The Happiest Kids in the World

Look, ma, I'm Dutch! LOL Actually, my parenting style lies somewhere between American and Dutch, but I'm definitely considered too laissez faire of a parent around here. Reading this renewed some confidence in my parenting style, as well as gave me some ideas and talking points for when people criticize it. It also gave me some new techniques to try out. Some of it won't be applicable (such as the schooling, which you just can't get around in the states, or the fact that DHS will probably take your kids if you let them ride to the store alone), and it's a little disheartening that many good parents and their children have to suffer now because of a few bad apples. I'm sure there are bad apples in Holland, too....

I thought this was one of the better books in this type of parenting by culture genre. Four of my five kids are grown now and even though we're not Dutch we parented mostly the way it was described. I think for parents of babies and younger children it is filled with excellent advice. It's not preachy, and the stories were entertaining.

I found this book so comforting! As parents, we get judged so much on how we care for our kids. One person says you're doing too much, another person says you're neglecting or being a bad parent. It's comforting that there's an entire country (and I know many others share these philosophies) that believes children are smart enough to learn things on their own, without our interference. It's a delightful read and should encourage parents to feel confident that they're doing a great job, no matter their parenting style!