The Amazing Perks You Get as a Parent In Finland
If you are in a relationship soon to be adding a family member to your household then Finland is the place to be. There are many perks to being a parent in Finland and we’re here to let you in on what a few of those perks are.
The Baby Box
The baby box is filled to the brim with goodies. It contains clothing, diapers, bath bath supplies, baby books, teething rings, nursing pads, and condoms. Furthermore, the box itself has a soft mattress at the bottom so it can be used as a bassinet. Parents who do not wish to receive this maternity gift, can request 140 euros instead. Most women choose the box. What’s hard to believe is that this all started about 75 years ago. When the program first started, it was made available only to low-income women, but in 1949 was expanded to all Finnish mothers.
Having a Baby and Living in Finland
If you live in Finland and become pregnant you are very well taken care of by society. Your life is made easier by different supports and benefits that are made readily available to you. Contact a prenatal clinic, get assigned a midwife and choose your hospital. Before the birth you will also receive your baby box. In Finland, both the mother and father are allowed paid leave. There are also other leaves such as parental leave and care leave that may also be used by the parents. All of these have a monetary daily allowance that are paid by the Social Insurance Institute.
There are also child allowences that are paid directly to the parents bank accounts by the state until the child reaches 17 years of age.
Education
The system of learning in Finland is based heavily on play, imagination and self discovery. What child would not be happy about that? For that matter what adult would not want to play with children all day and encourage them to use their imagination? Free thinking is encouraged so there aren’t any high stakes testing.
There is a lot of trust between everyone. From the government all the way down to the parents, everyone trusts one another. The chldren are the most important thing. The reason the teachers are so trusted is because they go through a rigourous program and only the best are accepted into the schools’ teaching system.
Schools also don’t compete with each other here. The students are allotted by law to 15 minutes of free time every 45 minutes. This gives children time to unwind and refocus.
Less is more during the school day. School starts at 8 a.m. Grades aren’t given until 4th grade. Ethics are taught in primary school.
