Tag archives for children

Getting to school without a car

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Children and cars – not a good mix. Photo: Sara Jeswani.

The traffic situation outside a lot of Swedish schools is a matter of complaints among many parents. There are too many cars, the drivers don’t respect speed limits and the air quality is bad. But according to a survey made among school headmasters, what causes most of these problems is actually the parents themselves! Another study, made by the Swedish Transport Administration, proves the headmasters right: according to it 80 percent of the traffic around an ordinary Swedish school consists of mums and dads leaving and picking up their children.

This easily becomes a vicious circle: You can’t let your kid walk to school, since there are so many cars. And you driving your kid to the very same school makes it even more difficult for others to walk.

In Umeå in the North of Sweden [map] things have been done to break this circle. Last year 2000 pupils, parents and teachers in the city were asked about their habits. At Grisbacka school, for example, 60 percent of the pupils were driven to school by car, even if they lived less than one km away.

The initiative “Shool for sustainable travel” has changed this quite a lot. Now the school encourages pupils and parents to walk or cycle instead of taking the car.
Their recipes? Here are some of the ideas:

- Smaller children who shouldn’t walk alone can be picked up by a “walking school bus”.

- “Cycling school buses” for older children.

- Training in how to travel by bus and orientation training in order to find the way to some landmarks in the city by themselves.

- Cycler’s licence. Traffic security days, with information about what different traffic signs mean and a “driving test”, where the children get to show that they know what it takes to go to school on their own.

- The children report how far they have walked or cycled and the distance is visualised on a four meter long map of Europe.

And it seems to work pretty well. In just one year Grisbackaskolan managed to half the percentage of children who are brought to school by car, from 60 to 30.

Sara Jeswani - Sustainability

September 28, 2011

Visiting a Children’s Farm in Kolmården

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Children's Farm in Kolmarden - Photography by Lola Akinmade Åkerström

On our way back from Norrköping, we decided to finally check out Kolmården – Scandinavia’s largest wildlife park. While there, I stopped by the children’s farm (usually called a petting zoo in the US), and got to watch kids chase after little pigs and/or run away from heavily feathered chickens called Silkies.

Over the next three posts (including this one), I’ll be sharing some of my favorite shots from the park.

[mappress mapid="62"]

Lola Åkerström - Photo

September 14, 2011

Parenting in Sweden: a road less bumpy

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I had another one of those encounters recently, you know, the ones I’ve told you about before where a stranger makes pleasant small talk on the basis of your baby. But this came with something of a twist.

Cue kind old granddad type who approached my son and I at an outdoor cafe. After the obligatory ooooohs, aaaahs and smiles came the line: “let’s hope there’s a job for him when he grows up.”

It’s a sign of the times, I suppose, made nonetheless more prevalent right now, as I type this final blog post from from my homeland in England, where we are on vacation.

The news of the riots involving disillusioned youth around the country has dominated the news and even prompted one commentator on a late night current affairs programme to ask the question: “why doesn’t this happen in Sweden?”

For the short while I’ve been back, I’ve been quizzed and questioned by friends and family about life in Sweden with a child – on topics I’ve discussed throughout the course of this blog – and their response draws a common consensus.

They marvel at the generous parental leave system, are amazed at the benefits given to fathers. Further down the line they sigh in wonder at the heavily subsidized daycare services and praise the way parents can take leave to look after their sick children, not to mention the free higher education.

Put simply, people are generally astonished how Swedish society supports the family unit in its various guises.

In Sweden, this is nothing new. The importance of social welfare for families first came to the forefront in the 1930s thanks to Gunnar and Alva Myrdal. Both husband and wife partnership and political allies, they co-authored the book Crisis in the Population Question (Kris i befolkningsfrågan) in 1934. What was written to propose solutions to the country’s declining birthrate at the time became an influential foundation for the Swedish welfare model to come.

Crown Princess Victoria - watch this space and waist! Photo: Paul Hansen

No, it’s not perfect and there are many things still to bemoan but I feel quite priviledged to be parenting in Sweden. As the forefather and mother of this pro child-parent society, Gunnar and Alva would be no doubt proud to know that Sweden tops the rankings in the latest Children’s Index, published by Save the Children, which rates developed countries on well-being in childhood. I won’t dwell too much on the UK performance in comparison.

Similarly, Sweden is consistently named within the top countries when it comes to the best places in the world to be a mother. In this year’s Mother’s Index, also published by Save the Children, the country comes in fourth place.

One hopes that amid the global turmoil of late, Sweden will be able to sustain its family policies in order that our children will become heirs to this model At least, it all bodes well for the woman that Sweden is expecting to expect sometime soon. The media is currently on royal bump watch, closely guarding the waistline of Crown Princess Victoria.

More of an issue will surely be how Her Royal Highness and husband Prince Daniel will share their parental leave. I’m four months into mine with a way to go yet - so thank you Sweden and thank you too for following this far.

Christine Demsteader

August 16, 2011

The price of an eco baby

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Sweden is well-known on the world stage for it’s green efforts. From recycling and renewable energy to sustainable housing and ecosystems, the country is determined to hand over the sound environmental legacy it has started to the next generation and beyond.

Everyone in society can contribute, parents especially, since baby care is going back to the future with the cloth diaper (nappy) making a comeback. This comprehensive article from a parenting magazing (only in Swedish) shares some interesting statistics.

Photo: Babybegreen.se

Every year, 414 million disposable diapers are disposed of in Sweden. That’s 20,000 tonnes of waste that equates to two percent of all household rubbish throughout the land.

It is estimated that cloth diapers make up less than five percent of the market in Sweden, but they are the most sought-after items from the range of ecological and organic products from Babybegreen.se

The online shop was launched in 2009 by Jenny Wanselius – an environmental advisor and mother of two who wanted to combine her roles. The idea was born along with her first child.

“When you have a baby, you get so much information that you have to buy so many things. It’s a bit excessive,” she says.

“Having a baby makes a huge impact on the planet. Everyone wants the best for their children and I wanted to give them a fresh start but felt you had to do all the research yourself to find organic products.” And so she created a one-stop shop with everything from toys and clothes to potties.

“Swedes as a whole are generally aware when it comes to green issues and parents are certainly interested and know it’s important,” Wanselius adds. “And if you buy less you can afford better quality.”

In a 2008, survey of over 15,000 parents in Sweden, seven out of ten said they generally steered clear of organic products for their kids, labeling them “too expensive.”

According to Wanselius, cloth diapers are the ultimate environmental and economical alternative. The message is help save the environment while you save money too. Because you can’t put a price on the soft, warm touch of a baby’s skin.

Christine Demsteader

August 13, 2011

Meet the Svenssons

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They live in the city suburbs, enjoy skilling together and holidaying in Thailand. There’s mamma Inga, pappa Ingemar, eldest son Ingvar and baby girl Ingrid. The Svenssons – your average Swedish family? Maybe not.

Three is the magic number. Photo: Martin Svalander/ imagebank.sweden.se

Sweden’s nuclear families house an average of 1.85 children. But according to a recent study, a new trend in having a third child has emerged over the last decade. Today around 18 percent of parents in Sweden have three children or more.

The typical Svenssons do exist in society today, even those with a hat-trick of kids in tow, but it’s the make up of Swedish parents that is changing face.

This week Stockholm Pride – the rainbow-colored annual LGBT festival – is in town and “openness” is the themed banner for 2011.

“For Stockholm Pride, openness is more about what you do than who you are,” says Pär Wiktorsson, chair of the event and organization. “Its the ability to see beyond what society perceives as ‘normal’, and understand that there is more than one kind of love, more than one way to live and raise a family.”

This year, American Thomas Beatie – a transgender male who gave birth to three children – was in Stockholm to make the opening speech at the event. Since the capital celebrated its first Pride festival in 1998, barriers for gay families have been broken down, namely the right to marry, adopt and – for lesbian couples – the right to insemination.

Rainbow kids in the Stockholm Pride parade. "My cousin has two mums," the sign says. Photo: Joakim Lovén/RFSL

There is still some way to go. Pressure continues from Sweden’s gay activists to make further reforms, ensuring LGBT parents have the same legal rights as their peers and their children grow up with the same security, possibilities and respect.

With these changes, a small but increasing number of children are living in “different” family constellations in Sweden today. In 2009, RFSL – The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights began a three-year project – Children in Rainbow Families – to bring awareness to the matter.

Where did they start? Well, they didn’t try to convert the non-tolerant community, or preach to those already persuaded. Instead they targeted pre-schools, providing material for teachers to learn more about these modern-day families to share with Sweden’s youngest citizens.

It is this kind of thinking that surely opens the door for the next generation Svenssons – mothers Sara and Sandra or fathers Mikael and Markus to live in harmony next door or across the road from Ingemars’ clan.

Christine Demsteader

August 5, 2011

Nursery rhymes call new tune

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Aside from bundles of baby clothes, among the very generous gifts I received before and after my son was born was soothing nipple cream and dark circle concealer. A friend in Sydney sent a CD entitled “Two hundred of the greatest nursery rhymes ever.”

So far we’ve managed to listen all the way through to the letter H in the alphabetically-ordered two-disc compilation. That means I have had the pleasure of experiencing a tuneful rendition of Humpty Dumpty accompanied by dulcet Aussie tones.

Okay, so it was intended as a present for my son but it has served me well in jogging my memory back to my playschool days and enabling me to recall the actions that go with the lyrics.

Now it seems I am set to regress to being a two-year-old again and learn a new bunch of nursery rhymes. In Swedish. Yep, nevermind the changing accent, I’ll be taking on a different language.

I thought it wise to start now in fear my son will be subjected to embarrassing mum syndrome if I don’t know all the words. In a similar vein, I should really take the opportunity to master more than the first two lines of the national anthem and schnapps drinking ditty Helan Går while I’m at it.

Thankfully, when it comes to nursery rhymes, there are some variations on a theme, as you can find below.

Baa baa black sheep/Bä bä vita lamm
The lamb in the Swedish version has changed color to white while the melody has also completely transformed. Rather than a bag for the master, dame and little boy down the lane, there are various woollen garments for mum, dad and younger brother.

Incy Wincy Spider/Imse vimse spindel
The harmony is slightly altered but the plight of poor Incy, whose endeavors are blighted by the rainy weather, remain the same. Happily, the sunshine in Sweden also saves Incy’s adventurous streak.

Twinkle twinkle little stay/Blinka Lilla Stjärna
Same tune, same context. The Swedes also contemplate what this star that twinkles like a diamond in the sky really is but equally come to no conclusion.

Christine Demsteader

July 29, 2011

Raising the social media generation

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This week the fashionable Beckhams shunned their publicist and opted to announce the birth of their daughter and share family photos via social media. It’s one trend they weren’t the first to set.

My son was on Facebook before he was even born. I announced my pregnancy on the social networking site to my wider circle of friends. Some people also got word of his arrival before I’d had chance to tell them personally thanks to a round of eager congratulatory messages posted on my wall within 24 hours of his birth. And that could be considered slow when compared to the growing number of breaking news babies whose mums tweet between contractions or update their status as they push.

The young Demsteader part 1.

We are indeed giving birth to the social media generation and even raising them online. Parents devote time to blog about their kids in diary form, they post cute photos and funny videos for everyone to see. Given that the Swedes are ranked first out of 138 countries in the latest World Economic Forum report on the usage of communications technology, it’s likely they do so more than most. Find out more fascinating facts here about the Swedes and their social media habits.

Now I found some old baby photos of myself the other day. I had forgotten about them until they fell out of an old book where I’d stored them to stop them curling at the edges. I’ll get round to that photo album someday. The matt-finished polaroids have stood the test of time despite their 34 years. They have that authentic antique tinge which adds to the air of nostalgia when I look at them.

The young Demsteader part 2.

Personally, I’m happy that my childhood pics and the memories that come with them have been privately preserved for me, rather than posted around the block. I wouldn’t normally want to share them with the world but, for the sake of this post, it seems I am.

Regardless of your online restrictions, today’s photos, videos and blogs are out there in the networked community cloud. And there they will likely stay until your baby turns teenager and beyond.

I wonder how William Nilsson will feel in a few years time when he replays his famous YouTube clip, knowing over 130 million have seen it before? The innocent, amateur video of this little Swedish boy went viral, became an internet phenomenon and is one of YouTube’s most watched clips to date.

We parents really don’t yet know the repercussions, if any, of uploading both a visual and verbal commentary of our kids’ lives online. We do know, however, that we won’t be stashing photos in a Kindle for safe-keeping.