When I was a child and the day came when the ladies at the meat counter stopped offering me the free slice of Wurst I'd become accustomed to, I felt both a little hurt and a little proud - hurt because it felt like a withdrawal of affection and proud because, in my childhood mind, it meant that I was now practically a grown-up. I must've been about 5 or 6.
I'm a bit astonished to hear shops still do that, I heard so much stuff about picky parents making it an issue, My niece couldn't even bring a cake to the Kindergarten at her birtthday.^
@@walkir2662The kindergarten is probably because of allergies and cultural differences and probably because some parents want less / no sugar for their kids. I don’t mind with mine, but I understand that reasoning.
@@walkir2662, @Narda185 Shops are still doing it, but ask the parent first, if it is ok. The reasons therefore are a) a kid gets accustomed to getting something and in the case it was forgotten (e.g. because there were so many other clients) it might have a tantrum, so the parents take the responsebility for the gift (and the rule for "not taking something from strangers is applied with it) b) the parent can ask the child if it even wants the sausage, cheese etc. c) as mentioned somewhere else - allergies d) is a new one, but in some butchers there are vegetarian options ... In regards to the cake in the kindergarten: No Kindergarten will deny a "birthday"party, BUT it has to be talked about with the teacher beforehand for there might be regulations and preferences AND to make it a special occasion for all the kids. I'm speaking out of my experiences as a mother of 4 ...
Sometimes you need a refreshing look from outside to remember what there is for children in Germany. As a German with children, I have previously perceived Germany as less child-friendly because these facts have become so self-evident. The "American" view of so many things here in this channel is so enriching...I love this channel
I had the opposite experience when we lived in Italy. Everyone said that in Italy everyone is child friendly. Which is true. People are so friendly to children. But life is not organised child - or family friendly at all. We had 4 little ones at that time: bathroom situation, high chairs, kids menues or drinks, space for prams, breast feeding in public spaces etc was always an issue and quite tough for a young family. I only started to value the options I had Germany after this experience
Same for me. As a German I only see things we could/should improve on. To be more child-friendly or family-friendly. But it is nice to be reminded that quite a few things are good here and that we just take for granted.
Danish rail has a Childrens train with a couple of departures Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, going from one end of the country to the other. On board are "guides" who take care of the kids, so they can travel alone - safely. We can it the Divorce Train. I can not stress how fantastic this arrangement is for parents who live hours apart. Personally I loved, that I can take two kids under 12 on any public transport FOR FREE. Let's go! - and the usual praise: You make brilliant videos and I learn about both Germany and the US in one session
Guten Tag. Even if it is just across the Rhine, Colmar has not as many kid-friendly places, but you are welcome to visit. By the way I think it would be a good idea for a video to show how close you are to Switzerland and France.
A bit off the topic but I´m glad someone finally showed the difference between German (and EU generally for that matter) and US public restrooms and why we don´t mind paying 50 cents to 1 euro for using them...
let's not kid ourselves, the bathrooms can still be dirty when you pay for them and the payment system in train stations and the like are mostly to prevent homeless people from using them. They are still better than the ones in north America but having seen what public bathrooms look like in South Korea and Japan, we have a loong way to go.
@@Andrei2patrU never said the system is perfect, so surely that can happen. However, never ever happened to me to see a dirty bathroom on the train station as there is always someone to clean them regularly. Plus the newly installed outdoor/street restrooms have the self-cleaning process so haven´t seen that either...
Here in Switzerland, I initially resisted paying 1 CHF for using the toilet, until I noticed that most of them are sparkling and clean every time I visit. That as such is worth it to me if I really have to.
@@pavelmacek282 @xxx_phantom_xxxw_t_a9479 , I agree with both of you and those bathrooms where you pay to enter are spotless , especially the rest stop ones. I was just pointing better ones, there's no reason not to continue seeking improvement. Both in South Korea and Japan, the public bathrooms are both free and spotless. There is regular cleaning staff that does its job well and also makes sure the bathrooms are stocked as well. There is also always one within reach. Whether I pay 50 cents or 1 euro from my pocket or from my taxes, I don't have a problem with that either way but I'd rather have more of them and assure that all of them are spotless. PS edit: I feel that having companies in the same way we have garbage collection companies dealing the cleaning would also prevent some possible exploitation of labor. I have the feeling that some if not most of the people cleaning the bathrooms now are poorly paid
When I first arrived in Germany to work, the work regulations dutifully explained that alcoholic beverages were forbidden on the premises, no surprise. The surprise was that there were beer dispensers next to the coffee machines and that beer was available in the works canteen! I finally plucked up courage to ask one of my colleagues (originally from Greece) and he explained to me that in Bavaria beer was not an alcoholic beverage, but considered as "normal food".
I myself worked in Bavaria for years and never experienced anything like this. But I've heard that it used to be like that. So it depends on what time we're talking about!
When we lived in Frankfurt, Germany, my husband and I used to love going to Frühschoppen on Sunday mornings at a local bar. So great to see families with happy children (and dogs) -- in outside seating in good weather -- with adults enjoying beer, food and live jazz jams. Good fun where the whole community, regardless of age or household status, can congregate and communicate together in person.
There is a fundamental difference between Europe, including the UK, and the USA. When it comes to public facilities such public transport, health care, and motorway service areas. The priority in Europe is to provide a service, whereas in the USA the priority is to provide a profit. As far as I have seen in the USA if it does not make a profit it is at the bottom of the list of priorities. Yes we have higher taxes in Europe and the UK, but overall we have lower expenditure in our day-to-day living because public facilities are cheaper because they are not there to make huge profits for some faceless corporation that worries about nothing other than where the next dollar is coming from.
Amen! The dollar rules in the USA be it child care or health care or transportation. The benefit of the citizens NEVER enters in their thinking when making decisions on important public or private project. Just look how we do our health care. Most bankruptcies are due to health care bills and this is with people that HAS HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE! It is criminal. But our elected officials do nothing cause the lobbyists are paying them off. WHAT A TERRIBLE SYSTEM. AMERICA NEEDS TWO NEW ADDITIONAL PARTIES OF WE CAN HAVE MORE CHOICES BESIDES " PEPSI OR COKE"!
Here in the Netherlands I took my young daughters with us in a restaurant. Most restaurants have special children chairs. Especially when there was a children playground outside, it was also more relaxing for us to enjoy the meal. Later when they were at the age of 10, they became curious what we were drinking (wine). We let them taste a little in a glass with a little wine mixed with water. This is very common in France as well.
In Germany many breweries have their own restaurant - at least at the location of their production. Now, in that context the term restaurant needs a bit more explanation: those restaurants aren't just a particular place to eat particularly prepared meals. In fact they' re often good places to discover dishes particular of the surrounding region. But what's even more important is that they're like a merger of a pub and a restaurant. And particularly if the location is within a village or town such brewery restaurants can be a kind of meeting point of a local community. Hence many of them have always been more or less kids friendly. It's just that they've put more and more efforts to improve their kid friendlyness over the years. Some 30 to 40 years ago, you would have been asked by a waitress or waiter if they should bring some paper and crayons to allow the children to draw pictures - alternatively a cardboard game. Today many offer a desgnated area with games and toys, a ball pool, structures for climbing structures for climbing - inside or outside of the building, sometimes even both.
Yes! Our local little village has our own brewery and brewery-restaurant. In the summer time, we LOVE sitting outside in their garden. In addition to the tables they have a swing set and slide for kids. It is small, but it is also only just a short walk from the stadtgarden and park with an even bigger play area for kids. Many parents will go into the restaurant/garden for a drink/snack while the bigger kids play.
I'm still getting the Fleischwurstscheibe whenever I get to the Metzger in my Home village. I'm over thirty 😂 and obviously since I am a bigger kid i need a bigger slice 😉
When I was a kid, playgrounds in the US were more adventurous places. Now, everything is dictated by rules so the dreaded lawyers won’t sue the playground owner for creating some hazard. One more thing, long before there were large grocery megastores for shopping, there were the small local markets, usually owned and run by someone in the neighborhood, where parents and kids were welcomed by name.
I was going to make the same comment. When we first started visiting the Canada and US from the Netherlands starting back in 1977, my parents loved it here. McDonalds were convenient to stop at on long road trip days. With no audio books, no portable tech, and I couldn't read in a car without getting car sick, those stops were critical. Clean bathrooms, nice play area outside and the food was cheap and for us a new novelty. For us the great excitement was getting a motel with a pool in the middle of the parking lot. With US and Canadian summers being plenty warm, my sister and I went swimming as soon as my dad inspected the room and gave a thumbs up. In the last two decades, all the outdoor and indoor play areas have disappeared. I blame the litigious nature of Americans. I commented elsewhere that it makes a big difference if you nations health, vs. $2000 ER visit if your kid takes an unexpected tumble. Playgrounds in the Netherlands were EPIC back in those times. I haven't raised kids there so I have no idea if they are still as amazing. I do know Lineushof if still around (near Haarlem) and it's Europe's largest playground. Almost nothing motorized... all play and kids using up their own energy. It's a shame. Restaurants ARE kid friendly at the table in the US, special high chairs, paper and crayons, etc, but virtually no cool play areas. A few communities have nice playgrounds, but many were torn down when there was concern about the chemicals used to prevent the wood from rotting. If you didn't literally chew on the playground you'd be OK. Sadly that took out many large playgrounds in our area. They were replaced with coated steel units are a mere shadow of the previous play grounds.
Rest rooms in Germany are absolute "TOP level". They are clean and spacious. Even in restaurants and cafés. Sometimes i feel guilty when i spill soap on the sink while washing my hands and i start cleaning it because i want to leave it in the same clean condition as i found it. Rest rooms in France on the other hand.... That is a different story...
i remember traveling in France in the 80s, and i found the one on the toll roads quite good. I drove a truck, so restrooms were always highway restrooms
do not use the restrooms that are in trains then ;D they are the worst! Also with public restrooms near the "Autobahn" it depends. If you pay for them, they are usually clean, but if they are for free its like hell on earth.
The restroom situation in France has changed a lot. We are traveling a lot and found that Germany, Austria, Switzerland an France are really great for family bathrooms along the motorway. But the Sanifair ones in Germany are really the best
The whole business of hiding your kids away from booze of any kind is very irresponsible. All you're doing is setting up problems in the future. If you say to a child "Here is the thing that you can't do but grown-ups can do" what do you think that the first thing is that they are going to do and do wrong given the opportunity? This works for pretty much everything else if you use that behaviour.
Agree, quite shocking looking at my US friends but also US movies from European perspective, the common path is like this: - till 21 - strictly alcohol free. Don’t look, don’t get close, don’t even think about trying - after 21 - substance addiction , rehab and AA meetings 🫣 - this hardly happens here. Lessons learned? What lessons 🤦🏼
I am Dutch and the kids who were always black-out drunk were the kids with really strict parents. My parents always said "If you want to drink alcohol that's fine, but do it at home". I'm an adult now and I don't drink alcohol. Because it was never "secret and cool" it isn't interesting to me.
@@Coffeepanda294 Actually they are correct. The more you mysticize something, the more attractive it is. A simple phychological phenomenon. If you regularly tell a person "you are not allowed to think about strawberries" that person will think about strawberries a lot more often than the average person.
And: as if the baby would notice the booze... When we were in Vancouver in 2017 with my son 6 months old, we asked in a TV bar in the afternoon about watching the final of GOT later in the evening. He said yes until he saw we had a stroller with us and asked us to leave immediately. "Can't have a baby in here!" Ridiculous laws...
We used to go to a Greek restaurant and after dinner the group of us would have a few shots of drinks. They would match my daughters shot colors with ours using apple juice etc. We always had a few before walking home. No big deal in Germany. We didnt get drunk or rowdy. Just had fun.
We had a similar experience at a Greek restaurant in our town. Our son was just shy of two years old at the time. We were sitting outside and I had ordered a Radler. When it came my son wanted to drink the same. The waiter was so quick on his feet, he just grabbed my son's glass of Apfelschorle, took it to the counter, acted a bit and then came back with the glass exactly as it was before. But it sure fooled my son and he was happy :D
The 3-year-old son of friends was very enthusiastic about his bike tour weekend. When asked what he liked best, he said: "drinking schnapps" 😂😂 (he just thought it was great to get a shot (with apple juice) like the adults)
We in the German speaking European areas can bring our kids to where alcohol can be consumed, whereas it's not the same in the US; however, young kids in the US are allowed to go shooting with real bullets. Makes sense, oder?
We germans love our beer gardens in summer. And nearly every beer garden has a playground for children. That is our culture especially in southern germany. The prices in the beergardens in the countryside are cheaper than in a pub. All is family friendly and affordable. And the beer in the stein tastes so good.
Walking by a kids' playground here in Spain, where they worked the swings as high as they could, balanced several kids at a time on the see-saw and scrabbled to used a pretty long zip-wire, my visiting American friend asked, "Where's the adult supervision, who's in charge?" There was none. the kids were happily playing an watching out for themselves. "Wouldn't happen in the states e,v,e,r", my friend remarked.
It's because of the difference in health care and litigation culture. In Europe, if a kid falls down a swing and brakes a leg, the parents would take the blame themselves, take the kid to the doctor and have the leg fixed for almost nothing. In the US, they would blame the owner of the playground or the constructor of the swing and take it to court, as they could not afford having the leg fixed, in case they don't have an accident insurance for the kid.
As the oldest in the group, I often *was* the "adult supervision to my cousins in the 80s. Not on a playground, but at a little creek dammed up in a small wooded patch, at a big hole someone had built a roof over. I couldn't have screamed loud enough for the adults to hear us if anything serious had happened, but nothing ever did.
It used to be like that in the US when I was a kid back in the 70s. That's precisely the stuff my friends and I used to do when we went to the playground by ourselves. Europe of today sounds way more like my American childhood before all the litigious helicopter parents happened.
@@reginakeith8187 I'm not sure its fair to blame the parents. If after insurance you're expected to pay 20k for a broken leg and a someone said "hey, maybe you can get that money from the company who put in the playground", I get that you'd sue.
@tedtimberson4262as I child free person living in Freiburg, I can confirm there are children around. It depends on the time of day, though. Playgrounds are usually only full after school hours and kids running around with carts in stores are mostly a thing in the morning hours
@@HomeWorkouts_LSAs I wrote in another post, we had a different experience at least in Vancouver. No baby allowed in a stroller in a bar in the afternoon, just asking a question.
@@HomeWorkouts_LS The US is a large country, perhaps that's just how it is in the area she comes from. You know, i just googled a few seconds and found out that it is just becoming more common in the US to allow kids in breweries. And do these breweries you know to allow kids have playgrounds? I mean that was kinda the important part about that, wasn't it?
Something I enjoy is that many museums, even if they're not geared towards kids per se, offer great options to entertain your kids. Like quizzes or films that explain the topic in a more accessible and fun way etc. a good example near you (though in Switzerland) is the Tinguely Museum in Basel. They offer workshops, special family tours etc. and I really enjoy places like this where kids can see that art can be fun and interactive. Another brilliant place is the Technorama Winterthur, though that is arguably more geared towards families.
The US is an outlier in terms of children-friendly or family-friendly facilities and outlook. Almost every country I have traveled to, whether in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and some of the Latin American countries focus more on children and families than the US does.
You have probably no idea how much the Autobahn Raststätten have improved really, since its restructuring under the Servais company. :) Before they took over, basically each Raststätte was run by a different owner, who had rented the place from the state. And they took it as a licence to print money, at least most of them. The conditions in those place were usually just one step away from being shut down by the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt for the lack of hygiene. Both in the food section - which was usually just a smudgy imbiss with extortionate prices - all the way to the toilets and bathrooms. You would only want to go there if you are starving and its 1 am on a sunday. What we have today really looks like paradise in comparison.
don't remember them that bad. Then again it's been decades since I've been inside one. Back then they were indeed highly variable, but the good ones were very good (and we had a list of the ones to avoid and would arrange our long range travel plans to bypass them).
Congratulations upon respecting your children’s long term and short term privacy by blurring their faces. Too many parents on the Web seem to use their kids to monetise their videos. Keep up the great work and thanks for presenting Germany to the world through the eye of a parent. We have taken our daughter to Germany from Australia 3 times, the first when she was only 11 months old and it is a very community minded and child friendly place.
It's funny when I read the title with the brewery, I expected something different because when I was a child, which was now over 40 years ago, my father and I visited the brewery in my hometown and the tour took us there cellar, where all the vats were where the beer was fermenting
Another very nice and informative video. 😊 Not everything is perfect here and Germany definitely has its downsides. But we are on the right track and maybe not doing everything as it should be, but we are improving step by step
As a Dutchy living in Canada, the way Europeans and North Americans look at their children, has one outstanding difference: In Europe kids have a place in the society or community. Here in North America, the school is the place for children. I mean, all kids activities are concentrated around school, and is a responsibility of the school. The world outside the schoolyard is dangerous, offensive and definitively NOT for children! The exorbitantly way to protect children for everything that is 'wrong' is completely insane! And the problem is that kids are not used to the normal things in live, and when they turn older, the go completely nuts on alcohol, drugs and sex because they thing that everything is 'allowed when you're an adult'....
Living and working in North America as a young, healthy adult may be interesting. but for me Europe is the place to be if you have a family. especially with young children.😊
Jack and Theo are so incredibly cute, I would give them a ton of free apples if I could. Anyway, I remembered from the video that we visited a brewery with school when I was a teenager. Today I'm an alcoholic, haha, no just kidding, I don't drink alcohol because I don't like it.
Rothaus brewery is fantastic and the Tannenzäpfle is widely beloved in all of Südbaden. 👍 Practically across the street there’s also the Hüsli, which is a museum for local history and is even better known as the filming location of the german 80‘s TV show „Die Schwarzwaldklinik“, where it served as a home for family Brinkmann, the show’s protagonists. From there you can go on several hiking routes ranging from short to really extensive. I‘d recommend taking a walk around lake Schlüchtsee. ♥️ A great area to spend a sunny or snowy afternoon in!
To be fair, Freiburg is most likely the most progressive city in all of germany, especially in terms of transportation and housing. I am afraid those really nice bike paths are not representative for our country as a whole 😅
You should know that in federal state of bavaria beer is not considered to be a malicious alcoholic drink, it is considered to be groceries, known as "liquid bread". Futher more, in germany, there is a beer culture. Beer is part of standard life of most germens, you will find few people drinking like mad - this is why children are allowed.
You gave us a lot of positive examples, but many Germans still don't consider Germany a very kid-friendly place. It became better over the years, but there are still a lot of people (and places) where kids are considered a nuisance. But at least, we're trying, even if we sometimes do it in a very German way (children's noise is regulated in §22 Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz).
Being kid friendly is an attitude to life. Many of our professionals have children in their life's environment. They treat children with respect, especially when they are well behaved. When I was in the traveling the USA children were mostly absent or felt more like a nuisance because of the almost obvious absence of kid friendly attractions. A kid friendly attraction can also be a little table with books for the little ones in a waiting area. Rothaus is certainly going the extra mile, but it is also a clever marketing strategy. When your children are content on the playground, you may probably sit a bit longer and have a coffee or dessert aftter your meal...
Yes, and I guess "sitting for a little longer" is exactly what American restaurants don't want you to do. They might bring your coffee and just seconds later pull out the chair under your butt to seat the next guests in line who are waiting to purchase the next full meal...
Brewpubs and summer beer gardens are common places for people to take kids in the US -- at least in my own state of Michigan (a few states still have antiquated laws about kids being in 'drinking establishments'). Beer gardens, especially, often have lots of space and outdoor games ('cornhole' -- beanbag toss) is especially popular. It's fun to sit around with a beer and watch kids run around and play (my own are now grown up).
When it comes to things like drinking, smoking or even lighting a fire I think my parents had a pretty clever approach of 1) Being good role models and 2) Not strictly forbidding things My parents do not smoke and they only drink Alkohol on special occasions like birthdays or Christmas or when going out for dinner or beer garden with friends. I believe from kindergarten age on they always said “if you would like to try some of the adult stuff you are allowed to do so. But we want to be there with you. So just tell us” and “Yes you may take a sip from my wine or beer or coffee but I guess you will not enjoy it”. So I had a teeny tiny sip and immediately went like 🤢🤢🤢. They were so right, because these things just don’t taste like something a child would enjoy. So since I knew what the stuff tastes like I completely lost interest until adult age and until today am a very responsible drinker. Lighting a fire went a bit different, because I really enjoy doing “dangerous stuff” in a controlled and responsible way. We always had a candle on our dining table and I was allowed to light it when supervised. Makes me sad to see that nowadays kids only get those electric lanterns for St. Martin because I strongly believe that teaching children to deal with dangers in life instead of keeping them away from everything will lead to them becoming responsible, independent and self confident adults who are able to deal with life’s inevitable dangers.
That's fundamentally different here : we still have real candles on x-mas trees which our kids are allowed lighting since the age of 5; at school they used to carve lanterns out of sugar beats or pumpkins, place a candle inside and go on a parade in late autumn.
That's anecdotal, though. You have kids who grew up with parents who had liberal views on alcohol and turned into alcoholics, and kids growing up with strict parents who handle alcohol just fine. Would love to see research on what approach works best in reality.
We went on road trips all around Europe growing up. I remember my brothers and me playing on playgrounds in cemetaries while my father did geneology research all over Europe. I also remember driving to poland with friends. They still had privies instead of real restrooms. My daughter wouldnt go in them so she went in the woods. She did that to when we were canoeing the Rhein. Stopped on an island and she went in the trees to go.
I like to see it when museums hand over a stepping stool to parents so that the kids can better see the displays. Little by little this is happening here in Vienna. When our daughter was small 30+ years ago, we would end up with aching backs after a museum visit.
I find it very interesting that you find restrooms that much better in Germany than the US, especially regarding the possibility for fathers to take care of nappy changes. Donnie from Passport Two made a similar video recently, and he had the exact opposite view. Do you fellow ex-pat RU-vidrs talk and exchange notes sometimes? It's so interesting to see how much difference it makes where you are located!
i think donnie was commenting on the fact that the changing rooms were in the womens rooms more often than not. i see a LOT of US highway rest areas and they are just above dismal in many places.
Wait until you take a Swiss intercity train. Some of them (double deck) have a playground with a slide in the cab car. Children have a natural urge to move and that is satisfied there in a very nice way. And enjoy your Rothaus. It's a good beer.
I've never been to the US, but when I look at RU-vid and other media, it seems like they care more about unborn children than real children. Once you have your baby, you are on your own. Just my observation, I read all the comments and experiences from people living in the US
North American kids are increasingly trapped in their houses, it seems. It can't be an an easy life when you're not allowed to leave the house with your friends unattended and you can't get anywhere without a car anyway.
Liebe Ashton, es ist immer wieder wunderbar, Dir dabei zu zuhören, wenn Du beschreibst, was für Vorzüge Deutschland hat. Wir Deutschen sehen das vielleicht nicht mehr so und deshalb ist es umso wichtiger, wieder einmal eine Blick von aussen auf unser Land zu bekommen. Man muss aber ehrlicherweise auch sagen, dass die Region, die Ihr Euch als Wahlheimat ausgesucht habt außergewöhnlich schön ist. Ich glaube schon, dass- wenn Ihr in einer Metropolregion leben würdet - Deine Berichte etwas anders aussehen würden. Ich wünsche Euch einen schönen Sonntag. Ralph
Nur um das auch mal ehrlich zu sagen, die Metropolregionen hier in Deutschland sind immer noch weitaus besser und komfortabler als so manche Region in den USA. Wenn man sich so einige Videos hier auf Y.T. so anschaut da bekommt man das Grausen.
Man kann aber auch so argumentieren, dass Deutschland echte "Metropolregionen" hat, in denen diese Strukturen sowohl im Stadtbereich wie auch im Außenbezirk existieren. Und darunter zählt der Schwarzwald. Gerade in den Vergleichsvideos USA - Deutschland wird das deutlichst hervorgehoben, dass US-Innenstädte und Suburbs eben was anderes sind. Das Aussterben der deutschen Struktur findet eher im ohnehin sehr kleinen nicht-urbanen Raum statt, oder eben in der Stadt aus reinem Kindermangel oder Einschränkungen der Sicherheit. Bzw. jetzt ein bisschen durch das Wegbrechen des Einzelhandels.
Däne hier mit viele besuche in Deutschland. Kein platz in Der Welt is perfekt. Aber Deutschland macht so viel richtig und jeden Deutscher denn ich getroffen hat war immer freundlich und hilfreich.
Wenn man Europa nicht verlässt, dann kann man das schon vergessen, wie gut man es hier hat. Ich reise oft auch auf andere Kontinente, dann wird einem auch bewusst, wie gut wir es in Deutschland haben.
I live in the same state as you, just a little to the north, and I have never seen a live chicken TV in any of the grocery stores in my area. It‘s a great idea, though. Maybe Freiburg is a bit of a pioneer in this regard - more sustainable, more family friendly than the rest of Germany, and maybe also the guinea pig, where new things are tried out before they are adopted in the rest of the state or country
I think it just depends on the store. I'd say half of the grocery store chains in Germany are actually franchises, so it's up to the respective owners to install something like that.
My guess is that Freiburg is kind of a pioneer in other respects, too. Public transport, bike lanes, urban planning... makes me envious! (I am a Lower Saxonian, having lived abroad for the last 20 years, the last 2 of which I cycled on the road sides of rural Virginia... not so funny.)
Disneyland: No food allowed, Rest area outside of park grounds. Phantasialand: Bring your own snacks; frequent sit-down spots, many playgrounds between attractions. That's one big difference in child-friendly culture i keep coming back to when it comes to this topic.
The moment I did not get a "Scheibe Fleischwurst" at the butcher, I finally recognized I'm no longer a kid. But if you mention that at a butcher when a kid gets his sliece you probably will get one, too
Another good video on an interesting subject. Most of the EU countries have similar places and facilities, but Germany takes it to another level. This, however, is fairly recent in time. I remember traveling in the 70s and 80s and it was nothing like this and even today some places are pretty crude by comparison. Kid friendliness in the US is not really a "thing". I have lived on both sides of the Atlantic of the past 50 years and always notice the difference. Playgrounds and kid friendly areas in public parks are very much an afterthought in most of the US outside of a few cities. Another issue with the US is the respect the playgrounds are given and the planning of them. I can give two examples. 1. In a city where I lived a new playground open with a wonderful variety of activities and large areas for play. One month later it was closed because the swings (with chains) had been stolen, the climbing area had all the ropes and nets destroyed and the other equipment partially broken. Also the cushioning material under the equipment had been used by dog owners a "relief areas" and were unsanitary. 2. In New York they installed new slides in a couple of playgrounds. They were made of shiny steel and looked nice and durable. What they forgot was that in the sun they absorbed heat and one news station tested them and found the metal to be 200 degrees F (94C), causing burns on the children using them. Didn't anybody consider that before? As far as children being where alcohol is served, that is very complex and a very American issue. Alcohol and alcohol consumption has a weird history in the US. Prohibition, even to the point of amending the constitution at one point to ban consumption of alcohol, and shaming people who drink as sinners is very much part of US culture. It was preached from many pulpits of the dangers of "demon rum", even though communion (with wine as the blood of Christ) was part of the services. Maybe that contributes to the problems that the US has with alcoholism and public drunkenness that isn't as widespread in Europe (Oktoberfest and wine festivals excepted).
To the bike paths: It's not necessary safer to drive on a seperated bike path. Why? Because then cars and trucks cross them when turning in and out of streets and driveways. And sadly people in cars are usually very unaware of cyclists, so they tend to stop before they're on the street, not before crossing the bike path. Since cyclists are usually a lot faster than pedestrians (especially with E-bikes), accidents happen way more often. And don't let me beginn with trucks turning right and their blind spots... Oh and according to the StVO (German traffic law), children under 8 have to ride their bikes on the sidewalk, between 8 and 10 they may drive on the sidewalk as well as on bike paths or the street and everyone older than 10 has to use the bike path if existent and usable and the street if not. Exception is an adult supervising a kid under 8. They may ride with their kids on the sidewalk.
No problem with diper change only in women area for a real men. I'd just go there and use it. For ladies .... better do not complain. Same with parking for "women only: near the exit in parking lot. As the air in parking lot is polluted and this harms childrens lung much more... better do not talk to me, when I used a "Frauenparkplatz" as a man with a small child. BTW it is no official traffic sign which needs to be folliwed by law.
Doesn't fall in the listed category..... The kids space in "Deutsches Museum" in Munich. Attention: Preferably bring dry clothing to change with you Reason: Among the many things there are water experimts, with a certain risk of getting really wet. Ahhh.. and don't expect to see anything else if you go there first thing - you will probably not be able to pull your kids out for the rest of the day. (I always had to lend some kids of friends to get there, because entrance is restricted to those in company of persons below a given age limit) Edit: They have a drying machine for accidents, but stil...
"a certain risk"??? I believe, that if there is even the slightest chance for a kid to get wet and/or muddy, it will occur with a 100% certainty. Guaranteed!
You are right when my son was 5 or 6 years old we went on several Sundays to Munich for the Deutsche Museum. He also liked the Verkehrs Museum in Nürnberg and the Eisenbahn Museum close to Coburg where they have dozens of old locomotives. If you ever come to Vienna they have nice interactive sessions at the Naturhistorische Museum as well the exhibition is a bit old fashioned but these sessions are great. I remember one when my son was about 8 and they examined the life that was in a probe taken of a pond nearby. The kids where totally concentrated and busy for 1.5 hours.
@@habi0187When the kids get a bit older, you can introduce them to the scale model of the solar system they have there. The sun is the big golden ball in the center of the courtyard of the Deutsche Museum. Mercury is a tiny marble near the southern exit. I don't remember the locations of the other planets, but Pluto (I know, it's been a while since I was there) is another tiny marble near the entrance to the zoo (Hellabrunn), about 4 km away.
My gramp had to take me between 3 of the many playgrounds in our small town when he was tasked to take care of me. When I was done, he took me on his bike to the next specified playground. :)
When I was a kid there was a German butcher here in L.A. and I still remember being handed a free wiener every time my parents took me down there. His products were sold in delis all over California, yet the shop he opened in the 40's was located in Watts which was famous for the riots there in the 60's and again in the 90's, but the German butcher's shop in the middle of that all black community was never touched. He was till working in his shop well into his 90's and passed in 2001. End of an era! d a
Hello Ashton! Great video here. "Rothaus" is a much loved institution. Actually, no joking, it is owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg. And their Pils beer is one of my absolute favourite ones. Their restaurant is also worth being mentioned as preparing very good meals. And due to their quite isolated location in the middle a large forrest area they offer venison and other meals according to the season of the year.
I own some forrest. When my younger son was just 8 years old we worked there and my mother in law tried to start a new motor saw. She couldn`t so my son told her to let go and started it for her. That was the moment when I had to do work in the woods I took my son with me and taught him the work beginning with 8 years. It needed double the time as if I would have done it by myself ... but at least he was safe and never tried to work with the saw just by himself and he leaned early on how to work properly
Hi Ashton. Great seeing you again despite your heavy load as a mom AND youtuber. As a single guy without kids I rarely spend any thoughts on the tribulations parents have to go through. Mind you, that's not to say that I don't empathize if these are explained to me, but they just aren't of everyday importance to me personally. But I do appreciate it when I get to see a community spending effort and resources to make it more friendly for all members of a family to enjoy themselves. Kids should be an integral part, not tacked on as an afterthought. When the whole concept is well meshed so that parents are assisted everyway reasonably possible they won't feel as stressed, allowing them to present themselves as such to their kids as well. Despite what many people may think, kids pick up on their parents' emotions VERY early on. It may not be that it's a conscious notion if their parents are stressed but at least on a subconscious level. This will also influence the kids' emotions and reactions, positively or negatively. Note: influence, not magically mind controlled. Kids will still be kids, throw tantrums at times, scream, yell, run around, bonk into things, cry, laugh, etc. But they definitely pick up on parents being stressed out of their minds. So reducing the stress factors for parents may assist in reducing the stress factors on kids in a once-removed position. And a happy kid is a huge boost to parents emotions and relaxation as well. Or that's what I have gathered from my remote observation. Btw: when you visit breweries here you may get a chance for Fassbrause. Which is a fermented, non-alcoholic fizzy drink. You might call it a soda, but it actually isn't. Because it's not the soda that makes it fizzy but the fermentation. Some are made to be more adult oriented with even slightly bitter yet refreshing flavors, others are far sweeter and more for kids. Breweries have noticed the falling numbers of beer drinkers and have begun expanding into other drinks, alcohol as well as non-alcoholic that still use many of the tools and equipment that breweries have access to.
On the Swiss long distance trains you'll find a whole carriage built out as a family carriage/playground. Great for the parents, and great for everyone else too, because there's no bored whining children.
I lived in Germany throughout the nineties, I've been in NYC since then. By the way, I'm from not far from Germany, down south. Probably you have some idea??Ashton I could listen to you 24/7 :)) You are in my opinion very intelligent and eloquent young woman. Best wishes to you and your whole family in Freiburg 🤞👋
The "Brewery" is kid friendly and has a playground because it's a restaurant run by the brewery. On the outside, the average German brewery is indistinguishable from a chemical processing plant.
When we were young and went shopping with my mom the bakeries and butcher stores gave out treats too. The beverage store gave us candy. I got to take my daughter as I got older. It was amazing. When visiting my mom I took my grand daughter and she got treats too.
At least in the rural areas, they still do. The beverage store (where you will get not only beer or other alcoholic beverages, but predominantly other stuff as well as bubbling water) still gives out candy to kids at our place.
Hi Ashton, I'm not sure where I can reach you for that matter. You can delete that post after you've read it. Please use another blur for your kids faces if you intend to use it for privacy. By itself it's barely noticeable and that blur belongs to a batch of blur filters that can easily and automatically be reversed. Got a kid of my own now. Started watching your awesome videos as one of the first people of The Schwarzwald Family and I loved the progression towards Type Ashton. Great idea for you video by the way. The execution is on point!
There are as many awful rest stops as nice rest stops.. there are as many disgusting ones on the German motorways. UK moterway service stations (which I was used to before moving here) are next level amazing. IKEA is always good with little kids.. they have great nappy/brest feeding room, free baby food in the restaurant, games to play in the store, baby sitting service etc..
Ugh. I had forgotten how many times I had to first clean the front edges of public toilets when my boys went for a pee. I dreaded to hear them say they needed to go when we were out.
As annoying as the Trips with DB can be, one thing my childrens love (even the big one), is that you can get a toy ticket (for free) from the conductor, which you then can show at the board bistro to get collectible toy trains, a magazin and usully a coloring book and some pens.
In Georgia (the state in the US), the craft breweries that I have visited are kid friendly with games and space for children to run around. A significant number of the (adult) customers are parents with small children.
@user-jq9qo7wm9n Where have you been? I don't know of any craft breweries that aren't kid friendly. They're often after-church gathering places for family and friends.
14:46 For your american audience, maybe you should mention that your son does NOT have a beer but lemonade and that, while we are a lot more relaxed when it comes to low percentage alcoholic beverages and minors, there are actual laws to prevent little ones from having a drink with dad. 😉
Yeah - pretty obvious. But it makes sense for the business to attract parents and kids to get more business. Not just now but when the children are older, and they will hopefully become new customers :)
The heck, Ashton? what kind of dm do you have in your area ? Thats a dreamland. The one in my area has aisles so small, you sometimes can't even navigate with a stroller. And a Breastfeeding area? I had to sit in the bathroom stall. 😂 and its not only that one dm in my area. I have been to at least 4 and none of them were this nice... it really seems to matter which Bundesland an city you live in. Anyways great video as always, love your content ❤
As a German who has been to almost everywhere in Europe, I have to admit that countries in Southern Europe such as Italy or Greece are much more child-friendly than Germany. Aside from the infrastructure like playgrounds, Southern Europeans are much more understanding with children. In Germany, people already complain about "loud children" in a restaurant. In Italy, you would never experience something like that; children simply belong there.
I've noticed many similar things after moving to Portugal. The US has a very narrow and somewhat Puritanical definition of "family friendly" that often results in spaces that are really only good for children, or only good for adults. Here in Portugal, public spaces are much more inclusive for all ages, and as a result, you see families together a lot more than I remember when we lived in the western US. Also, something I've seen at the shopping malls here (which, BTW are thriving). These malls have 3 types of bathrooms; regular adult bathrooms, changing rooms for kids in diapers, and these toddler bathrooms that are scaled down versions of adult bathrooms perfect for a kid just out of diapers. I thought that is a great idea. Give those young kids a greater sense of independence, and no need to bring a little girl into the men's room with dad, or vise versa.
Interesting video Ashton. I really wish I could try one of those beers on the shelf behind you! This episode reminded me of my first trip into a public German restroom. It was amazingly clean! Unfortunately, I didn't know to tip until after I returned to my table in the restaurant. I would love for you to make a video about Jack's progress learning German if it's not too soon to ask. Is there a recommended approach to raising a child to be bi-lingual? As an American man nearing retirement, I sometimes think about moving abroad to live out the rest of my years in a more progressive and safe country like Germany. It would be a great adventure and a way to keep up with and improve my German language skills. But I think it's probably too expensive. Love your videos! Keep them coming.
Hi there 😊 We have the so called "Volkshochschulen/Community Colleges" in Germany, partly financed by gvt, therefor pretty cheap... They offer from learning languages = foreign as well as German for foreigners, Yoga, painting, Computer related stuff or whatever, always per semester...In almost all regions all over Germany 😊 All the best with greetings from Germany 🖐
@@saba1030 Thank you Saba. I have an intermediate level understanding of German but I don't get nearly enough practice to keep up my speaking skills. Herzliche Grüße aus Rochester, NY.
The public busses in Stockholm (Sweden) allow a single parent with a child in a stroller to get on the bus using the double exit doors in the middle of the bus without paying for the trip. The rationale is that 1) It is almost impossible to get in with a stroller using the front door where the driver will validate your ticket, 2) Requiring a single parent to first load the stroller & child through the middle doors and then walk to the front to get their ticket validated, would mean separating parent and child, which is not desired.
That is an excellnt idea! Here in Vienna, the ticket vending machines and validation stampers are in the middle of the bus and it is all based on the honor system. Yet I think that giving parents w strollers a free ride is best.
When i grew up in germany one of my favorite things to do was to go to restaurants with my parents. Many of them have their own playgrounds and even if they don't, at least you get some coloured pencils and paper so you can draw while you wait for the food. Plus most restaurants have a seperate kids menu with simple meals most kids love, which is great for picky eaters. Really can't imagine living in a country where most restaurants aren't kids friendly, cause i've never seen a restaurant that isn't here in germany.
In my hometown we have a whole café esp. for parents with kids. They are full of toys and free space to run around. Parents are meeting other parents and drink their coffee. I wonder if you do have them in your aerea too and how your experiences are.
German rasstadte are absolutely amazing. There are also grocery stores in the Netherlands which have carts, play areas and often free fruit. During carnaval (or locally called vastenavond) the Monday has a whole show on the main market square for children. All the cafes are very child friendly that day where they can dance and play.
I wondered the whole video if you're at the Rothaus brewery 😁 Very nice place. I hope you also visited the Tannenmühle in Grafenhausen, also a great place for kids.
Interesting, even though I'm of grandparent-age without offspring. :-) I do feel that your presentation is correct for now. Yet, I remember a cousin (75% German) sigh that Germany was child-unfriendly. This would likely have been before the German unification (1990), and it's my own impression that German society as a whole seems to have relaxed since then. A second factor could be the increased mutual appreciation of Germans and Dutch since (roughly and coincidentally) then. To see it from the German side, just watch videos on (parts of) the Netherlands on the RU-vid channel of WDR Reisen. (WDR: the public broadcaster of the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen) However, I'd say that (in general!) we Dutch are (at present) more individualistic and the Germans more family-minded. There may be some gradient through Germany, though, with the South (even) more family-oriented than the North. [perceptions, not opinions!] The attention to cycling may stem from the Netherlands.
fui a Nueva York con mis hijos de 17 años y cuando entre a un bar me miraron como si hubieran visto un demonio, no les dejaron a mis hijos acercarse a la barra y tuvieron que quedarse apartados mientras yo pedia las consumiciones, esto en Europa no pasa.
Not exactly an everyday place/event you just casually drop in to, but still a quite enriching experience. Our local theater puts on special concerts for kids, from elementary-school age onwards to high school. Sunday mornings for the young kids, weekday early evenings for teens; and it's classical but kid-friendly music (like "Peter and the Wolf", a musical fairy tale by Sergej Prokovyev for example, "Hollywood Hits for Kids", or more easily accessible pieces like Ravel's "Bolero", which is a great introduction to instruments), with a full orchestra and age-appropriate explanations. Admission is just €5/€7 per child/adult, and is a fantastic way to expose them to live music that doesn't come with a light show and a dozen amps, as well as theater in general. They've even started putting on "Baby Concerts" for toddlers, who can actually cavort around the stage during the performance. (Never mind the annual Christmastime plays for kids -- NOT a nativity play! -- or the fact that my city actually has plays and music throughout the year at the local opera house.) Oh, and we have playground equipment in several spots all along the main shopping street downtown for preschoolers -- or the old standby at Walmart-type stores where you can find coin-operated cars, steam engines and the like for a quick break/treat. Also, the two major shoe stores have the kids' section in their respective basements, and slides for the kids to get down and play on while the parents choose shoes for them to try on.
Do you find cyclists using bike paths safely at reasonable speeds and giving enough space for others in Germany? And are they separated safely enough from pedestrians? Are electric 🚲 and 🛴 allowed on these paths?
In general, yes. Within the city of Freiburg there are a few Radnetz stretches where pedestrians also often frequent. There's one I think of near Ganter brewery where pedestrians are supposed to use the path on the north side of the river, and the bikes the southern path .... but not everyone follows this. And when the bike path gets narrow by the brewery and pedestrians are walking on the wrong side (facing traffic into the bicycles) it can cause a few issues. But this is a small section and not indicative of the entire network.
