Kid's happiness

Allan-Matlem

Active Member
Hi,
here is a BBC commentary on a UNICEF report on kids' happiness. The BBC looks at Britain and the Netherlands in particular in the European context . It seems that the USA has a similar rating to Britain.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/europe_diary/default.stm

Quote from the article

'I haven't gone as far as pulling apart the statistics and re-averaging them, but I am pretty convinced what puts Dutch kids out on top and British ones at the bottom is their own opinion of their lives. Really striking is what they think of children their own age. Are they kind and helpful? More than 70% of Dutch children say "yes" and the figure is higher still in Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Norway. In Britain under half the children reckon their peers are helpful, the lowest of any of the 31 countries on the graph. When asked how satisfied they are with their life, the Dutch come out on top, the British down at the bottom with the Poles and Portuguese.

I wonder what is behind this? The Dutch have always seemed to me a contented bunch. I am trying to find the right phrase: most of those I want to use, like "self-satisfied" or "pleased with themselves", have a negative connotation of smugness, and that is not what I mean. But perhaps the very fact that it is difficult to find a positive phrase for this feeling in English speaks volumes. Britain is a cynical place, and I wonder whether British children just think it's uncool to admit to liking their classmates or their life. Not to mention a greater willingness to own up to underage sex and drinking than, say, the Poles. I think life probably is rather nicer, more friendly, more relaxed in the Netherlands (and Belgium) than the UK, but is it really so very different? '

It seems having a positive attitude about human nature in general , being positive about other people effects how we feel about life in general and ourselves in particular.

Allan
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Interesting. I can imagine cynacism really undermines everyone. I know if someone is too upbeat or positive, they are eyed with suspicion. Eventually someone feels a need to deflate their balloon so to speak. Guess if one must be miserable and discontented then everyone is going to be down in the muck with you. It is a choice don't you think?
Thanks Alan, gives me something to think about.</span>
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Strange I should read this right now... I just got an email from a friend who is living in Prague. She said they have a serious communist hangover and the people are grumpy and morose. No wonder... they've got fresh vegetables just across the border in Germany but can't seem to get the trucks to come their way. (And many more examples.) It's a bureaucratic mess and it seeps into the attitudes. She took a trip to Switzerland and said it was a breath of fresh air!
She has an almost-difficult child--very ADHD but no medications, just 80 kazillion sports. He is so lucky to have a mom and dad like that. This Czech experience will be very good for him in the long run. The stories he will tell when he gets home in 2 yrs!
 
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