the supportive setting dad and mom expertise right here, which extends throughout all facets of society.
What I’ve seen is there’s a collective understanding that everybody is doing their finest, and judgment round parenting selections is uncommon. Hamlet described it as “such a relief”: “I don’t feel judged by other parents. I love the family-oriented aspect of this country,” she advised HuffPost.
The group rallies round households: Excessive-end cafes and neighborhood eating places supply kid-friendly areas with excessive chairs, play areas and kids’s menus. Parks are plentiful, and the protection of those areas offers dad and mom the peace of thoughts to permit youngsters the liberty to play and discover.
Sawyers highlighted how, even in a bustling metropolis, it’s “incredibly child-friendly, with a park on almost every block.” She marveled on the inclusivity, including, “You walk into a high-end cafe, and they have four high chairs and a whole bookshelf full of games for kids in the back. It’s not something you’d expect, but it’s there, and it’s normal.”
This acceptance of kids and emphasis on their well-being makes navigating parenthood simpler, making a welcoming group for households.
I’m grateful we made the transfer and located a group that values happiness, independence, well-being and inclusivity. This has made the journey of parenthood far more peaceable and given me the liberty to boost my little one in a method that aligns with my values.
