00:01Luna and Flynn are among the happiest children in the world.
00:05That's right, kids in the Netherlands rank first in happiness, according to a UNICEF study from 2025.
00:11So what are parents here doing right?
00:14We really try to let them be kids first, and then along the way try to see where they end
00:21up.
00:23It's 7.30 Friday morning just outside Amsterdam.
00:27Three-year-old Luna, mother Marlet, one-year-old Flynn and father Felix start their day with breakfast together.
00:35For Marlet and Felix, like many Dutch parents, sharing the morning is a crucial daily ritual.
00:45For us it's important that we spend enough time together.
00:50We have breakfast, we bring them to daycare, I go to work, and then maybe sometimes I have plans in
00:56the evening as well.
00:57And I only see them in the morning.
01:00Time now to get ready for daycare.
01:03Even in the small things, putting your coat on, or putting your clothes on, eating, we always try to promote
01:11that children are doing it themselves.
01:14In the Netherlands, even children under the age of three typically attend daycare.
01:20In fact, nearly 80% of them do.
01:23That's double the EU average.
01:27But still, daycare is expensive, to say the least.
01:33Families do receive support from the state, but the costs are a burden nonetheless.
01:40Luna and Flynn attend daycare three days a week.
01:44It's all privately owned, so none of the daycares that I know of are public.
01:50These are often increasingly owned by private equity firms.
01:54So they're in it for a profit, which is okay, but it does jack up the price a little bit.
02:03In the Netherlands, parents are entitled to maternity and paternity leave, and they can take that parental leave until the
02:10child turns eight.
02:11Like many Dutch fathers, Felix doesn't take his leave all at once.
02:16Instead, he takes a weekly papa day to focus on the kids, and himself too.
02:23When you're inside all day and feeling grumpy, then it doesn't help the mood of my kids, of course.
02:30So I try to be out and, yeah, have a good mood.
02:37And Marlet and Felix are no exception.
02:40They take their children outside as often as possible, no matter the weather.
02:45If you go to a Dutch playground, quite often you'll see parents letting their children play independently.
02:50Today, it's a bit unfortunate that there are not too many other kids.
02:56But normally, we encounter so many other kids here, all from daycare.
03:01They all know each other.
03:02We can sit at the terrace, have a drink, and Luna can entertain herself, yeah.
03:08For 36% of the Dutch population, the bicycle is king, and the primary mode of transport.
03:16And because parents want their children to be independent early on, the kids learn to ride a bike from a
03:23very young age.
03:24It's a sign of independence, and also trust that we're giving her, that she can, yeah, do it herself.
03:31Obviously, she still uses the exercise wheels, but I'm guessing with her speeds, we can quickly take them off.
03:38It's a no-brainer that you get a bike on your third birthday.
03:42Yeah, so, very typical Dutch.
03:48For many Dutch parents, family ties are indispensable.
03:53Luna and Flint's grandparents come by regularly to babysit.
03:57But it's more than just support with childcare.
04:02It's very important for us to have our parents close to us raising our children.
04:09It's so nice for us to see them more often, see them weekly.
04:14So it's independence, social interaction, and being outdoors with plenty of playtime that are the cornerstones of parenting in the
04:24Netherlands.
04:26In many, many other places, children are raised much more strict and with a very clear, well, career path almost.
04:37We are active, like we like to go outside and show them the world, also traveling.
04:44But it's not because they need to be the best, especially when they're young, they need to be kids.
Comments