4 ms·

As a Brit, I imagine the worlds apart are the child facilities and social care? The big thing in the UK that really makes me think about not having children is

As a Brit, I imagine the worlds apart are the child facilities and social care? The big thing in the UK that really makes me think about not having children is the prohibitive cost of child care, although our current social care is appalling and an embarrassment.

robin_reala 8y ago
Sweden has made the choice unlike the UK that gender equality is only achieved when both parents have equal opportunities in the job market. That way, both parents get equal child leave (with a floating pot to be shared as needed), and childcare is effectively free to encourage both parents back to work when able. The only other big change is a political system built on coalitions. Apart from that, it’s mostly the same.
- solarkraft 8y ago
  > both parents get equal child leave (with a floating pot to be shared as needed) That is so obvious. How else would one do it?
- dsajames 8y ago
  I find this strange. You are essentially saying caring for your own children isn't something you should do, something only poorer people should do. This sounds like hiring a mercenary army instead of having a domestic volunteer army.
- Accacin 8y ago
  Yes this for me makes complete sense. The UK has made some small steps in the right direction and I hope this continues. Childcare like I said is completely ridiculous and needs to be looked at.
stevekemp 8y ago
If you wanted to put a 1year old child into day-care you'd pay approximately €250 per-month for the play-school (7:30-4:30PM) Monday-Friday. So that's very affordable. For evening-care you're less likely to find such cheap care, even if you do the traditional thing and pay teenagers, but even so you wouldn't expect to pay more than 40/50 euros for a night out with your wife/husband. Social stuff is more than the day-care though, just walking around the local area there are numerous small parks, and play-areas for children, often stocked with toys. Free transport on buses, metros, and trams for a parent with a child, etc, etc. None of it is revolutionary, but it all adds up to making parenthood feel pretty good here. (Some things are, sadly, not perfect. For example when I take our child to the doctors for scheduled checkups the first question is usually "Where is his mother?", but minor niggles aside I think having a child here is much much nicer than it would have been in Scotland.)

robin_reala 8y ago

Sweden has made the choice unlike the UK that gender equality is only achieved when both parents have equal opportunities in the job market. That way, both parents get equal child leave (with a floating pot to be shared as needed), and childcare is effectively free to encourage both parents back to work when able. The only other big change is a political system built on coalitions. Apart from that, it’s mostly the same.

solarkraft 8y ago
> both parents get equal child leave (with a floating pot to be shared as needed) That is so obvious. How else would one do it?
dsajames 8y ago
I find this strange. You are essentially saying caring for your own children isn't something you should do, something only poorer people should do. This sounds like hiring a mercenary army instead of having a domestic volunteer army.
Accacin 8y ago
Yes this for me makes complete sense. The UK has made some small steps in the right direction and I hope this continues. Childcare like I said is completely ridiculous and needs to be looked at.

stevekemp 8y ago

If you wanted to put a 1year old child into day-care you'd pay approximately €250 per-month for the play-school (7:30-4:30PM) Monday-Friday. So that's very affordable. For evening-care you're less likely to find such cheap care, even if you do the traditional thing and pay teenagers, but even so you wouldn't expect to pay more than 40/50 euros for a night out with your wife/husband. Social stuff is more than the day-care though, just walking around the local area there are numerous small parks, and play-areas for children, often stocked with toys. Free transport on buses, metros, and trams for a parent with a child, etc, etc. None of it is revolutionary, but it all adds up to making parenthood feel pretty good here. (Some things are, sadly, not perfect. For example when I take our child to the doctors for scheduled checkups the first question is usually "Where is his mother?", but minor niggles aside I think having a child here is much much nicer than it would have been in Scotland.)