What we can learn from Sweden

Paradise does not exist, but if you have to point to a place that comes pretty close, it would be Sweden. And that even with quite a few hours of sunshine (in winter) and no tropical scenes. But still, let those Swedes slide.

1. Equality man/woman

Sweden is the first country to have included this in the law. Men and women are equal. Period. This way, each couple gets 480 hours of parental leave. You can divide those hours yourself, and if you share it fifty-fifty, you get a bonus. Just like that.

2. Gender neutrality

In Sweden, not every boy is dressed in blue and not every girl wears a pink dress. Gray is a perfectly fine color for both, and dark blue too. You are who you are, but we won't push you into a box from childhood. This way, a nice car can be bought for a girl and a doll for a boy. It's okay, olé olé.

3. Six-hour workdays

Not everywhere and certainly not as the deadline approaches, but the Swedes prefer to put their shoulders to the wheel for six hours rather than have an eight-hour day full of loafing around. No one thinks it's strange if you want to pick up your kids from school yourself and if you want to leave a bit earlier on Fridays to go to your summer house; good for you.

4. Daycare centers

I think the essence of equality between men and women lies here. Daycare in Sweden is so affordable. I have friends who live in Malmö, and they told me they pay 140 euros per child for five days of care. Because yes, I think the key to high positions for women also lies here: that you work full-time. And that is possible if the daycare is good and affordable. And if you work six hours a day, there is plenty of cuddle time left.

5. Fika

Denmark has ‘hygge’ (which Sweden also has, they call it ‘mysig’), but Sweden cherishes ‘fika’. That means taking the time to enjoy your coffee and something sweet with it. In Sweden, young fathers with 240 days of leave are called ‘latte daddies’ because they have the time to enjoy coffee together with their trendy Bugaboo. But pressing pause and enjoying the moment before getting back to work is good for people.

6. The water

The tap water is so pure (and so powerful, really, it blasts out of your tap) that you can hardly buy bottled water anywhere in Sweden. Just hold your glass or carafe under it, and you have the best water in the world.

7. Love for nature

So you eat local products, organically grown. The Nordic Kitchen is known for cooking with love for what nature provides. My girlfriend's father has hundreds of hectares of forest. She will inherit it later with her sister, but she can only call herself the owner after she has completed an education, so she knows how to treat the forest area with respect and sustainably.

8. Also fun

Sweden is incredibly large and long (if you were to stretch the northernmost point down, you would end up in Southern Italy) and sparsely populated, so everyone seems a bit more relaxed when it comes to sharing your land. In Sweden, you can also pitch your tent on private land, as long as it is out of sight of the houses and you leave everything tidy. This is how our Swedish friends got married in a nature reserve where even wild horses roamed. It's all allowed, you don't need permission, but you have to keep it tidy.

9. English language

Swedes generally speak really good English.

I think I should visit our friends again soon. And hopefully, we can apply their customs here as well.