In Poland, welcoming a new baby is a joyous event filled with rich traditions and customs that aim to protect the newborn. Early childhood education and care in Poland are based on two systems: the childcare system supervised by the Ministry and the services provided by crèches. The childcare system includes meals, care and nursing services, sleep and rest, and is divided into three interrelated subsystems: physical and social settings, culturally regulated customs and practices, and kindergartens.
Childcare providers can take care of children at home or in premises provided by local authorities or other entities. The model consists of three interrelated subsystems: the physical and social settings in which the child lives, culturally regulated customs and practices, and kindergartens. New civic schools differ from state schools, and tasks in the field of care for children under the age of 3 are divided into mandatory and optional tasks.
There are now 230,000 childcare places for toddlers in Poland, while in 2015 there were only 84,000. The public kindergarten is statutorily required to offer children at least 5 hours of free teaching and educational activities per day. Non-public childcare providers are also subject to strict regulations about space per child and equipment.
Polish migrants frequently visit parents with their own children to facilitate more time spent with their grandparents, who use the day nursery (żłobek) for children under three years of age. There are both publicly-funded and private nurseries in Poland, with both charging fees. The Polish Foster Care Coalition organizes events to raise awareness and clarify issues at stake.
📹 Moment Indian student who thought he was meeting 14-year-old girl
Moment Indian student who thought he was meeting 14-year-old girl after grooming her breaks down and pleads to be freed after …
What is the child care benefit in Poland?
The “Family 800 Plus” program offers an upbringing benefit for dependent children up to the age of 18, irrespective of income. Effective January 1, 2024, the benefit will be increased to PLN 800 per month per child. This modification will be implemented automatically, without the necessity for parents or guardians to submit a supplementary application. Those who are eligible for the child benefit will receive it at the new rate.
Is daycare free in Poland?
The Ministry of Family and Social Policy supervises childcare (0-5 years of age) in Poland, with both public and private nurseries available at different rates. The Ministry of Education and Science develops and implements educational policy at primary and secondary levels, with regional educational authorities supervised by kuratoriums in each of 16 voivodships. Higher education institutions are also supervised by the same ministry. Public education is free, while non-public establishments charge tuition fees and offer a wide range of programs at all levels.
Non-nationals can send their children to international schools, nursery schools, or bilingual establishments, with some higher education institutions offering full degree programs or selected courses taught in a foreign language.
Is Poland a good place to raise a child?
Poland’s poverty rate is largely linked to unemployment, with childhood poverty being one of the highest in Europe. Children from poor families often suffer from malnutrition, while obesity rates have increased significantly. Nearly 20 percent of Poland’s population is clinically obese, primarily due to overeating or poor eating habits. Children’s health is more vulnerable than adults, and obesity can have dangerous and life-threatening consequences. Addressing these issues is crucial for addressing the growing issue of child obesity in Poland.
Do children pay school fees in Poland?
Tuition is the main expenditure for a child’s school education in Poland, usually paid monthly. Private schools differ from public schools, which are free. Parents may pay tuition fees every month throughout the year or for 10 months without summer holidays. Tuition fees range from PLN 700 to PLN 3300 per month, with most parents paying around or just over 1000 PLN. Some schools may charge fees based on the level of education. It is important to note that tuition fees may vary depending on the school’s location and the level of education provided.
How much is childcare in Poland?
The Cost of Childcare Report from money. co. uk reveals that Poland, Belgium, Spain, and the United States are the countries with the highest monthly outgoings on childcare. These countries provide a safe and fun environment for children to socialize, learn, and play, but the cost of childcare can significantly impact working parents’ outgoings. The report also highlights the UK’s ranking among the most and least affordable childcare countries. To spread the cost of childcare, individuals can consider taking out a loan to find the best deal.
Which country has the best child care system?
UNICEF has revealed that many of the world’s wealthiest countries lack affordable, quality childcare. Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Germany are the top countries in terms of childcare provisions, while Slovakia, the United States, Cyprus, Switzerland, and Australia rank lowest. The report, published by UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti, ranks countries across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) based on their national childcare and parental leave policies.
The report emphasizes the need for government investment in family-friendly policies, including childcare, to ensure parents have the necessary time, resources, and services to support their children at every stage of their development.
Which European country has the best childcare?
Sweden is a top-ranked country for raising children due to its strong social policy, generous parental leave system, and universal healthcare system. Parents are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave, with 60 reserved for fathers. Denmark offers a universal healthcare system with mostly free medical care and free higher education. Denmark also provides a monthly allowance for parents per child and allows adults to reduce working hours until their children turn eight.
Denmark’s parental leave system is among the most flexible in the EU, with both mothers and fathers entitled to 23 weeks of parental leave and four weeks of maternity leave before the expected due date. Australia is also considered one of the best countries for raising children due to its emphasis on health, integration, and quality of life.
Which country has the cheapest childcare?
The average US couple with two children spends over 30 of their combined wages on childcare, with Germany and Austria having the most affordable systems. The rising cost of childcare raises concerns about women’s participation rates in the workforce, as traditionally, childcare responsibilities have fallen disproportionately on mothers. The report’s authors argue that the percentage of women in the workforce has stalled due to increased expenses. Despite women in the US working at near-record levels, they are still less likely to be in the labor force than women in most OECD countries analyzed, partly due to differences in childcare costs.
Which European country is best to raise kids?
Sweden, located in the Scandinavian Peninsula, is one of the largest countries in the European Union and has a highly capitalist model with a significant portion of spending going to public services. It follows a model similar to other Nordic countries, with tax rates falling below the worldwide average and advanced infrastructure and transportation network aiding in equitable income distribution. Health care and college education are both free, and its citizens have one of the world’s longest life expectancies.
Sweden is one of the best European countries to raise a family, and it is among the world’s most giving people, providing roughly 1 of their annual gross domestic product to humanitarian aid projects.
Norway, the westernmost country on the Scandinavian peninsula, is a wealthy country with a thriving business sector and a strong social safety net. The discovery of oil and gas off the coast of Norway in the 1960s boosted the country’s economy, making it one of the world’s top petroleum exporters. To relocate to Norway, you can apply for a resident permit as a self-employed individual, demonstrating that your business’s services or goods are sold and/or produced in Sweden. After two years, you can apply for permanent residence.
Finland, one of the world’s most northern countries, is defined by geography and history. With its vast tracts of highly forested open territory, Finland operates as a northern gate between West and East, bordered by Norway, Sweden, Russia, the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Bothnia. The country is multilingual with two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. The importance of Finnish culture in the formation of national identity cannot be overstated, and the “Kalevala”, a 19th-century collection of poems based on folk melodies and ballads, is credited with helping to unite the Finnish people.
Finland operates as a parliamentary democracy, ranks highly in civil liberties, press freedom, and overall quality of life. It was one of the first countries to allow women the right to vote and legalize universal suffrage. To relocate to Finland, you can apply for a resident permit as a self-employed individual, demonstrating that your activity will support you and your family in Finland.
What are the benefits of having a baby in Poland?
The Law on support for pregnant women and their families, entitled “For Life,” provides a one-time benefit of PLN 4, 000, while the Family Care Capital program offers PLN 500 per month for a period of two years or PLN 1, 000 per month for a period of one year. All family benefits in Poland are exempt from income tax, and applications must be submitted at the regional office of the social welfare center or district office.
Is giving birth in Poland free?
The average cost of childbirth in Poland is $5378, with a minimum of $3000 and a maximum of $8127. Future parents prefer childbirth abroad due to its innovativeness, safety guarantees, discount policies, and citizenship by birth. Gynecologists in the best countries use state-of-the-art equipment, new labor approaches, and advanced technologies. Birth tourism packages offer discounts and help save money. Discover the best childbirth clinics in Poland and compare prices.
📹 American was Shocked by The Things That Only European Knows!!
How much do you know about Europe? Do you think they have different culture? If you know these you might be a European!
Reminds me of a case where an Indian student went to Lithuania to study medicine, then tried to sue the university, saying the university did not educate him properly on how to be a doctor. Not only did the lawsuit fail, as the school had mountains of evidence that he did pass examinations and had near full attendance, he lost his medical license for publicly admitting that he doesn’t know how to work his job.
He better be sent back after his sentence. What a pathetic excuse for a man this is! Though I was laughing the whole way through at his crocodile tears. The only person he’s crying for is himself. I read the messages on the daily mail that he sent to what he thought was a young girl and they was the most disgusting things. This man is pure evil
Being an indian it makes me feel really bad, disgusting. I don’t know what type of upbringing they are reflecting in a country who has given such a great opportunity to nurture his future. Before doing anything shit we must think about our family and loved ones that how badly these thing will affect their life also. Thanks alot to the officers who caught this monster, people like this are liability for us and for the society.
People going abroad from India must be first educated on that county’s laws, culture, do’s and don’ts via courses, boot camps etc . Also, the visa interview must be more thorough. Many people with criminal mindset somehow slip through the cracks and cause embarrassment to our country with their acts overseas .
Ok, the Child Marriage Restraint Act of India did 1929 define the age of marriage to be 18 for males and 14 for females. In 1949, after India’s independence, the minimum age was increased to 15 for females, and in 1978, it was increased again for both females and males, to 18 and 21 years, respectively. … so he should know by now 🤔
As an Indian, I support this. This is what should happen to ppl like him. Crocodile tears. He did that bcoz he thought he could get away, he knew what he was doing.. Yes I also think, countries allowing immigrants, should do some kind of personality and morality interviews or tests. Applies to every country.
More than the article, its the description that horrifies me more. I fail to undertand what motivates some people to engage in such act. The only thing he said partially true that if his India relatives find out about his perverted mind, they’d either kill him or themselves. Did he end up getting deported after finishing his sentence ?
I am happy that justice is timely and on point in these cases. Having said that I am just trying to understand the thought process behind this vigilante thing where you get to make your own villains by poking their vulnerabilities and finally trapping them which gives this instant dopamine for viewers. Its nice to see justice being served. Although the ethics behind it, I am not so sure. I am sure this tactic only applies for first offenders. A society can suppress and also guide peoples behavior, in this case the guilty saw an opportunity where he was far from his original society ( where sex is almost a taboo before marriage ) which made him ignorant of the age factor that comes into play very often in these situations. Also the person texting him as a fake 14 year old is in fact not a 14 year old which begs the question of the nature of relationship even though agent reveals the age in-between conversation we are not sure what motivated him to keep going. Are we sure that his motivation to continue his contact was because she was 14 year old or maybe because he found someone who is willing to meet up for sex after all ? Anyways I will leave these thoughts to the public. Comment down if you think there is a loophole in the system where regular sex offenders can easily get away as they are more aware of these traps.
I’m glad to see this man getting caught what I’m sad about is how he thought the world worked we should do better in this country we cannot change slowly anymore we must act fast even family members should be ready to deal the hard choices teach the future ones with more self accountability and responsibility. This is what happens when people say don’t go to another country stay here and live like a king
Kudos to the police! I am an Indian myself and deeply rooted in our philosophy and culture. This is what happens when Indians leave their own spiritual foundations (Krishna Consciousness) and become mad behind sex and money. They forget to see the basic difference between right and wrong. SHame on him! Karma works very well
Bro never ever do this mistake with under 18 age minors, I’m indian guy working in poland…i got a polish girl who’s 14years old,i met her 1st time in poznan to Warsaw train journey, when i got to know she’s 14 years old I started ignoring and avoiding even she’s interesting on me… all i do because it’s not legal in anywhere….!!!
As a deep thinking introvert (which I am) and someone who spent long hours formulating a thought evoking response to this article, I am pleased with the manner in which this cretin was dealt with. Well done gentlemen. Catch more of these sickos and get them deported. As for this individual, I sincerely hope the rehabilitation programme works for him and that he returns a much improved and changed man that is worthy of living in this country. I’m a believer in second chances, people make mistakes and take wrong actions or make badly informed choices in life but I do believe in my heart most people deserve a second chance. What worries me though is he was studying criminology but was on the pursuit to have sex with an underaged girl. At the very least, prohibit him from gaining employment in any area that involves investigating crime as he’s lost that right.
I hate when authorities make a trap so some random guy who hadn’t sex for 6 or 1 year fell into it and then those ppl publish his crying and face! It’s disgusting. He maybe a good guy after deporting to India or finishing prison but this publishing face just makes him to do suicide. Plus just going to do a crime does not mean he did the crime, he may changed his mind after getting in the actual situation. I refused sex with a young prostitute which my friends made for me, so the probability is not actual deed
As a Bangladeshi I think Indian should stop saying as an Indian and just condemn the action anonymously, this will prove that you actually care rather than caring about your country’s image. Nobody here saying that Indians are bad but your comment of “as an Indian” really making things more like you don’t care about his action and just trying to swiping your image.
There were no crimes committed. No control delivery done. It depends how you present your case in court. Same thing happened here in Bristol, guy was talking to a 15 y.o, arranged for a meeting etc at a local cafe, when he went in, the cops caught him. Long story short, he was presented to court facing the same charges. His lawyer did a fantastic job by starting the trial with “What crime has been committed by the accused”
Yes as a Sri Lankan I understand his situation. We are afraid for parents more than the law 😂 being in jail is better than getting punishment and scolds from parents 😂. If I were him, I would say, ” Please put me in jail, but don’t send me back to my parents.” 😂 Anyway, I’m not stupid to date underage girl 😂
I have the feeling that in America such a percentage of tips is unfair because regardless of the quality of the service, it turns out that the customer has to pay the difference between an unworthy salary and a decent salary instead of the employer. A tip should be a reward for extra effort or pleasant courtesy on top of a normal salary, it’s not up to me as a customer to pay extra just because you came to work.
Nudity in German (and some other countries in Europe) was the reaction of the young against the very strict regime of their parents and granparents (the WW1 and WW2 generation). These people are today in the 70ies and older and for them this was a symbol of freedom. This is also the name for it, Freikörperkultur (free-body-culture). But iaside of beaches, you see a lot less skin at the street, compared to US.
Hi, comment from France regarding water in restaurant : Funny thing that happened in France is that McDonald tried to sell « McWater » for one euro. But in France, restaurant are legally obliged to give you free tap water if you ask (they don’t have a choice), so you could, in a McDo be like : « Also can I have water please. – Yes it will be one euro more. – No no, FREE tap water. – Yes… of course… » They even talked about this in the news 😂
For everybodys information: The german girl actually confused maternity leave (parental leave actually) with maternal protection time. – Maternal protection is several weeks before due date and several weeks after birth. When a woman gets pregnant though, she gets closely monitored by her doctor. That doctor can prolong that maternal protection through an employment ban by a lot – depending on the womans job, her mental and physical health and actual pregnancy or birth complications. I have met women who went into that maternal protection the day they learned about their pregnancy (like 2nd month or so) and for 8 weeks after birth. That time the woman get paid full income and e.g. vacation days can not expire and other stuff. – Parental leave is what follows after maternal protection and can be used by either the mother or the father or both. The duration for one person is 12 months at least with a percentage of the payment (65% minimum), and lasts up to 3 years (rather the 3rd birthday of the child). The payment is only for the first year though and can be split into 2 years, by receiving only half of it. In that time, no matter if with or without payment, social security is covered without payment as ‘qualification time’ – means you have no gaps in your retirement or unemployment insurance. If both parents want to use parental leave, then only one parent can use all of it, the other parent only a fraction of that time additionally. The payment is not the income but one of the many social ‘income replacing payments’ that is done by the government or government controlled institutions (though sometimes it is done through the employer, who then get reimbursed) – While maternal protection has a minimum that mothers HAVE to take, without exception, they can cut it short before birth.
I have traveled to the United States several times. Every time I came back from there, I had the impression that all Europeans, no matter what nation they belong to, are closer in mentality than a citizen of the United States and a citizen of any European nation. And that even applies to the British.
I’m from Italy and what the Italian girl said about kissing is a little strange. It’s true that we kiss each other on the cheek as greetings, but we usually just press our cheeks together, mimicking the smacking sound of a kiss in a dramatic manner for the flare of it. Never once in my life a had someone greeting me plantings their lips on my cheek in a full on moist kiss with saliva as the cherry on top, except perhaps some elderly relative 😂😂😂😂
In Germany, maternity leave is 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after due day, after that you get 12 months of paid leave if you take them on your own, if the partner does as well, it’s 14 months, you both can choose how long you want to stay at home. You can share 7+7 or 12+2 or 8+6, you can take the month together at once or after each other. You get almost 70 % of your salary you had a year before pregnancy, but at least 300 € monthly if you didn’t work.
As someone who ACTUALLY lived in America I can tell you that the difference from a 3rd world country is NOT that far…Europeans have BY LAW maternity leave, universal healthcare, paid vacations and other benefits that DO NOT exist in America…Americans have been brainwashed by politicians to think that all of these benefits are COMMUNISM when in fact is a basic right in ALL DEVELOPED COUNTRIES…THE FACT that all of these European women could carry on a conversation in another language other than their own tells you that the education system in their countries actually works…
That “restroom ticket” is NOT for public restrooms. It’s for restrooms managed by a private company, which are in publically-accesible but privately-owned areas such as train stations (depending on the country, they may or may not be able to operate in highway stops). And the ticket always has a same-amount discount at the stores in the same place, so you can go to the toilet, pay whatever much it is, then take the ticket and it’s a voucher for part of your drink, your meal or your magazine.
I’m Croatian and a bit shocked at how short the maternity leave is in other EU countries. :/ Here it’s a year and a half to two years long if it gets extended. It’s also obligatory for at least 3 months, you’re required to take the maternity leave by law, but I don’t know a single person who didn’t just take a year and a half off. Dads also get a paternity leave. And you can’t get fired during it.
Nudity in Germany is not only an older vs younger generation thing but there is also a big Eastern Germany vs Western Germany difference. In the GDR nudity used to be very normal on beaches but has then been forbidden in the 1950. Which caused a big wave of protest so it was made legal again as a result. Since in the GDR it was generally dangerous to partake in any political protest nudity had then become a form of political protest for a big part of the population because it was something they gained back in opposition to the communist regime. Whereas in West Germany privacy got ever so slightly more important hence the desire for nudity decreased. Which is why even nowadays there are way more beaches where nudity is allowed in the Eastern parts of Germany and not so many in the Western parts.
I dig this kind of article! But I also think they could keep going with some more intriguing topics, like the difference between the concept of boundaries, tradition/folklore, the perception of self, how people react to strangers’ interactions, etc. Based on my personal experience these are the things I found most different between the two.
the weirdest thing with america is the amount of states who ban abortion and all but there’s zero help for pregnant woman, maternity leave, free or affordable health care, affordable day care for when the mother has to go back to work immediately after giving birth,… As a Belgian, when I moved to Germany, I “scared” a few people by trying to kiss them hello, like they took a step back XD Now I’m good with just hugging. Tipping, I have a feeling it’s more usual to tip in Germany than in Belgium, but it’s not much anyway. Maybe because waiters,… are paid a living wage…
In the UK we also have the rule that if you take your test in an automatic you can’t drive manual but if you take your test in a manual you can drive both… but we also allow you to drive in any roadworthy vehicle for your test, so it can be your private vehicle rather than the instructors but it isn’t common, most people take their test in the car of the driving school.
On my first travels to Europe, I was really taken aback by the paid public restrooms. Paying to use the toilet even in places like shopping malls. But after living in Europe for some time, I view it quite differently now. I see them as a dependable luxury worth every penny. They are far more safe than public washrooms in North America, and they are dependably clean – often with attendants who will clean after every use. In North America, it’s a big gamble if the washroom will be clean with big odds that it won’t be. If you remember to have a few coins in your pocket for toilets when travelling around Europe, I believe you will appreciate them too.
For future reference in questions like these (since I see a patter of repetition): clarify what You mean by “maternity leave”. In Europe we have 2: maternity for mother protection period and Child care for, well, taking care of the newborn. Also does Your question involve the second parent as both of them have their own rights. These girls clearly took question literally and talked only about the first part, omitting the second.
Very few people in the US know how to drive a manual car. It actually costs more to buy a car with a manual since at least the late 90’s early 2000’s. In the state of WI, you can not take your driver’s test with a manual car anymore. The joke around here is that if you drive manual, you’ve got built-in theft protection.
In Poland, during pregnancy mothers can have a sick leave for the whole 9 months. Normally, during sick leave you receive 80% of your salary but pregnant women receive 100%. After the birth, maternity leave usually lasts 20 weeks (if she’s given birth to twins, etc. the leave is longer) and mother HAS TO take at least 14 weeks. If she wants to, she can give the remaining 6 weeks to a father or another family member. During maternity/paternity leave you receive 100% of your salary. Apart from that, fathers can take something called ‘leave for fathers’ which is 14-days-long (also 100% of the salary). Also, after the maternity leave, you can take ‘parental leave’ which lasts 41 weeks (the mother can give 9 weeks to the father). Then, you receive 80% of your salary if you apply within 21 days after the birth. If you’re late, you receive 60%. Summarising, mothers can take care of their children for more than a year. 33% of that time – 100% of salary 67% of that time – 80% of salary After that, you can have a leave for growing up your child which is 3-years-long (35 months for one parent and 1 month for another). This leave, however, isn’t paid 😂.
Hello. I am from Czech republic and here you can extend your leave up to 4 years. I find, coppied and google-translated this article about it: “The length of maternity leave is 28 or 37 weeks in case of multiple births. It is continuously followed by parental leave, the duration of which is up to 4 years, while the employee’s protection is only 3 years (during this time, the employer must keep you in the position specified in the contract). In addition, parental leave can be used by both parents immediately. “
Years ago in France there was an interesting tv show about the European Union, Union Libre, and I remember that one thing that struck me a lot was that all the Europeans knew who Princess Sissi (or Sisi) was while an American guest had no idea who she was. It would be more interesting to test the popular culture of Europeans, you would find out how many historical events, actors, singers, traditions, etc. they share but are virtually unknown in USA.
And let me explain that helicopter transfer – all of, entire Europe (not only EU) contribute to health and pension insurance in percentage based on your gross income, but only freelancers do by ourselves (for rhe employee, the company does). So, non of it is free, but when you have entire working force contributing, you have money for these expenses…so, goverment is not paying, it’s just allocating.
The difference between Europe and North America regarding manual or automatic shift stems from the fact that fuel was always more cheaper in the US. The first automatic shifts were already made in like the 20s or 30s, but they were fully mechanical. So you drive the car above a certain RPM, it would shift, regardless of other conditions, like how fast you were actually going, etc. This made these cars not as efficient, so it could probably add like 15% – 20% of fuel consumption. But if fuel was very cheap, this was not something that would hurt your wallet. Also, when the first highways were built in the US, they were very long and straight, so not much shifting was required. So the added fuel consumption from these systems would come if you would drive around in a city. Now if you consider that fuel prices in Europe are often twice the amount of money for the same amount of fuel, you understand why automatic shifting took so long to take hold here. Also, during the time when cars became more commonplace, many European countries developed this coolness / sportiness culture around shifting, which held back the demand for automatics too. Only now with computer controlled automatic shifting, which brings down the disadvantage of added fuel consumption do more people get automatics, as ‘only’ the cultural difference is holding people back. Of course, all that is negated if you buy an electric vehicle of course.
As for many other topics the Italian girl wasn’t accurate about maternity leave. In Italy the maternity leave is MANDATORY, and is 2 months before the birth and 3 months after. Or 1 month before and 4 after: You get the full salary and you cant’ get fired. You can ask to add 2 months to this leave in some cases. Then there’s an extra leave of 6 months and you get only the 30% of your salary. This is risen to 11 months if you’re a single parent. The other topic about laziness was so wrong…
In Sweden, water has to be free in restaurants by law. The only water you pay for is brand name water and fizzy water. They might ask if you want to buy that (and they usually mention brands by name) or if you want tap water. You can also specifically say: “just water please” and you will always get tap water. Everything that costs are clearly stated in the menus. It differs per restaurant if they have ice in the glass but it’s definitely more common in summer. Sometimes they ask and sometimes you have to ask for ice or not ice, it also depends on the restaurant.
I lived in Germany near Bremen and Berlin Prior and Post the Wall Fall. Nobody except the Tourists had bathing suits at the beaches. Back home, most families were multiple generations. In Cities, there was 4-5 Level Brownstones. With usually differing generation’s sharing floor’s. And this includes Aunt’s/Uncle’s and Cousins, Nephew’s, etc. Huge Meals were made, but not all eat together. Lazy Susan’s or Serving Dollies are built-in Walls. Very convenient for lot’s of stuff. Also, my GF’s family had Owned their Home since the 1500’s
There is a reason why in Europe the automatic cars only recently begun to spread, the old automatic gearbox was shitty and heavy, so cars would become much heavier and much less efficient. Guess who has always driven big, heavy cars with a lot of power but a lot inefficient? Yes, the Americans. I don’t think an American has ever seen a 80 hp 1.0L engine in his life. Today the automatic gearbox sold in Europe is a robotic manual gearbox.
Norway: 1. We dont pay for restrooms, in malls, gas stations along the way. I have only seen it in an underground public restroom, in metro or underground transportaitons. 2. Topless is considered NORMAL, you dont like it, stay off the beach. A boob isnt going to traumatize your kids, the guns will With that said, I see it less and less these days, maybe due to social media, where people arent scared to show boobs, but they just dont want to be posted that on internet 2. Maternity leave is one of the best. You get ten months in total (shared by mom and dad) at 100% of the salary or one year at 80% of the salary. Three of those weeks are before due date, so you can get some rest last weeks of your pregnancy. If your pregnancy has been hard, and you just cant work, you get paid sick leave, for as long as you need, the entire pregnancy if need be. You dont get to decide that for yourself, but its your doctors decision, that you cant/shouldnt work. 4. We hug if we meet someone we know after a long time, like its so nice to see you again… Other that we just say hi, or shake hands, if we someone for the first time. 5. We drive stick, but its possible to get drivers license for only automatic cars. Saying that, its getting increasingly normal that we have more and more automatic cars, since we have one of the biggest automatic car ownership. 6. Unluckily tip has come to Norway too, but we dont HAVE TO give it. They are given living wages, and any tip is just a bonus. Tipping in US is just getting out of control 7.
I’m Italian and about the kisses part: just the cheeks touch, sometimes just the motion counts. It’s true that if you only “Kiss” one time (and I’m not talking about close friends here, we usually don’t kiss our friends’ cheeks, we usually one arm hug them or say Hi! with no touching involved) it’s weird because we know that once you kiss one cheek the other person will automatically turn their head for the second one, and unless you know, like, “oh this person only kisses once” you’re left with your head tilted and waiting for that second kiss that will never come. It gets awkward very fast. If we don’t know the person, if it’s the first time meeting them we don’t kiss them and we don’t hug them as a greeting, it would be very weird otherwise because we don’t know each other, why would we want our cheeks to touch? It’s creeeeeeeepy.
Parental leave in Germany is complicated. When your job endangers the pregnancy, your doctor may put you on medical leave immediately. Everyone gets 6 weeks before the due date of optional maternity leave and eight weeks (usually) after giving birth of mandatory maternal leave. Parental leave is up to 14 months at 65-67% (capped) for both parents combined with a minimum of two months per parent (or certain variations). Parents can take up to three years of parental leave until their child turns ten (without pay after the first year of life, but with full job protection).
As a German I have to say it’s pretty common that every small Village has their own traditional rifle club. When I was a kid I did this as a sport, cause my parents and grandparents did this too. “Short” guns are not as common as the “long” gun (those to hunt with). Every year in the summer time most villages has a “Schützenfest”. So all in all it’s very very different from the American gun culture.
In Portugal, the waiters always ask what temperature drinks we prefer before serving it, (red wine is the only exception, has to be room temperature) The only cars available are stick shift and we pay a lot to get a drivers licence because we can only pracrice on the drivers school cars with the drivers school teatchers always and only after passing the written exam for the driving rules. Maternaty leave is between 3 months and a year after birth which will affect the amount of montly payments but basically, it’s the same amount of money, only the time off is different, most people chose either 6 months off for the mom, or 5 months off for the mom and one month off with the dad, and nowadays can can even split 3 month each, but those are rare. Bare in mind, in Portugal, the social security/wellfare/benefits start paying monthly amounts to the woman as soon as she gets preagnant. Most bathrooms are free of charge as well as asking for a glass off tap water in cafés or restaurants, we have a saying “nobody should ever deny water to another human/creature” nobody would ever dare to refuse to provide one or more glasses of tap water free of charge. But some transport stations already have those paid bathrooms as well, they are usually between 10-50 cents and they don’t get used as much, because I would much rather go to a nearby bar, have a beer and a tinkle, than have to pay just to take the tinkle, it’s just maths… High schoolers and family members still kiss twice on the cheecks,, I personaly prefer to bear hug my friends but in a work enviroment it’s rare for the kisses on the cheecks, perhaps on team building dinners and only the first guests to arrive, if I arrive last, I’m not gonna waste half an hour of life kissing 40 people twice on the cheeks while everybody else just sits there and looks at it waiting their turn, it would be insane.
8:16 So in Germany ypu actually have Mutterschutz (mother protection) that’s before you give Barth and the Elternzeit (parenting time) that is after the birth. So you can have up to 12 months of paid leave and your Partner can get an additional 2 months of paid leave so in total 14 months of paid parenting leave. And you get it per child. So if you get a second child, you get new 14 months off.
The situation with maternity leave is very different in the Czech Republic, where I live. We can be at home with the baby until he is 3 years old. Health and social insurance are paid for by the state at that time, and we have a certain amount of money from the state (each person has the same amount), and that money is divided according to the number of months we want to receive it. At the moment, the allowance for one born baby is 14000 eur. It is absolutely unimaginable for me that I would have to go back to work immediately a few weeks after giving birth.
I am from Germany 12:07 I would rather say kissing on the cheek would be a weird greeting considered here in the part where I live, it could differentiate between regions but yeah, we rather just tend to handshake, hug or just straight up say “Hi/Hallo/Guten Tag/Moin/Juten Tah/ Guten Morgen/etc.” and not have any physical contact.
in france most of the bathrooms on the highways are free though. I travel a lot and that’s more common to have them free than the other way around. And in the highway stations, the bathroom are generally quite clean even without paying. Then you have some stops on the highway where it’s just a parking and no shop, and you have bathroom and they’re a little less clean, but generaly ok, cause they’re probably cleaned a few times per week and they’re also free. it’s more difficult to find clean bathrooms in the big cities though (in villages or really small town, it’s often okay and clean) but in big cities, the best bet is to go to a coffee shop or a mcdonalds/kfc…etc (where it’s free, but some mcdonalds have a barre code scanning device at the door, so you have to order before you can go to the bathroom and then you scan your receipt. it’s not often the case though. maybe it’s more common in bigger cities as well)
German mom here^^ it’s six weeks before the birth and eight weeks after on full pay, and then after that is 60% of the monthly average you made the year before and that’sup to 14 month. That’s called “parent money” and it’s paid by the government, not the employer. You can take parental leave for up to three years, but won’t get paid for that long. Also, I’m living in Berlin, we don’t pay for child care, Kindergarten per se, only 50€ a month for the food.
In Germany the parental leave is up to two years with receiving state support. The breakdown is actually quite complicated and it does not surprise me that the German girl did not know about this. If I remember correctly, it can be even longer without financial support. This time can be shared between the two parents as they wish. The amount of money you receive during this time is approx. 75% of your salary but there is a limit of 2500€. On top of this, the mother must stop working 4-6 weeks before her due date (where she will receive her full pay), but depending on the profession, it could be that the mother must stop as early as the second month of the pregnancy (she will still receive the full salary).
OK so the greeting kisses in France don’t only depend on regions apparently because I’m from Normandy and I’ve NEVER heard about doing 4 kisses! We do 2 and that’s enough! I know that I’ve been in some areas where the starting point can be different and sometimes it’s 3 but that’s all! I would be curious as to where she stumbled on the 6 kisses situation because that’s the first time I hear that, as well as where in Normandy people kiss 4 times!
It is really intersting. It would be cool to have other Americans too, like Canadians, Brasilians and so on, to see the differences. My cousin is from Argentina and he tells other things. In Switzerland we usually have to pay for ambulance and helicopter if something happens, (at least that happended to me) even if we pay health insurance. In Tessin kissing is more commun, in the central part you usually don’t do that. We usually get room temprature water, but I made the experience that in sommer they ask if you want cool water. We have to pay fort the water, too. Some restaurants give tap water for free
😊 In the UK maternity leave is for 40 weeks(9 months) you take up to 11 weeks before and 29 after or less before znd more after. Maternity pay is paid for 39 weeks. The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of your weekly wage then the further 33 weeks you are paid £184.03 if 90% of your weekly wage is more than this amount otherwise you will continue to be paid as the first 6 weeks. Mothers to be also recieve gifts bags/boxes at different stages called Bounty pack these have items in the to prepare for your baby and later foŕ weaning your baby. In Scotland’s mothers to be are given a huge box which doubles as a newborn cradle with a mattress & bedding, it is also filled with clothes and other necssary items for the baby. Tips in the UK are discretionary but if you do tip its usually no more than 10%. Usually only in restaurants that are not fast food places, not in cafes or hotels etc as people are paid enough. In Portugal tips are also discretionary but no more than 5%. The Portuguese kiss both cheeks but all hug close friends/family. In the UK if you take a manuel driving test you can drive both automatic znd manuel but if you take the automatic test you can only drive automatic. You have to have a person over 21 who has had a driving licence for more than 2 years with you when learning unless to take lessons with a qualified driving instructor. The test condists of 3 parts: a practical test in the car, and a theory test in two parts. Part one is a test of your knowledge of the higway code and part two is a Hazard Perception test.
I was born and raised in the US, but my mom and her family are from Colombia, and my father and his family are from El Salvador. With my Colombian relatives, you give a small hug to each member, and kiss EVERYONE on the cheek. With my El Salvadorian family members, it’s a BIG hug to everyone who arrives, BUT you only give kisses to the older relatives. A few times I’ve visited Colombia, but when I return and greet my other family sometimes I forget and I’ll give an El Salvadorian cousin a kiss on the cheek 😂 (I once gave my older cousin “Junior” a kiss on the cheek, but he laughed and gave me another hug since he understood, he’s a good sport haha). It’s seen as a little too loving (there’s a big emphasis on being very loving towards your elders), so it’s seen as embarrassing to do that with family members your age, but everyone is very understanding when I make silly mistakes like that haha! At least in both cases the kiss itself is just one on the person’s right cheek, so that helps haha!
Spanish here. My colleage with the maternity leave meant to say that was 4 months of maternity leave plus additional hours for breastfeeding. What most people do is get the “pregnancy risk leave” so they add the last months of pregnancy plus 4 months of leave plus all hours of breastfeeding together (and if there are not enjoyed holydays, they can add it) so at the end you can hace 6 months of maternity leave after the baby is born with full wage. Dads can get 20 weeks after kid is born, half of them can be added to mom´s so the baby stays with at least one parent by 8-9 months.
This German girl probably lives in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, because in Germany you see naked people in public everywhere. In parks, on the river or lakeshore, on the beach, and of course in the countless saunas that are everywhere. It is also not right that almost only older people show themselves naked in public. For example, I was already sunbathing naked in the park at the age of 15, and that’s what a lot of young people in Germany do.
I am always amazed that people talk about “Americans” here. In America, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and the languages of the indigenous peoples are spoken. You are also comparing America with Europe. America is a continent like Europe with many countries. That would be correct. But you actually mean the USA and Europe. Comparing a country with a continent makes no sense
Brit here! I lived in Germany for three years when I was in my early twenties (90s), the family that I lived with were very into Freikoerperkultur. Free body culture. Really strange for me to get completely naked in a public sauna or jacuzzi. Brits are a little more reserved than our continental cousins.
as a european by blood, and american born, all of these countries are part of the EU. I feel like in the future you could try implementing countries that are not in the EU, because most of these are not things I have experienced in my parent’s home country (which is not part of the EU) and I go have gone nearly every year since I was 3 (I’m 21). I’m not trying to sound rude in any way, this is a great article showcasing differences in European countries, but most of these types of articles mainly focus on highly well known/well touristed countries in Europe like France, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, etc. I feel like I just replied to a discussion post, but I love your articles, they often appear on my recommended because I have a 100% direct connection to Europe, and I love that about myself.
Im from Germany, and it’s mostly like the American girl when it comes to kissing while greeting. My grandparents do this and many other friends of them. So I feel like it is often times with elders, but in our case they are also more “upper classy” persons and often times also girls you just know. It just depends, you usually do it when you don’t really know someone but have a lot of respect and sympathy for them. We usually do three kisses, right left right. But I also feel like it is pretty rare for people to do these kisses here in Germany.
as a european, I can say that in the case you are in your home, water is not stored in the fridge, but outside it on the kitchen, and we normally cannot afford the heating so our houses are mainly at around 18 celcius, sometimes even at 16 in my case, so we normally have fresh water, not cold but definatelly not warm or whats considered room temperature, but lower.
Hi !! From France here. First, this article is so great, loving this kindness between each country. Just want to say, the kisses in France, I’ve never seen 6, it’s probably rare, 4 it’s just so long already !!!! Also, that depends on where you are in France, but you can kiss cheek to cheek and not necessarily mouth with saliva on cheek. I really hate that personally, and Covid-19 kicked out a lot that kisses tradition ( thanks god !). I prefer to give a hug when it’s someone I really care about.
Obviously, the Spanish girl doesn’t have a clue. In restaurants and cafes you use the bathroom as it’s for customers and don’t have to any (this is the same in all Europe), you only have to pay to use a public bathroom in public spaces such as train or bus stations and the money is used to keep the bathrooms clean and disinfected so we actually can use a bathroom that is clean and not smelly like the ones in the U.S.
A quick tip for those visiting Spain. If you go to a place, you can ask for a glass of water (not a bottle of water, in that case they will charge you for it), and they will give you tap water for free. In some places, you can even have ice with it, and, the tap water is perfectly drinkable in all the country. Maybe in the southern regions it tastes a little bit weird, but it is because it is desalinized mainly. No worries
Basel Switzerland you didn’t have to pay for the toliet. They had random metal Porta potties. It was ALWAYS clean. When you finished doing your business the doors would close and lock and high-powered jets would clean the toliet and the room. The toliet paper was protected in such a way that it wouldn’t get wet. They were actually cleaner than French and German paid toliets. My husband and I did a roadtrip from our home in Basel all the way to Malaga Spain. I’ve experienced a lot of French toliets. For Germany we did a roadtrip to Hamburg. I experienced a lot of German toliets. The German toliets were a little cleaner than the French toliets, but they weren’t as clean as Basel toliets.
I live in St. Petersburg, Russia. 99% of toilets in shopping centers are free to use. Also, several years ago, city water utilities made their toilets free to use. They are mainly located in parks and squares, where there are always a lot of people. They even have a map of the toilet locations on their website. There are also paid toilets, mostly near metro stations. They cost about 50 cents €.
It would be even more fun and interesting if you had chosen women from a wider country spectrum. All these countries are close to each other geographically and calturally. I think the choice of countries in this article is very close the the American idea of Europe. For instance, there are no women representing a Slavic country, although Slavic nations are the majority in the continent, but both Netherlands and Belgium are represented.
Czech: *1.*we pay, but don’t get anything, or we have to buy something and then we can use the bathroom 2. i don’t think we have public nudity, but we have nakeds beaches and we don’t have that weird seats 3. we have 3-6 years i think 4. we kiss to greet once at each cheek, but only to older relatives 5. we have that, my dad has automatic btw 6. we can, but we don’t have to, my dad usually pay 30% 7. we have 20-25°C in the room, which is 68-77°F
i wonder why the german girl never mentioned this on point 5 the manual car stick. Back when i did my license they explained to me in the driving-school that its better to learn manual gear shifting than automatic, because after finishing the manual license you’re allowed to drive both. but if you only did Automatic you are “Not” allowed to drive manual.
On the bathroom topic. I’m from Europe but currently living in the US (7 years now). The restrooms in the US are ABSOLUTELY DISCUSTING. And I’m talking bathrooms in McDonalds or Starbucks which are NOT public restrooms. I have a big issue with this, I can’t tell you how much I hate using the bathrooms here, especially with my child. I’m scared he’ll touch something and we’ll catch a disease. What’s up with that, Americans? Why can’t you have normal bath rooms?
Always order your water as, “water, no ice”! I don’t care if they store it in a bottle in the cooler or take it from the tap, it’s the ice! If you knew all the bacteria and molds that grow in most food establishments ice makers (something they seem to forget about taking apart and cleaning as often as they should), you would never have ice again. Even if I order soda, it’s “soda, without ice”!
The “American” lady doesn’t seem to know much about America. America does have paid maternity leave and paid paterity leave. Which starts as soon as your child is born. It is normally around 6 months of paid leave, but can differ from state to state. It is gov run and is your right and many others protecting mothers from losing a job due to pregnancy
Once you include East European countries you will find even greater differences. In Czech Republic we have public healthcare, half year maternity leave, on same salary as it was before, and then you can have parental leave, for up to 3rd year of the kid, payed by government, but much lower pay. And we can carry gun with permit, and lot of people does, but still top !) safest countries in the World Yeah and Free education, even University
In America, everything is shaped according to the capitalist understanding, even human rights. If you have money, there is service, if you don’t, there is no service. Why are maternity leaves left to the initiative of companies? Isn’t this a human right? Why is public transportation not developed in the USA and every citizen is forced to buy a car? Why isn’t health insurance public in the USA? Why are schools paid and why are hospitals paid? In this case, why does the state collect taxes?
The dutch person wasn’t speaking the truth with the ice in water thing. It’s standard that you get ice in your glass if you drink a drink that’s not supposed to be hot, unless it’s something like milk. I’m dutch and almost every restaurant i go to does this, if the drink comes in a bottle they usually give you an extra glass to poor it in cuz it’s ezer to drink that way. That glass also has ice in it. It’s usually like 2 or 3 cubes, but you still have to specifically ask for it without ice to not have ice in it.
French guy here ! 1 – Never seen restroom you had to pay, only once seen a restroom that had a bathroom attendant, or as we call them “Madame pipi” (“Madam wee-wee”), that you could tip. 2 – Public nudity is illegal in France, the only places it would happen are a few areas like nudist beach or nudist camp (which are super rare). 4 – Live in the north of France, we use two kisses on the cheeks to greet (sometimes three or four depending of the person). And men do kiss if they are family or close friends (or it sometimes just happen when greeting a group). We say kiss but it more like touch cheeks or just move face close to each other. Since covid we don’t do the kiss as much, now it’s mostly a fistbump or a handshake. We only hug lover or family if we haven’t seen in a while. 6 – We don’t tip unless the service was worth of first class, the tip usually is under 5 euros. For me, a normal meal is 15 euros for lunch at a casual restaurant, if you pay more it’s not a casual restaurant or you ate a LOT.
As far as i’m aware in my country paid maternity leave is 6-7 months (depends on childs health) and you stay home with the child until they are three years old and can go to kindergarten you just get less money after those 6-7 months and if the child has special needs i’m pretty sure the parent gets to stay home for 6 years
The Family and Medical Leave Act does offer job protection for maternity and paternity leave. But in many instances it’s an unpaid leave and is only required of companies with over 50 employees. Also, the person has to have been working at the company for at least 12 months and with a certain amount of collective hours. Many other countries outshine us in this arena.
Actually maternity and paternity leave in Italy, is a bit more complex than what Giulia said, a woman can be off up to two year but she won’t get 100% of her last payslip, it’s like 100%, 80%, 30% and 0% (I don’t actually remember how many months for each percentage but it’s decreasing the longer the leave last, if a mother decides to stay in maternity for 2 years the second year is with no pay but you won’t lose your job, then the other percentages changes every years depending on the fiscal law that is approved on a yearly basis). A man can get up to 6 months off but the first month is 80% of the salary and then it goes down to 30%, by law you are allowed 10 days off fully paid to use within 2 years, and companies can give you more than that as benefit (my company, for instance, gives 15 days fully paid). Then there are other days off you can ask as a parent in which you can be fully paid, partially paid or not paid depending on the reason of your time off. In addition to this in Europe in general we have more minimum days off for the annual leave, compared to the US (in Italy it’s at least 20 days off, and it’s no hard to get almost 30 days off combining days off for the annual leave and flexible time off, “permit”, that is an additional separate thing).
In Ukraine, according to what I’ve gathered online (don’t have experience with it myself), the maternity leave is 126 days (actually it’s more like a leave in connection to the childbirth itself), and if you had complications or you gave birth to more than one child you will get +70 days. Afterwards mom, dad or even a grandparent can send in an application for a leave for the purpose of childcare which will continue until the child or children are 3 years of age. Correct me if I’m wrong.
So i’m from Germany and i have to say, kissing in Germany is absolutely not common, not with friends, in highschool or whatever, it totaly depends on every single person. I never kissed any of my friends on the cheek. Sometimes i do it with my stepmom or my grandmother but i always hug my family (the only exception is my brother, cause he don’t like hugs xD) and friends. i will shake hands or wave strangers, depending on what person they are. Also: -Maternity leave in Germany is 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth, if everything is normal. -since december 2020 you’re allowed to drive a car with driving stick shift, even if you made the driving license test with an automatic car, you’re no longer restricted -water in germany is cold because it’s in a fridge or room temperature, it depends on the restaurant, so you should always say what you want, if they don’t ask you. Only in summer the water will always come with ice cubes, so if you don’t want them you need to say that.😂
Re: Public Nudity. I know a lot of Americans are quite prudish about nudity, but it has quite a few naturist/nudist beaches, also quite a lot of clubs. Plus you also have Falsome Street fairs each year where it seems that anything goes short of intercourse, and I’m not even sure about that. I recently learned that there’s a whole state in America where public nudity is legal. I think there’s lots of forest trails you can walk along completely naked. Also, despite the prudishness of some, America is home to Pornhub, and quite a lot of other porn websites, so there’s quite a lot of people in The States that are comfortable with sex and nudity, for a price.
In Germany mothers get payed by the employer for 6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after. Then they can stay home for maternity leave for up to 2 years and get payed by the health insurance company. There are deductions to the last pay, though. Especially if you want to stay home for more than 12 months.
Parental leave is much longer here in Germany than the German girl states. Even the stricter Mutterschutz (mothers’ protection) law states mother’s must not work 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth, but parents can take unpaid parental leave or up to three years (minus the Mutterschutz weeks if the mother takes that parental leave. The state covers for 65% of your income during parental leave (or 300 Euros per month for people with no prior income).
What’s crazy to an American is how people could put their lives in the hands of police officers whose average response time is around 20 minutes. The majority of the time a violent crime isn’t prevented by the police and they just end up investigating the aftermath. That is why Americans protect their rights to self protection with Gusto. You have to remember that America is quite large and it would be impossible for police to be everywhere at the same time. Here in Germany we are seeing a very sharp up tick in knife violence even though they have very strict knife laws here,and that’s because criminals don’t care about the law. A while back in the Gießen area there was a crazy shoot out that killed a hell angel leader and around the same time a shoot out happened in Frankfurt. Criminals don’t care about the law and the only people being left defenseless are the law abiding citizens.