A study by UNICEF has concluded that Dutch children are the happiest of 21 industrial nations. This article gives several reasons why Dutch children happy. Here are just some of those reasons:

Their parents go out of their way to please them, and teachers expect less of them than some of their European counterparts.

"If you take the percentage of young mothers in the labour force, it's not very high in comparison to comparable countries... There is a strong tendency for mothers to raise children or take a long time off work after children are born."... children are used to a "highly protective, highly positive caring environment."

The Dutch are famous for their liberal attitudes towards drinks, drugs and sex. "Because parents are more relaxed, the dynamics of the problems are less severe than in countries where they are seen as more of a serious issue."

Labels: children, dutch, happiness, Holland, Netherlands