Parents are uncompromising about the sanctity of sleep. American parents are known to emphasize the importance of stimulation, exposing their children to a wide variety of new experiences.ĭutch parents, on the other hand, focus on daily activities at home, placing value on the importance of rest and regularity. 'Dutch babies laugh, smile and like to cuddle more than their American counterparts,' the researchers concluded.Īccording to the study, Dutch infants' relatively calm demeanor were due in part to a more regulated sleep schedule and lower intensity activities.

In 2013, a study from the European Journal of Developmental Psychology examined the temperamental differences between U.S.

So how exactly do Dutch parents raise the happiest kids in the world? As a seasoned expat mom living in stereotypical Dutch suburbia (I also wrote a book about Dutch parenting with my co-author Michele Hutchison), it isn't hard for me to indulge in the six secrets as to why kids here are the happiest: ranked in the two lowest positions.Ī handful of other organizations, including Britain's Child Poverty Action Group and the World Economic Forum, have also ranked Dutch kids incredibly high in personal happiness. The report was a follow-up to one conducted in 2007, in which the Netherlands was first named as a prime example of childhood prosperity. But a year into motherhood, I stumbled upon a 2013 UNICEF report claiming that Dutch children were the happiest kids in the world.

Strong happiest hour