The Happiest Kids in the World : How Dutch Parents Help Their Kids (and Themselves) by Doing Less

Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison

Henrietta Meire (Narrator) and Karen White (Narrator)

04-04-17

7hrs 20min

Abridgement

Unabridged

Genre

Nonfiction/Family & Relationships

As low as $0.00
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04-04-17

7hrs 20min

Abridgement

Unabridged

Genre

Nonfiction/Family & Relationships

Description

“Respective sections alternate between American narrator Karen White and British narrator Henrietta Meire, a production choice that helps to clearly delineate each author’s perceptions…Narrators Meire and White both deliver clear and engaging performances, letting the authors’ interesting observations about Dutch culture speak for themselves.” AudioFile

Finalist for the 2017 Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award in Family & Relationships

The secret to raising the happiest kids in the world? Whatever it is, it’s somewhere in the Netherlands.

Would parents rather their children be successful or happy? Kids in the US face lots of pressure to excel—often at the expense of happiness. But does it have to be this way? Not in the Netherlands! In The Happiest Kids in the World, expats Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison—both married to Dutchmen and bringing up their kids in the Netherlands—examine the unique environment that enables the Dutch to turn out such well-adjusted, independent children. With heaps of good humor, and no shortage of amazement, the authors are delighted to find that

  • Babies get an average of fifteen hours of sleep per day,
  • Children learn bike safety and proficiency in school,
  • Teenagers are less likely to get pregnant than their counterparts in almost every other nation, and
  • Parents really do serve chocolate sprinkles for breakfast!

Along the way, they discover that the most commonly strived-for grade is just passing—six points out of ten—how to achieve the perfect work-life balance, and that being normal is crazy enough.

Praise

“Respective sections alternate between American narrator Karen White and British narrator Henrietta Meire, a production choice that helps to clearly delineate each author’s perceptions…Narrators Meire and White both deliver clear and engaging performances, letting the authors’ interesting observations about Dutch culture speak for themselves.” AudioFile

“An eye-opening and badly-needed dose of perspective. In my next life, I want to be Dutch.” Pamela Druckerman, New York Times bestselling author

“I’m done having babies, but this book made me (almost) want to have one more, just so I can raise it the Dutch way!” Jen Mann, New York Times bestselling author

“Stressing less and relaxing more as the recipe for happy children? It might be time we all ‘go Dutch.’” Today.com

“Clear and concise…This is one of the most convincing parenting books to come across my desk in the last year.” Sunday Times (London)

“The key to raising happy kids?..Do as the Dutch do.” Washington Post

“American parents exhausted by the pressures and expectations of parenting will appreciate this refreshing look at how another culture handles the same issues.” Publishers Weekly

“A fascinating book—one I wish I had read sooner! In fact, the more I read the more I became tempted to move our entire family to the Netherlands.” Sarah Turner, author of The Unmumsy Mum

+ More
Details
More Information
Language English
Release Day Apr 3, 2017
Release Date April 4, 2017
Release Date Machine 1491264000
Imprint Blackstone Publishing
Provider Blackstone Publishing
Categories Health & Wellness, Children's Health, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All
Author Bio
Rina Mae Acosta

Rina Mae Acosta is a writer from California currently living in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband and two young sons. She founded the successful parenting blog Finding Dutchland.

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison worked in publishing in Britain before moving to Amsterdam in 2004. She is now a prominent translator of Dutch literature and lives in a traditional Dutch house with her husband and two children.

Narrator Bio
Henrietta Meire

Henrietta Meire is a full-time voice-over artist and actress. In addition to narrating audiobooks, she has voiced numerous commercial and charity campaigns, as well as video game and animation characters. As an actress, she has appeared on stage, on television, and in a number of popular films.

Karen White

Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.

Overview

Finalist for the 2017 Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award in Family & Relationships

The secret to raising the happiest kids in the world? Whatever it is, it’s somewhere in the Netherlands.

Would parents rather their children be successful or happy? Kids in the US face lots of pressure to excel—often at the expense of happiness. But does it have to be this way? Not in the Netherlands! In The Happiest Kids in the World, expats Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison—both married to Dutchmen and bringing up their kids in the Netherlands—examine the unique environment that enables the Dutch to turn out such well-adjusted, independent children. With heaps of good humor, and no shortage of amazement, the authors are delighted to find that

  • Babies get an average of fifteen hours of sleep per day,
  • Children learn bike safety and proficiency in school,
  • Teenagers are less likely to get pregnant than their counterparts in almost every other nation, and
  • Parents really do serve chocolate sprinkles for breakfast!

Along the way, they discover that the most commonly strived-for grade is just passing—six points out of ten—how to achieve the perfect work-life balance, and that being normal is crazy enough.

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