Dutch kids are persistently ranked the happiest children within the developed world. What’s the Netherlands getting proper? And does the common-or-garden bike have one thing to do with it?
A mom cycles determinedly by the drizzle whereas her togged-up toddler sits on the crossbar squinting within the rain. The sky is black and the cycle lanes are busy. An onlooking American vacationer asks nobody specifically what it could take for Amsterdammers to go away their bikes at residence.
Driving by the rain is a ceremony of passage within the Netherlands, which has the best bicycle-to-person ratio on this planet, and is one in all Europe’s wettest nations.
But, regardless of the customarily gloomy climate, the Dutch are surprisingly chipper. The most recent World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands the fifth happiest nation, behind Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Dutch children, in the meantime, fare even higher. In Unicef’s newest little one wellbeing index, revealed this week, they retained their place because the happiest kids within the West (the analysis solely covers the developed world).
For Dr Margreet de Looze, assistant professor of interdisciplinary social science at Utrecht College, it’s no shock. She has spent a lot of her profession learning world little one wellbeing, and reached the identical conclusion. Which begs an apparent query: what are the Dutch doing proper?
“The place Dutch kids actually standout is that they’ve superb social relations,” says de Looze. “The quantity of help they obtain from household and mates, from lecturers and classmates – in all of those areas, Dutch kids rating excessive.”
It’s no coincidence, she says, that the Netherlands is the “part-time capital of Europe” (Dutch folks work fewer hours than anyplace else on the continent). “It’s widespread for Dutch dad and mom – women and men – to work part-time,”she says. “For youngsters, that’s invaluable, it brings you nearer as a household. However it’s not doable for everybody.”
Human-scale and largely site visitors free, Dutch cities are usually safer for youngsters. Picture: Dee
Low charges of bullying in Dutch faculties, which have a blanket ban on smartphones, is one other issue, provides De Looze. The Netherlands’ standing as a frontrunner in gender equality additionally boosts childhood wellbeing, her analysis exhibits – and never only for women.
“We discovered that in additional gender-equal nations, girls and boys had been happier than in gender-unequal nations,” she says. “That’s attention-grabbing, as a result of typically folks consider that it’s particularly women who profit from gender equality.”
Extra gender-equal nations, provides de Looze, additionally are typically extra economically equal. “The place there’s extra equality, social help is usually stronger,” she says. “In nations with excessive financial inequality, individuals are unhappier, even the richest. Extra equality is best for everybody.”
Parenting, Dutch model
Whereas there’s one thing jarring, maybe, for non-Dutch people, about watching worshippers collect exterior a church in Amsterdam’s pink gentle district, or seeing kids stroll previous a hashish coffeeshop, the Netherlands’ permissive tradition is in reality linked to raised wellbeing amongst younger folks.
“It forces Dutch dad and mom and faculties to speak about it,” says de Looze. “That’s a key factor: open communication. That is the world that’s on the market – and so they must study to take care of it. In different nations, medicine are additionally out there, simply not legally. You need to elevate them in a approach that they study to make good choices.”
It’s a philosophy that seems to work higher than different approaches. In accordance with Our World In Information, 0.9% of the Dutch inhabitants have drug issues, in comparison with 3.8% within the US, 1.7% within the UK, and 1.2% in Spain.
Within the Netherlands, kids bike to high school from a younger age. Picture: Anna Feiner
The Netherlands’ socially liberal perspective, provides de Looze, sees Dutch dad and mom “promote autonomy whereas nonetheless being concerned”. “There’s a perception that shared decision-making has extra affect. For instance, as a mother or father, it’s essential to set guidelines, however if you happen to contain kids in making them, they may be extra keen to conform.”
Liesbeth Levy, director of the Information Heart for Cultural Training Rotterdam (KCR), agrees. “Company is essential,” she says. “Youngsters should study to develop their judgement and tastes.
The KCR helps them do this. It places on cultural schooling programmes for youngsters in faculties throughout Rotterdam – the poorest large metropolis within the Netherlands – and has sister organisations doing related work throughout the nation.
It’s widespread for Dutch dad and mom to work part-time. For youngsters that’s invaluable, it brings you nearer as a household
“Cultural schooling is extra than simply enjoying the flute or doing a play, it’s about stimulating the creativeness of kids, giving them house to see who they’re,” she says. “It’s vital that kids are brokers of their very own schooling, however they want lecturers to point out them. We assist kids to make their world greater.”
Anna Feiner, a mom of two from Rotterdam, agrees. “Within the Netherlands, it’s essential that kids have their very own opinions and freedom to be their very own particular person.”
The best way that Dutch cities and cities are organised helps. Usually, they’re human-scale, tight-knit locations the place bikes rule the street and vehicles have a restricted presence. They’re safer areas to be a baby.
Anna Feiner, a mom of two, says it’s vital kids have the liberty to be their very own particular person. Picture: Anna Feiner
“My son, Tije, is 10, and he’s been biking to high school on his personal since he was 9,” says Feiner, programme supervisor at Rotterdam Zoo. “It was terrifying letting him go at first. However it’s frowned upon if you happen to don’t let your kids bike to high school.
For teenagers, bicycles symbolize freedom. “I’ve been driving a motorbike ever since I keep in mind,” says Bea Nicholls-Lee, 15, who was born in Amsterdam however now lives within the UK. “Having a motorbike undoubtedly improved my childhood because of diminished dependence on my dad and mom and extra freedom to discover town with my mates.”
Bea’s mom, Deborah Nicholls-Lee, a British journalist who relocated to Amsterdam, was struck by the Netherlands’ extra relaxed parenting model.
Cultural schooling is extra than simply enjoying the flute, it’s about giving kids house to see who they’re
“Youngsters have extra freedom within the Netherlands, the place a philosophy of ‘alles magazine, niets moet’ (all the things is allowed, nothing is compelled) reigns,” she says. “Generally I appreciated this, typically I struggled with the shortage of creativeness that it implied.” The shortage of security helmets worn by Dutch kids being an instance of the latter.
Having raised two kids within the Netherlands, Nicholls-Lee believes that the nation’s healthcare system lays the foundations for a wholesome household life.
“One factor that’s typically missed however which makes the Netherlands a fantastic place for youngsters is the superb healthcare they obtain from day one,” she says. “For the primary week or so after my kids had been born, a kraamzorg (maternity nurse) got here to our residence to assist us take care of the infant, present steerage on breastfeeding, and do gentle chores akin to cooking and cleansing.”
Although healthcare is just not free within the Netherlands, all new moms have the appropriate to a kraamzorg by their medical insurance.
Rising pains
Whereas the Netherlands leads the best way in childhood wellbeing, it’s not resistant to world developments. In 2025, Unicef famous that kids within the developed world have seen “marked declines of their educational efficiency, psychological wellbeing, and bodily well being within the interval for the reason that begin of the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The Netherlands additionally recorded a slight dip, which De Looze attributes to growing educational pressures.
“Once we began our research, the Netherlands scored lowest of all nations for varsity work stress – that’s now not the case,” she says. “Youngsters are extra pressured about doing properly in school, getting good grades, doing their homework – that’s a destructive growth.” It’s worse for ladies, she provides.
Dutch kids are usually inspired to develop their judgement and tastes. Picture: Ben Wicks
Different consultants are fast to level out that there’s nonetheless a lot work to be executed within the Netherlands. “There are nonetheless lots of people rising up in poverty right here,” cautions Levy.
It’s why locations like Dynamo Youth Heart Membership are so important. Situated in Amsterdam-Oost, the free, government-funded facility is an area the place younger folks can come to make and report music.
“Loads of the children who come listed here are fairly lonely,” says Maarten de Jong, a youth employee and DJ. “Locations like this imply there’s all the time someplace for them to go. All people is welcome.”
Related amenities have opened throughout Amsterdam. “Once we began out, we had been the one ones doing this,” says de Jong. “Now many neighbourhoods have a centre like this.”
De Jong needs these areas had been round when he was younger. “I used to be born within the ’60s and we didn’t have a lot,” he says. “This is sort of a utopia for me.”
Primary picture: Peyman Shojaei
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