14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

Each country has its own culture, values, and attitude toward children. While some schools conduct individual meetings with each parent, others give their pupils full freedom from an early age and treat them like adults. Learning how raising kids differs in other countries might be useful and helpful for everyone who is raising a kid.

The Elite Indian studied the blogs of parents who are raising their kids in different corners of the world and outline the specifics of local kindergartens and schools. We also watched the video records of those who have moved to another country and are still feeling surprised by differences in the child-rearing process between their homeland and their new place of residence.

  • It’s mandatory to take your shoes off in schools in South Korea. Kids carry their shoes in their hands until they reach the classroom, get their indoor shoes out of their lockers, and put them on. One of the mothers who lives there, named Diana Sagiyeva, commented on this rule: “Kids walk all the way to their classroom wearing only socks. Honestly, I don’t understand this system. I stopped giving my daughter white socks to go to school because they turned into black ones. Why do they need the second pair of shoes after all?”

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • Japan produces ready-to-eat salads for working mothers. With their help, parents can pack a lunchbox called “bento” for their school-kid. The shelf life of these products is very short, that’s why according to Imali LifeVlog, there is nothing harmful to your health in them.
    Since meals are not provided for high school students, Japanese mothers pack a lunch for their children every morning. It is not customary to cook food in advance (like in the evening) here because the Japanese prefer to eat everything really fresh.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • Schools in Iceland have no notebooks or workbooks and kids rarely do homework. They also don’t have a school uniform, which means kids can wear jeans and hoodies to school. Both the education and all of the school necessities are given for free, parents don’t have to buy anything additional.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • There are no group school meetings for parents in Finland where they discuss all of the pupils’ achievements. “When I went to school for the first time, I was expecting that they would start telling me how mischievous my kid was. It turned out to be much better — they told me how talented and unique my child is,” shares the user with the nickname Julikalife VLOG. School authorities will never tell parents that their kid is lazy. They will conversely enhance their uniqueness and look for an individual approach to every pupil.
  • Mother with the nickname Venesia writes that there is no system of subordination in Finland, “Children communicate with teachers on an equal footing. On one hand, it’s good because kids don’t feel humiliated, on the other hand, kids stop recognizing the authority of adults.”
  • In Finnish schools, children are provided with everything necessary: textbooks, notebooks, sketchbooks. Travel tickets, tickets for various events, and even a small snack for the duration of the trip are also organized by the educational institution, at no additional cost to the parents.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

Finnish primary school. There are pillows in the classroom and kids can sleep during their break.

  • Kindergartens in Norway don’t split up toddlers by groups. The smallest kids, aged 1-2, and the older kids — are all getting the same amount of attention from the teacher. Parents note that the younger kids learn something from the older ones with this approach, and it has its advantages.
  • In Spain, most children do homework in the classroom. If they don’t finish something, they’ll complete it at home. Parents’ expenses throughout the year may vary by school. The author of the blog “Mama Feliz Life,” about life in Spain, says that parents have to give €30 per year for school supplies and the school buys them by itself. Parents also have to spend money on textbooks: in the range of €80—200 per academic year. “We don’t have any more additional expenses like presents for the New Year or the teacher’s birthday.”

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • Kindergartens in France have an individual approach to sleeping. All the kids eat at one time, but they sleep at different times. When a parent brings their child to kindergarten, they are asked how the kids slept the previous night, what time they woke up, and whether they ate well. Everything is recorded in a journal so the teacher will know the approximate time to put a kid to bed.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • In Germany, kids have about 90 days of rest per year. The New Year holidays take from 2 to 4 days, they also have Christmas, Easter, and other holidays. Generally, speaking many church holidays are days off in German schools.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

A slide from a German school that is 30 minutes by car from Bremen. It’s the building of a primary school. With its help, kids go outside during breaks.

  • In Germany, children leave their work materials in their classroom. Every kid has their own drawer where they can put a pencil case, album, paint, pencils, and other things. Each class usually has 25-26 pupils. Rooms are equipped with sinks, so that the kids can wash their hands. They also have a range of games (to play during breaks between lessons) and computers for studying.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • In Great Britain schools, education starts at the age of 4-5. They start with a prep-class called reception, then they start year one at school. Kids don’t carry huge backpacks on their shoulders, only copy-books with their homework.
  • British parents sometimes pick up their child from school in flip flops or in shoes with open toes in winter. There are no strong frosts here, however, it’s pretty windy. This approach to clothing confuses newcomers. “I get the impression that English people don’t understand when it’s cold and when it’s hot. Oftentimes, in winter you can see kids wearing only stockings or socks. The same shoes that kids wear in summer are worn in winter. The maximum you will see is a scarf. Of course, it surprises people,” shared Jenny Mamedova in her video. She noted that in summer you can also see a person wearing warm boots and a light dress. It feels as if they’ve put on the first thing they found in their closet.

14 Nuances in Raising Kids All Over the World That Cause Both Surprise and Admiration

  • In Sweden, maternity leave lasts for 480 days. 90 of these days are for the father and 90 are for the mother. The rest of the days parents can distribute as they wish. If one of the parents doesn’t use their 90 days of parental leave, they will “burn” and the second parent won’t be able to use them. Parents don’t need to use these days all at once, they can do it over several years, until the kid turns 12. For example, they can use 2 days per week to stay home with the kid.

What specifics for child-rearing does your country have? What things, in your opinion, can be adopted from your country?

Preview photo credit Diana Sagiyeva / youtube

Facebook Conversation