I grew up in the Netherlands in the '80/'90ies. I remember my mom set up basic rules: 1. Stay in the area within the ditches. This was about the size of a city center. 2. Come home when the street lamps turn on or when the bell tower rings 7 times 3. Don't go with strangers 4. Don't accept candy/drinks from strangers I had a bunch of checkpoints in my neighborhood: my best friend's house, the school, my downstairs neighbor, the assisted living house (I played with some adults who had down syndrome) and the windmill where the "opposing faction kids" lived. Other than that, I was on my own. I'd meet with my friends at a certain time each day and we'd have our usual spots. I had several parks nearby with lots of playgrounds. I only got injured a few times: 1. I fell in the ditch once, my friends and I would race off the dykes and once I went too fast and launched my BMX bike into the ditch. It was fun though 🤪 Of course it wasn't a big deal, because we all learn to swim at an early age 2. I slipped when I was ice skating on the ditch and hit my head. Had a minor concussion. 3. I had a rusty nail pierce through my foot because we were playing around a trailer and when my friend stepped off one end of the thing, the other end fell down on my foot. I stumbled to the nearest pitstop point and my friend's mom cleaned the wound and bandaged me up, called my mom and got picked up to get a tetanus shot. All without much drama, made for such a nice childhood and just giving you the chance to make mistakes and have fun.
And these kids will grow up to be far more weathered adults too. On top I read a paper a while ago on the psychological effects of being a baby on the front of a parents bike and seeing the whole world scroll by, apparently this opens up so much curiosity and makes them aware of the outside world and the seasons and the elements at a very young age. This should bring out all sorts of things like creativity, inventiveness, becoming adventurous and wanting to explore later on, and above all being less afraid to go out and about.
My mom always said: 'be home when the street lights turn on'. That was the only and single rule for me as a child and I could go every where I wanted, with my bike. Btw. you're so right about AC... even as an adult now I hate AC.
AC is great if you use it properly. I live in the tropics. AC is mostly to pump out the humidity and not so much about making it cold. Just set the system a few degrees below the outside temperature and that'll keep it nice and comfortable without freezing your ass off.
We had pretty much the same rule except it was "Be back by tea" Tea was at 5 for most of the kids I grew up with. Only the one rule, but woe betide you if you were late.
@@moladiver6817 AC is great.... if you live in the tropics.... In the Netherlands there is absolutely no use for AC. You can count the days it is hot and humid enough to use it on one hand... and that hand can be missing a few fingers as well.
It isn't just the Netherlands (although they do have a fantastic cycle-friendly ethos) but I think children in Europe generally have more independence and a higher sense of self-reliance than the US.
That's because we have a high standard education system and that's available for everybody. In amerikkka???? Well we all know how bad that system is .RIGHT.???❤️❤️🇵🇾🇵🇾🇵🇾
That is because so many parents in America grew up into adulthood and made kids without ever becoming mentally mature themselves.* They themselves think that avoiding risks is a better way for children to grow up save rather than to give children the chance to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Experience is and has always been the best teacher for turning kids into responsible citizens, ready and able to raise children themselves. Just telling is never enough because kids always think they know better than their stupid parents and they have a pretty good reason to think so. *Search for 'Karens'
I am a dutch - canadian, I lived in the Netherlands (Den Haag ). As a young boy we ware living in the druiven straat, and across from our home was a monastery and they let little church bell ring at 7.15 , and mom said time come home, i never forgot that .( 81 now)
The moment they can ride a bicycle, around 4-6 years old, they get independent more and more and this is encouraged. We can play outside unattended from a certain age, depending on the child. In my youth, the only thing they told me was to be careful and be in time for lunch or dinner. We were totally free. All car drivers ride a bicycle too, so they know why to be careful. If an accident with a cyclist happens, the car driver is automatically responsible.
What I (as a Dutchie) always find weird when I see pictures on facebook from my American friends is that when there is a childrens birthday party that all the parents are there! There are more grown-ups than there are children! Here in the Netherlands it is customary to drop your child off at the house of the birthday boy/girl and then leave and pic him/her up at a certain time. Or in many cases the parents of the birthday boy/girl will bring all the children home, that happens a lot also. But the parents of the invited kids are nót staying at the party, they leave and go do their own thing.
As an American, that’s how it was when I was growing up. Parents of school friends definitely did not hang around. Less so now I think, though, still a normal thing in many areas/social circles. If it’s family or close friends though, that’s different - parents like to use their children’s birthdays as an excuse to get together too, in those instances, it’s usually that the child has their friends over and are doing their own activities, and the parents (or just other adults with meaningful attachments to your immediate family) hang out together.
@@LaLa-ck9zp Here the kids have a party for their Friends with just children and the parents of the birthdayboy/girl. And a seperate party where family and friends of the parents celebrate the birthday.
@@erik5374 maybe add for those who don't speak Dutch a translation? "You will be brought home afterrwards" Most preprinted invite cardsfor kids birthdayparty have that sentence or one that you can cross out if kids get brought home or are supposed to be collected at a certain time.
WOW, this is interesting! I have always assumed that it's "normal" for parents to accompany kids to their friends bi birthday parties. I'll be sure to remember this when Cam's invited to a party!!
Doei, i like that,, Your boy in going to be a strong independent boy, Being independent is given you so much freedom, and means in time he can take care of him self And that is something to be proud of
The US has separate areas for living, education, shopping, etc. This separation forces you to travel greater distances for your daily commutes. But in the Netherlands, it's expected that every city, town, or village had its own school, shop, and doctor's office, or be close to a place that has those (my hometown only had a church, a pub, and a school, but we had shops and doctors in nearby towns that we could get within a 30 minute bike ride, for example) You'll also see that every child is able to find a playground or grass field to play on near their house. I've recently moved to my birth place and still discover new playgrounds every now and then, and each is well maintained and fun to play at. Roads here are also much safer, discourage speeding by making high speeds less appealing (slim roads, obstacles to manoeuvre around, speed bumps, trees planted close to the road, etc.) Making it much safer for children to actively participate in traffic. If you haven't checked out Not Just Bikes, you definitely should, because they can explain all of this much better. As for us learning to ride our bikes from an early age: we learn to ride them in primary school, so we've mastered it by the time we go on school camp by bike, do our bike exams, and are prepared for our daily commute to secondary schools that are often further away than primary schools. By the time a child turns 12, we expect them to be independent enough for this. My youngest even went to the store in the next town to buy a snack, by the time he was 10, and will now go out to McDonald's with his friends every now and then, at age 14, without needing any supervision (just a budget to not spend all his money on fast food)
there can be great distances, but many people actually live way closer. i recently was visiting family and where they live in groningen is farther from destinations than my home here at home in california. the difference is that i can get to the places there without having to be in the middle of freeway speed motor traffic while i literally see people line up and drag race on the street outside my house, which is a school zone, all the time.
From what I gather from my US friends, "just a 30 minute bike ride away" is a horror scenario for most US parents. 30 minutes away? on a bike? ALONE? HECK NO. Meanwhile Dutch kids will be riding their bikes everywhere in every weather within a 20 mile radius lol.
When i was young we had KiVaDa (kinder vakantie dagen - kids holliday days) every summer. We would go to a field, build a fort out of pallets, paint the forts and each other. Play games, watch some "theater play" and have fun. We all needed hammers and saws. Our supervisors were about 15 jears old. On the second day we would often play in the woods, walk around and smuggle gold (or whatever suited the theme). On the third day there would be inflatable parkour courses, older traditional games, and waterfights. It was honestly the highlight of the year. This was for everybody from the basisschoolen starting from group 5 (age 9 ish). Younger groups would get some older supervisors but they would often be around 18 years old. Just 3 days of kids being kids
@@livinglife.digital3399 Ahhh, youtube ate my comment. vakantiekinderfeesten is what it's called in Dordrecht. (Ages 5-14) "Dagkamp Week 1: 11 t/m 15 juli 2022 Week 2: 18 t/m 22 juli 2022 "Elke dag naar kamp; het Dagkamp!" Tijdens het Dagkamp wordt er gedurende 5 dagen tussen 9.00 en 15.15 uur allerlei leuke activiteiten georganiseerd aan ons kampterrein aan de Schenkeldijk. Het Dagkamp is voor jongens en meisjes van 5 t/m 12 jaar oud. Samen met andere kinderen van jouw leeftijd zit je in een groepje met een eigen kampleiding. Natuurlijk bedenken we een leuk programma voor deze week, met elke ochtend en middag weer een andere activiteit. Dat kan van alles zijn, bijvoorbeeld Levend Kwartet, Levend Stratego, waterspellen of een speurtocht. Tussen de activiteiten door kan je vrij spelen met alle materialen op het veld of lekker knutselen in de tent. Bij slecht weer hebben we een programma voor in de tenten of onder de partytent. Er is dus altijd wat te doen!"
Children tend to cycle to school by themselves by the time they’re 6 or 7, depending on where they live - countryside or city - and the traffic situation.
Here in the Netherlands the kids have a bike exam in school, how to ride a bike in real live on main streets. They get there bike certificat for doing that. They are i think 8 or 9 years old when they teach them the bike rules and how to ride it safe.
The exam is generally in 8th grade, so when they're 11 or 12 yo. It's just before they change schools, which often means they are going to bike a greater distance to school. At the basisschool (elementary?) my kids had a traffic week every year, last week of September. Every age group had lessons about how to behave in traffic. From crossing the street (remember look both ways!), to wearing seat belts and basic bike maintenance. All to keep them safe and ingrain certain behaviours.
As a Dutchy in California, I still walk and bike a lot. I go to the Grocerystore on my bike or I walk there. I just like it that way. It's good exercise and the weather is always nice. I still dress in my 50s dresses and high heels. No active wear for me, for it's a normal activity. I guess I'm not a real Californian yet ;)
I've noticed more airco's in the Netherlands. I even thought about installing one, but decided against it. For the few weeks in summer that the heat is unbearable, I will just endure it. Plus they're bad for the climate. By the way Happy birthday 🎉🎉
I just bought a new house and it has 2 ACs, which is a rarity. I have never lived in a house which has AC, and I’m almost 60 years old. The fact that my new house has AC is because it isn’t insulated enough, so I’m going to renew the roofing and add a thicker layer of insulation. It now has 4 cm of insulation and I’m going to add 10cm of insulation on the roof. It will cost me about €5,000, which is about $5,600). It is better for the environment and for my wallet. I’m keeping the ACs but I will only need it when there is a heatwave for longer than a week, which is not common (yet) in The Netherlands. Who knows what climate change brings.
I think if you do want one it is better to buy a portable AC in the netherlands one that you can store away when you are not using it. Weather is getthing warmer and last couple of years we did exprerience some hot and humid summers. So I think they will become more common.
You can't be safe on a bike just by learning bike safety. You need also secure infrastructure that separate fast cars from bikes, or that push the car driver to be aware of their surroundings (narrow streets, speed bumps etc). It's useless to teach bike safety in America if its infrastructure is made exclusively for cars
Yeah, pretty sure we were...or they are. Between my 5th and 13th or so birthday my parents most of the time didn't know where I was. Not because they didn't want to, couldn't...or didn't care, but because they trusted me not to get into too much trouble. Had an awesome youth, got into any sort of trouble, had any possible adventure. But also learned budgeting, loving, justice, sporting and many other useful treats. Never felt unsafe, never got too hurt or too much in problems with others or police. The freedom as a kid was paramount of the succes during my upbringing.
Dressing for the weather is a natural thing to the Dutch. You learn quick enough as a kid. My advice: Make sure kids TIE their SHOE LACES !!! That "untied-laces-fashion" causes enough accidents, I witnessed as school-janitor. On bikes, laces wrap around paddles or chain and a fall is inevitable. Stepping on a lace, playing voetbal on pavement, can end in tears (and first aid).
I have a scar on both of my knees. One is from a badly constructed "family swing" (remember those long swings you could sit on with like 10 people?) and one because I never tied my shoe laces until I got that scar at age 10 because my lace wrapped around my crank. Dang pavement gave me like 20 stitches.
The channel "Dutch Americano" (an American that now lives in the Netherlands) recently did a video about comfort/discomfort in the Netherlands vs in the US. It fits quite well with what you are saying here about the AC :)
7.04 I don't believe The Netherlands and the USA share a history of discrimination and inequality. They have their own very different histories on the subject. Cycling also had to be retaken, after the USA became the great example in the 60's cycling and especially kids cycling and playing on the street was seriously threatened. The counter movement in the 70's saved the day.
Hey Vi good to see you and your family live a happy life here in the Netherlands, but with the kids breaktime and playing outside you miss one important factor because we played outside as kids we also got more resistant against the weather, for example it’s very common to open up a window during winter to air out the house. It also helps building a better immune system for kids aswell which is a big plus.
It's not just culture to look out for cyclists, it's pretty much the law. When there's doubt in an accident the judge favours the cyclist because the car driver has to look out for the cyclists.
True but bicycles have been always a part of The Netherlands. They're just everywhere, it has nothing to do with genuine culture or law: they just are there and used.....like a universal thing relieve nature
In the US you will find machines to keep your house cool, and in the same house you will find a machine to dry your laundry. What you hardly find in these houses is common sense.
I remember how my father taught me to ride a bike without the training wheels. It was behind the flat where we lived. He would hold the bicycle with his hand as I rode it (kind of running along I guess). At one point I thought he was still doing that. Then I looked and he was just standing there. :) The next question I had was "dad, but how do I stop?" :)
I hope someday the US will provide a healthy and save environment for children. It might take quite some years to realize that, given that three mayor issues need to be solved to make it possible. A very different infrastructure, way better gun regulations and a different mindset of parents are the bare minimum to create a child friendly environment. That's a huge challenge! But necessary I believe. For the time being just enjoy being here with your son.
When I was a kid growing up in the late 80's, early 90's in the UK, I never really had any worries about going out and about on my own, even out by a few miles, my parents didn't worry about me unless I was really late, there was never really a sense of being in danger as a kid when out and about on your own or with friends and it seems it's like that in a lot of Europe whereas it seems that isn't the case in the US. I really do have to wonder how my life growing up as a kid would turn out if I was living in the US because it does feel like kids have far less independence than others, especially Europeans and I suspect that probably because of how safe society is. The only thing my parent told me to be careful about is on main roads where there are a lot of cars and even then that was when I was younger than 10.
Most Dutch, for sure those of my age (I am 53) will remember playing outside until your mom came outside to yell "HANDEN WASSEN EN AAN TAFEL". Most will also remember the first one to be called in was always the one owning the soccer ball. I swear... moms did that on purpose :P
It doesn’t matter that much how the weather is… We (people) are not made from sugar. I know, over here it is not blistering cold. Being outside, being busy keeps you warm as well. I still can hear the voice of my (then) young nephew to my sister more or less telling her not to bother… Quote:”Why do I always wear extra cloth when YOU are cold”. My sister alway got it cold. Personally, I seldom wear a jacket. It must be seriously cold.
I can warmly recommend 2 vids made by "Not Just Bikes" and "Climate Town" conserning this topic. Learn why the US is build this way and what it got to do with racism (yes, you did read the right) 1) "Dutch Cities are Better for the Climate (and my sanity)" and 2) "The Suburbs Are Bleeding America Dry | Climate Town (feat. Not Just Bikes)"
From clips I have seen on this topic I understand that it starts way earlier. Here in The Netherlands we don't really "childproof" our house. It's a responsibility thing, I guess. Watch out what you do or you might get hurt.
You omit one important issue about independence of children. If in the Netherlands a child goes missing, the whole country gets involved through amber alerts, television etc. It does not happen oftten so parents feel safe to let the children go unattended. In the US there are thousands of children missing each year. Logically parents are much more reluctant to let them go unattended.
You forgot the most important reason: The suburban environnement has only single family homes, there is nothing to do there. And even the roads have no sidewalks. That means with a car whizzing by at 30mph even the roads are not safe for a 4 year old. Basically they are locked up at their macmansion until they can drive. Not a nice environnement for kids.
I understand what you are saying and the link you build between independency and biking but all our systems are built on thinking independently and being critical about anything you hear and see. In short: learn to create your own opinion, ask questions and ventilate your opinion (Dutch are known to do this 😂) This starts from very early, where parents are not just telling kids what to do but also why, and discuss with the child what it does to the other person. In short teaching them to be a social, empathetic person. Basically children are social and empathetic by nature so its just appealing to those defaults and build upon it in stead of killing initiative and making them into egocentric beings.
I am all for children being independent. What are you doing to protect him from predator's, not the simple stranger danger. You are in a third world country, foreign land is the number one place for human tracking. You have let it be known, somethings just don't need to be advertisement. I pray for your child and all the children their to be safe. God bless you and your family. My mom just taught me you never can watch your children to much.
The kidnapping rate is extremely low in the Netherlands there is a 0,0045% your child wil be kidnapped and in most cases it will be one of the parents taking the child after a divorce or separation. I let my 7yo go to the store of school on her own or play in the neighborhood where I can't see her.
Children are hardly alone. There are other children around. Safety in numbers. And because there are a lot of grown ups outside of their cars biking and walking there are always some extra eyes. It takes a village to raise a kid. Not a backyard.
I grew up in the Netherlands in the '80/'90ies. I remember my mom set up basic rules:
1. Stay in the area within the ditches. This was about the size of a city center.
2. Come home when the street lamps turn on or when the bell tower rings 7 times
3. Don't go with strangers
4. Don't accept candy/drinks from strangers
I had a bunch of checkpoints in my neighborhood: my best friend's house, the school, my downstairs neighbor, the assisted living house (I played with some adults who had down syndrome) and the windmill where the "opposing faction kids" lived.
Other than that, I was on my own. I'd meet with my friends at a certain time each day and we'd have our usual spots. I had several parks nearby with lots of playgrounds.
I only got injured a few times:
1. I fell in the ditch once, my friends and I would race off the dykes and once I went too fast and launched my BMX bike into the ditch. It was fun though 🤪 Of course it wasn't a big deal, because we all learn to swim at an early age
2. I slipped when I was ice skating on the ditch and hit my head. Had a minor concussion.
3. I had a rusty nail pierce through my foot because we were playing around a trailer and when my friend stepped off one end of the thing, the other end fell down on my foot. I stumbled to the nearest pitstop point and my friend's mom cleaned the wound and bandaged me up, called my mom and got picked up to get a tetanus shot.
All without much drama, made for such a nice childhood and just giving you the chance to make mistakes and have fun.
And these kids will grow up to be far more weathered adults too. On top I read a paper a while ago on the psychological effects of being a baby on the front of a parents bike and seeing the whole world scroll by, apparently this opens up so much curiosity and makes them aware of the outside world and the seasons and the elements at a very young age. This should bring out all sorts of things like creativity, inventiveness, becoming adventurous and wanting to explore later on, and above all being less afraid to go out and about.
I literally love that!
Yes, just look at our Dutch Itchy Boots on her YT channel! A confident young lady traveling the world on her motorcycle.
My mom always said: 'be home when the street lights turn on'. That was the only and single rule for me as a child and I could go every where I wanted, with my bike. Btw. you're so right about AC... even as an adult now I hate AC.
AC is great if you use it properly. I live in the tropics. AC is mostly to pump out the humidity and not so much about making it cold. Just set the system a few degrees below the outside temperature and that'll keep it nice and comfortable without freezing your ass off.
We had pretty much the same rule except it was "Be back by tea" Tea was at 5 for most of the kids I grew up with. Only the one rule, but woe betide you if you were late.
@@moladiver6817 AC is great.... if you live in the tropics....
In the Netherlands there is absolutely no use for AC. You can count the days it is hot and humid enough to use it on one hand... and that hand can be missing a few fingers as well.
I live in northern Canada, the street lights stay off til past 11pn here in the summer
It isn't just the Netherlands (although they do have a fantastic cycle-friendly ethos) but I think children in Europe generally have more independence and a higher sense of self-reliance than the US.
That's because we have a high standard education system and that's available for everybody. In amerikkka???? Well we all know how bad that system is .RIGHT.???❤️❤️🇵🇾🇵🇾🇵🇾
That is because so many parents in America grew up into adulthood and made kids without ever becoming mentally mature themselves.*
They themselves think that avoiding risks is a better way for children to grow up save rather than to give children the chance to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Experience is and has always been the best teacher for turning kids into responsible citizens, ready and able to raise children themselves. Just telling is never enough because kids always think they know better than their stupid parents and they have a pretty good reason to think so.
*Search for 'Karens'
At least it is true in the Northern half of Europe, not entirely sure about in the south.
Depends on the parents as well....I know parents who are very cautious with their kids independence, afraid of everything that might happen.....
2nd and 3rd generations of Dutch children living in North America, in the 70s and 80s, also.
Similar.
I am a dutch - canadian, I lived in the Netherlands (Den Haag ). As a young boy we ware living in the druiven straat, and across from our home was a monastery and they let little church bell ring at 7.15 , and mom said time come home, i never forgot that .( 81 now)
The moment they can ride a bicycle, around 4-6 years old, they get independent more and more and this is encouraged. We can play outside unattended from a certain age, depending on the child.
In my youth, the only thing they told me was to be careful and be in time for lunch or dinner. We were totally free.
All car drivers ride a bicycle too, so they know why to be careful. If an accident with a cyclist happens, the car driver is automatically responsible.
Your enthusiasm makes me smile. Love it.
Thank you, Sjef😊💖
What I (as a Dutchie) always find weird when I see pictures on facebook from my American friends is that when there is a childrens birthday party that all the parents are there! There are more grown-ups than there are children!
Here in the Netherlands it is customary to drop your child off at the house of the birthday boy/girl and then leave and pic him/her up at a certain time. Or in many cases the parents of the birthday boy/girl will bring all the children home, that happens a lot also. But the parents of the invited kids are nót staying at the party, they leave and go do their own thing.
As an American, that’s how it was when I was growing up. Parents of school friends definitely did not hang around. Less so now I think, though, still a normal thing in many areas/social circles.
If it’s family or close friends though, that’s different - parents like to use their children’s birthdays as an excuse to get together too, in those instances, it’s usually that the child has their friends over and are doing their own activities, and the parents (or just other adults with meaningful attachments to your immediate family) hang out together.
@@LaLa-ck9zp Here the kids have a party for their Friends with just children and the parents of the birthdayboy/girl. And a seperate party where family and friends of the parents celebrate the birthday.
“Je wordt thuisgebracht” is a standard sentence in an invitation for a birthday party.
@@erik5374 maybe add for those who don't speak Dutch a translation? "You will be brought home afterrwards"
Most preprinted invite cardsfor kids birthdayparty have that sentence or one that you can cross out if kids get brought home or are supposed to be collected at a certain time.
WOW, this is interesting! I have always assumed that it's "normal" for parents to accompany kids to their friends bi birthday parties. I'll be sure to remember this when Cam's invited to a party!!
Doei, i like that,,
Your boy in going to be a strong independent boy,
Being independent is given you so much freedom, and means in time he can take care of him self
And that is something to be proud of
It is🙂
Thank you, Connie❤
Uw enthousiasme is hartverwarmend.
Thank you♥
The US has separate areas for living, education, shopping, etc.
This separation forces you to travel greater distances for your daily commutes.
But in the Netherlands, it's expected that every city, town, or village had its own school, shop, and doctor's office, or be close to a place that has those (my hometown only had a church, a pub, and a school, but we had shops and doctors in nearby towns that we could get within a 30 minute bike ride, for example)
You'll also see that every child is able to find a playground or grass field to play on near their house.
I've recently moved to my birth place and still discover new playgrounds every now and then, and each is well maintained and fun to play at.
Roads here are also much safer, discourage speeding by making high speeds less appealing (slim roads, obstacles to manoeuvre around, speed bumps, trees planted close to the road, etc.) Making it much safer for children to actively participate in traffic.
If you haven't checked out Not Just Bikes, you definitely should, because they can explain all of this much better.
As for us learning to ride our bikes from an early age: we learn to ride them in primary school, so we've mastered it by the time we go on school camp by bike, do our bike exams, and are prepared for our daily commute to secondary schools that are often further away than primary schools.
By the time a child turns 12, we expect them to be independent enough for this.
My youngest even went to the store in the next town to buy a snack, by the time he was 10, and will now go out to McDonald's with his friends every now and then, at age 14, without needing any supervision (just a budget to not spend all his money on fast food)
there can be great distances, but many people actually live way closer. i recently was visiting family and where they live in groningen is farther from destinations than my home here at home in california. the difference is that i can get to the places there without having to be in the middle of freeway speed motor traffic while i literally see people line up and drag race on the street outside my house, which is a school zone, all the time.
From what I gather from my US friends, "just a 30 minute bike ride away" is a horror scenario for most US parents. 30 minutes away? on a bike? ALONE? HECK NO.
Meanwhile Dutch kids will be riding their bikes everywhere in every weather within a 20 mile radius lol.
When i was young we had KiVaDa (kinder vakantie dagen - kids holliday days) every summer. We would go to a field, build a fort out of pallets, paint the forts and each other. Play games, watch some "theater play" and have fun. We all needed hammers and saws. Our supervisors were about 15 jears old.
On the second day we would often play in the woods, walk around and smuggle gold (or whatever suited the theme).
On the third day there would be inflatable parkour courses, older traditional games, and waterfights.
It was honestly the highlight of the year.
This was for everybody from the basisschoolen starting from group 5 (age 9 ish). Younger groups would get some older supervisors but they would often be around 18 years old.
Just 3 days of kids being kids
WOW! I'll need to do some research on whether they still have this! It sounds like so much fun and Cam would absolutely love it!
And sleep one night in your fort. And having droppings. Just put somewhere in a strange place and try to find your way back!
@@livinglife.digital3399 Ahhh, youtube ate my comment. vakantiekinderfeesten is what it's called in Dordrecht. (Ages 5-14)
"Dagkamp
Week 1: 11 t/m 15 juli 2022
Week 2: 18 t/m 22 juli 2022
"Elke dag naar kamp; het Dagkamp!"
Tijdens het Dagkamp wordt er gedurende 5 dagen tussen 9.00 en 15.15 uur allerlei leuke activiteiten georganiseerd aan ons kampterrein aan de Schenkeldijk.
Het Dagkamp is voor jongens en meisjes van 5 t/m 12 jaar oud. Samen met andere kinderen van jouw leeftijd zit je in een groepje met een eigen kampleiding. Natuurlijk bedenken we een leuk programma voor deze week, met elke ochtend en middag weer een andere activiteit. Dat kan van alles zijn, bijvoorbeeld Levend Kwartet, Levend Stratego, waterspellen of een speurtocht. Tussen de activiteiten door kan je vrij spelen met alle materialen op het veld of lekker knutselen in de tent. Bij slecht weer hebben we een programma voor in de tenten of onder de partytent. Er is dus altijd wat te doen!"
It is still in our town.
Children tend to cycle to school by themselves by the time they’re 6 or 7, depending on where they live - countryside or city - and the traffic situation.
Here in the Netherlands the kids have a bike exam in school, how to ride a bike in real live on main streets. They get there bike certificat for doing that. They are i think 8 or 9 years old when they teach them the bike rules and how to ride it safe.
Oh wow, I didn't know that!
The exam is generally in 8th grade, so when they're 11 or 12 yo. It's just before they change schools, which often means they are going to bike a greater distance to school.
At the basisschool (elementary?) my kids had a traffic week every year, last week of September. Every age group had lessons about how to behave in traffic. From crossing the street (remember look both ways!), to wearing seat belts and basic bike maintenance. All to keep them safe and ingrain certain behaviours.
As a Dutchy in California, I still walk and bike a lot. I go to the Grocerystore on my bike or I walk there. I just like it that way. It's good exercise and the weather is always nice. I still dress in my 50s dresses and high heels. No active wear for me, for it's a normal activity. I guess I'm not a real Californian yet ;)
That is awesome!
@@livinglife.digital3399 no, normal!
I've noticed more airco's in the Netherlands. I even thought about installing one, but decided against it.
For the few weeks in summer that the heat is unbearable, I will just endure it.
Plus they're bad for the climate.
By the way Happy birthday 🎉🎉
I just bought a new house and it has 2 ACs, which is a rarity. I have never lived in a house which has AC, and I’m almost 60 years old. The fact that my new house has AC is because it isn’t insulated enough, so I’m going to renew the roofing and add a thicker layer of insulation. It now has 4 cm of insulation and I’m going to add 10cm of insulation on the roof. It will cost me about €5,000, which is about $5,600). It is better for the environment and for my wallet. I’m keeping the ACs but I will only need it when there is a heatwave for longer than a week, which is not common (yet) in The Netherlands. Who knows what climate change brings.
I think if you do want one it is better to buy a portable AC in the netherlands one that you can store away when you are not using it. Weather is getthing warmer and last couple of years we did exprerience some hot and humid summers. So I think they will become more common.
You can't be safe on a bike just by learning bike safety. You need also secure infrastructure that separate fast cars from bikes, or that push the car driver to be aware of their surroundings (narrow streets, speed bumps etc). It's useless to teach bike safety in America if its infrastructure is made exclusively for cars
Yeah, pretty sure we were...or they are.
Between my 5th and 13th or so birthday my parents most of the time didn't know where I was. Not because they didn't want to, couldn't...or didn't care, but because they trusted me not to get into too much trouble.
Had an awesome youth, got into any sort of trouble, had any possible adventure. But also learned budgeting, loving, justice, sporting and many other useful treats.
Never felt unsafe, never got too hurt or too much in problems with others or police.
The freedom as a kid was paramount of the succes during my upbringing.
Have a nice birthday Fi, together with your friend from the States!
Thank you, Hilde💖!
Dressing for the weather is a natural thing to the Dutch. You learn quick enough as a kid.
My advice: Make sure kids TIE their SHOE LACES !!! That "untied-laces-fashion" causes enough accidents, I witnessed as school-janitor. On bikes, laces wrap around paddles or chain and a fall is inevitable. Stepping on a lace, playing voetbal on pavement, can end in tears (and first aid).
I have a scar on both of my knees. One is from a badly constructed "family swing" (remember those long swings you could sit on with like 10 people?) and one because I never tied my shoe laces until I got that scar at age 10 because my lace wrapped around my crank. Dang pavement gave me like 20 stitches.
Love and greetings to u, thank you so much for this nice video, you so sweet and positive, Gbu 🙏💐❤️
The channel "Dutch Americano" (an American that now lives in the Netherlands) recently did a video about comfort/discomfort in the Netherlands vs in the US. It fits quite well with what you are saying here about the AC :)
7.04 I don't believe The Netherlands and the USA share a history of discrimination and inequality. They have their own very different histories on the subject. Cycling also had to be retaken, after the USA became the great example in the 60's cycling and especially kids cycling and playing on the street was seriously threatened. The counter movement in the 70's saved the day.
Hey Vi good to see you and your family live a happy life here in the Netherlands, but with the kids breaktime and playing outside you miss one important factor because we played outside as kids we also got more resistant against the weather, for example it’s very common to open up a window during winter to air out the house. It also helps building a better immune system for kids aswell which is a big plus.
It's not just culture to look out for cyclists, it's pretty much the law.
When there's doubt in an accident the judge favours the cyclist because the car driver has to look out for the cyclists.
True but bicycles have been always a part of The Netherlands. They're just everywhere, it has nothing to do with genuine culture or law: they just are there and used.....like a universal thing relieve nature
In the US you will find machines to keep your house cool, and in the same house you will find a machine to dry your laundry.
What you hardly find in these houses is common sense.
I remember how my father taught me to ride a bike without the training wheels. It was behind the flat where we lived. He would hold the bicycle with his hand as I rode it (kind of running along I guess). At one point I thought he was still doing that. Then I looked and he was just standing there. :)
The next question I had was "dad, but how do I stop?" :)
Same in Norway.
I hope someday the US will provide a healthy and save environment for children. It might take quite some years to realize that, given that three mayor issues need to be solved to make it possible. A very different infrastructure, way better gun regulations and a different mindset of parents are the bare minimum to create a child friendly environment. That's a huge challenge! But necessary I believe.
For the time being just enjoy being here with your son.
Well said, Itom!
Ik vind het leuk dat de mensen in Nederland zo onaafhankelijk zijn. Het is vrijhijd.
Ik ga akkoord!
9 years is already old to start riding bike. I had my Loekie at 4 abd BMX Kids version at 7.
When I was a kid growing up in the late 80's, early 90's in the UK, I never really had any worries about going out and about on my own, even out by a few miles, my parents didn't worry about me unless I was really late, there was never really a sense of being in danger as a kid when out and about on your own or with friends and it seems it's like that in a lot of Europe whereas it seems that isn't the case in the US.
I really do have to wonder how my life growing up as a kid would turn out if I was living in the US because it does feel like kids have far less independence than others, especially Europeans and I suspect that probably because of how safe society is.
The only thing my parent told me to be careful about is on main roads where there are a lot of cars and even then that was when I was younger than 10.
Most Dutch, for sure those of my age (I am 53) will remember playing outside until your mom came outside to yell "HANDEN WASSEN EN AAN TAFEL". Most will also remember the first one to be called in was always the one owning the soccer ball. I swear... moms did that on purpose :P
The answer is YES!
Agreed!
It doesn’t matter that much how the weather is… We (people) are not made from sugar. I know, over here it is not blistering cold. Being outside, being busy keeps you warm as well. I still can hear the voice of my (then) young nephew to my sister more or less telling her not to bother… Quote:”Why do I always wear extra cloth when YOU are cold”. My sister alway got it cold. Personally, I seldom wear a jacket. It must be seriously cold.
Well said....incomparable with the US but better for the kid's development.👍
Big, big, difference to city kids, or kids in a normal country side situation.., here in the Netherlands I mean.
Intersting! Do you care to elaborate?🙂
I can warmly recommend 2 vids made by "Not Just Bikes" and "Climate Town" conserning this topic. Learn why the US is build this way and what it got to do with racism (yes, you did read the right)
1) "Dutch Cities are Better for the Climate (and my sanity)" and
2) "The Suburbs Are Bleeding America Dry | Climate Town (feat. Not Just Bikes)"
6:18 if the focus really were on safety they would start planning their cities differently.
From clips I have seen on this topic I understand that it starts way earlier. Here in The Netherlands we don't really "childproof" our house. It's a responsibility thing, I guess. Watch out what you do or you might get hurt.
You omit one important issue about independence of children. If in the Netherlands a child goes missing, the whole country gets involved through amber alerts, television etc. It does not happen oftten so parents feel safe to let the children go unattended. In the US there are thousands of children missing each year. Logically parents are much more reluctant to let them go unattended.
The divorce rate in the Netherlands is also around 40%.😅
I didn't realize it was also so high😬
@@livinglife.digital3399 i think 34%
Is the same for Belgium but Belgium and Nederland are family hahw
I've been to Scandinavia few times, and I think the kids are way more independent than Dutch. Especially the Finnish people
Cars are an urban blight.
You forgot the most important reason: The suburban environnement has only single family homes, there is nothing to do there. And even the roads have no sidewalks. That means with a car whizzing by at 30mph even the roads are not safe for a 4 year old. Basically they are locked up at their macmansion until they can drive. Not a nice environnement for kids.
I understand what you are saying and the link you build between independency and biking but all our systems are built on thinking independently and being critical about anything you hear and see. In short: learn to create your own opinion, ask questions and ventilate your opinion (Dutch are known to do this 😂) This starts from very early, where parents are not just telling kids what to do but also why, and discuss with the child what it does to the other person. In short teaching them to be a social, empathetic person. Basically children are social and empathetic by nature so its just appealing to those defaults and build upon it in stead of killing initiative and making them into egocentric beings.
Is that even a question??
OMG how many words do you need? a video would be nicer
And all this without carrying guns
I am all for children being independent. What are you doing to protect him from predator's, not the simple stranger danger. You are in a third world country, foreign land is the number one place for human tracking. You have let it be known, somethings just don't need to be advertisement. I pray for your child and all the children their to be safe. God bless you and your family. My mom just taught me you never can watch your children to much.
Since when is The Netherlands a 3rd world country??
The kidnapping rate is extremely low in the Netherlands there is a 0,0045% your child wil be kidnapped and in most cases it will be one of the parents taking the child after a divorce or separation. I let my 7yo go to the store of school on her own or play in the neighborhood where I can't see her.
Children are hardly alone. There are other children around. Safety in numbers. And because there are a lot of grown ups outside of their cars biking and walking there are always some extra eyes. It takes a village to raise a kid. Not a backyard.
This made me laugh.
The Netherlands a 3rd World country??