Kindergartens in Holland

People write to us...

My sister’s daughter married a Dutch pilot, and they have been living there for many years, but they were allowed to have a child only when she was nearly forty. The mother was called back to work after a week! His mother (the mother-in-law) didn’t want to look after the child! My sister took time off and went to help. Now they take the child to daycare; they say it’s expensive. So I don’t know what to say about large families with children.
The daughter of another acquaintance paid 2300 euros in Holland for her daughter’s daycare, and that was for 4 days a week 😢  Her boss at an IT company, a Dutchman, paid 3400 for two children 😳  It is possible to get a housing loan if you have a permanent contract, but nowadays they don’t want to offer one everywhere. So young Dutch people have to live in rented housing,  and a mortgage is quite the sword of Damocles.

And one more thing about kindergartens in Holland (for children under 4): they don’t provide food, and children bring sandwiches with them 😮 There is no food at school either; Russian parents pack hot meals for their children in thermoses, while Dutch children  bring only sandwiches, and Dutch children turn their noses up at hot food. 

The author’s spelling and punctuation have been preserved.