Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The secret to raising the happiest kids in the world? Whatever it is, it s somewhere in the Netherlands . . . Would parents rather their children be successful or
happy? Kids in the US face lots of pressure to excel often at the expense of happiness. But does it have to be this way? Not in the Netherlands In
The Happiest Kids in the World, expats Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison both married to Dutchmen and bringing up their kids in the Netherlands examine the unique environment that enables the Dutch to turn out such well-adjusted, independent children. With heaps of good humor, and no shortage of amazement, the authors are delighted to find that:
- Babies get an average of 15 hours of sleep per day.
- Children learn bike safety and proficiency in school.
- Teenagers are less likely to get pregnant than their counterparts in almost every other nation, and . . .
- Parents really do serve chocolate sprinkles for breakfast
Along the way, they discover that the most commonly strived-for grade is just passing (6 points out of 10), how to achieve the perfect work-life balance, and that being normal is crazy enough."
Synopsis
Discover how Dutch parents raise The Happiest Kids in the World
Calling all stressed-out parents: Relax Imagine a place where young children play unsupervised, don't do homework, have few scheduled "activities" . . . and rank #1 worldwide in happiness and education.* It's not a fantasy--it's the Netherlands
Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison--an American and a Brit, both married to Dutchmen and raising their kids in the Netherlands--report back on what makes Dutch kids so happy and well adjusted. Is it that dads take workdays off to help out? Chocolate sprinkles for breakfast? Bicycling everywhere?
Whatever the secret, entire Dutch families reap the benefits, from babies (who sleep 15 hours a day) to parents (who enjoy a work-life balance most Americans only dream of). As Acosta and Hutchison borrow ever-more wisdom from their Dutch neighbors, this much becomes clear: Sometimes the best thing we can do as parents is . . . less
Synopsis
Calling all stressed-out parents: Relax Imagine a place where young children play unsupervised, don't do homework, have few scheduled "activities" . . . and rank #1 worldwide in happiness and education. It's not a fantasy--it's the Netherlands
Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison--an American and a Brit, both married to Dutchmen and raising their kids in the Netherlands--report back on what makes Dutch kids so happy and well adjusted. Is it that dads take workdays off to help out? Chocolate sprinkles for breakfast? Bicycling everywhere?
Whatever the secret, entire Dutch families reap the benefits, from babies (who sleep 15 hours a day) to parents (who enjoy a work-life balance most Americans only dream of). As Acosta and Hutchison borrow ever-more wisdom from their Dutch neighbors, this much becomes clear: Sometimes the best thing we can do as parents is . . . less