German Parenting Style

Germany has many different cultures due to the vast majority of people who had moved in the country and gain the citizenship there. Even though there many kinds of practices there, the strong German culture will be adopted by them as they learn the Germans' lifestyle. So now I will be focusing on the true Germans' parenting practices. 

We often have the impression that Germans are rather cold and strict but when it comes to parenting they are rather laid back. According to Sara Zaske, mothers in Germany, “place a high value on independence and responsibility” (Sara Zaske, How To Parent Like A German) This is why children in Germany walk to school and often allowed to play in the park without any supervision at the age of 5. Germany is considered as a children’s paradise because the early childhood educational system are based on free-play rather than academics (The German Way & More, http://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/education/). In this sense, they are used to finding something to do rather than being told what to do. So all the kindergartens in Germany are about playing and not focusing on reading or writing alphabets and numbers.

There is no expectation that the kids will have any basic knowledge of letters or numbers when they start first grade, the criteria to enter first grade was social readiness and being able to hold a pen or pencil properly which is very different from many other countries. Germans take their kids out every day even when the weather is cold. The playgrounds are everywhere and it is not just an ordinary playground, there are giant play structures, zip lines, creative rides, ponds and sandboxes. By exposing the child outdoor, Germans believe that playing in a natural environment boosts the physical and cognitive development of a child. 

From the value and parenting style that Germans conduct, it is obvious that it based on individualist cultures where independence and responsibility is taught when parents allow their child to walk and play on their own, it’s not because their parents do not care about them but instead they trust that the child are capable of doing things responsibly. Besides that, the child is motivated by own needs, preferences and rights rather than what they are told to do or by other people. They are free to do what they want and being able to express their feelings or thoughts freely.

Source :http://time.com/3720541/how-to-parent-like-a-german/
             http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/04__W__t__G/02/05/Feature__5.html