1.There’s Less Rush Everywhere

This is one thing we've noticed since being here. Everything just moves a bit slower. Even in the bigger cities, it doesn't feel like you're just gonna be ran over by everyone. People are very happy to yield for you and they understand that there is limited space on this tiny island. They also understand that everyone has to be somewhere and if we work together, we can all get there safely. The keep calm and carry on mentality is very alive and well in this culture. That constant background urgency many parents feel in the US just… fades.

2. Kids Are Trusted More in Public

Probably one of the bigger culture shocks I experienced when we arrived. Is that kids just have the autonomy to do things independently. You will see school age children, just walking by themselves, to the store, get on the bus, and go to school. It's not abnormal to see kids playing out until dark with their friends pretty much completely unsupervised. This was very much a thing when I was a kid still but I feel like this is changed quite a bit as I've become a parent. I do feel like there's a Collective safety net wrapped around children having a childhood here that we just do not have.

3. Public Spaces Are Built for Families

Parks are everywhere, often fenced, well maintained, and designed for actual use not just aesthetics. Cafés welcome kids. Museums expect families. You’re not apologizing for your children simply being children. Many of these spaces are designed very intentionally to be used and played on. Also, most restaurants have some thing for kids to do whether it's just crayons or full-blown games and toys. We've been to plenty of restaurants that basically had an entire toy section for kids.

4. Parenting Feels Less Performative

I haven't felt nearly as judged as I did in the US for doing basic parenting tasks. One of the biggest issues that I ran into was being the only dad at a park and having people look at me kind of sideways. That hasn't happened at all since we've been here. No one seems to mind the way we do things. There's so much diversity that people understand how a cultural melting is going to lead two different ways of doing things. I rarely see people being critical of others parenting.

5. Safety Anxiety Is Lower

This is a big one. Less fear around everyday outings means your nervous system gets a break. You’re not constantly scanning, planning exits, or mentally rehearsing worst-case scenarios. I probably don't need to say the quiet part out loud, but there is one major key difference between here in the US, and you probably know what I'm alluding to. Not having those as part of your daily life is a breath of fresh air you did not know you need. Even if you are someone who owns them, not having to constantly be surrounded by them, gives you a piece of mind unlike anything you have experienced before. No disagreement will ever end fatally, no road rage incident will ever take a grim turn, and your kids can just go to school without you having that nagging fear in the back of your mind.

6. Community Shows Up Quietly

This has been an interesting one because we are still somewhat outsiders, looking in. But people seem very involved in one another's life. We've stayed at Airbnb's, and the neighbors were extremely friendly to us. They knew all about our hosts and were able to tell us things about the neighborhood. There is also lots of grandparent involvement in ways that I haven't seen much of back home. People are also not afraid to just lend a hand. We've had multiple strangers be very willing to help us out when we needed it. This shows up in little ways like just helping someone carry their stroller down to flight of stairs.

7. Success Isn’t the Center of Childhood

While we do not have children in school here, it's very clear that children are allowed to enjoy their childhood. Play seems like a very natural part of the children's experience here taking downtime to recharge is encouraged, not frowned upon. Childhood doesn't feel as overly optimized as it sometimes does in the US.