Dutch Language Blog
Menu
Search

Its Never Too Late for a Happy Childhood Posted by on Apr 30, 2015 in Culture

Childhood (photo taken from www.gratisography.com)

Childhood (photo taken from www.gratisography.com)

Today is Children’s Day in Mexico and I’ve found myself very thoughtful about my childhood. I haven’t been able to experience much of childhood in the Netherlands other than what Riccardo tells me and what I observe. Even so, with what I have been able to observe, I have come up with this list of great reasons to be a child in the Netherlands:

  • Fietsen is vrijheid! I love seeing children and teenagers race to school on their bikes every morning. Because the Netherlands is such a bike-friendly country, children are able to safely travel by bike to school, friends’ houses, soccer practice, etc without depending on their parents’ work schedules.
  • Middag eten thuis! I don’t know if this happens everywhere or just here in Beek where I live, but Riccardo has talked about how he would come home to have lunch, and then go back to school. I think that is awesome! Eating at home increases the chances of getting healthier food, plus its always nice to be home for a bit.
  • Halve dag op Woensdag! Children in the Netherlands are home early on Wednesdays. I am not sure why this is so (perhaps teacher planning hours or something like that?), but its nice to have the middle of the week be short.
  • Mama of Pappadag! Netherlands is THE country of part-time work. I recently read a book about the liberties Dutch parents have to either work part-time or take a mommy or daddy day from work. While I am a big fan of smart phones and communication via all means, there is nothing like being at home with your children and hearing about their day!
  • Sporten! Okay, I admit this isn’t something  I would have been thrilled about as a child (I was more of the sit-down-to-read child), but I am amazed at the availability of sporting facilities for soccer, baseball and tennis. While schools do not have athletic teams (or so I am told), the community makes sure to have enough spaces for everyone to stay healthy!
  • Hagelslag! I have come to learn and enjoy the most basic of all Dutch foods: chocolate sprinkles. While I am not a big fan of chocolate, there is something magical about having breakfast with sprinkles!

I am sure there are also negative aspects of being a child in the Netherlands (or even of having a child in the Netherlands), but in the spirit of focusing on the happiness I only chose to write about these.

Did I miss something on my list? What do you think are the best aspects of growing up in the Netherlands? In your home country?

Tags: , , ,
Keep learning Dutch with us!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Try it Free Find it at your Library
Share this:
Pin it

About the Author: Karoly Molina

Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with languages and writing. I speak English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and a little bit of French. I am a writer, reader, language teacher, traveler, and a food lover! I now live in The Netherlands with my husband Riccardo, our cat Mona, and our dog Lisa, and the experience has been phenomenal. The Dutch culture is an exciting sometimes topsy-turvy world that I am happily exploring!