And a parental thingy. God, how glad I am to be raising my kids in Canada. Or is it media exaggeration that all twelve year olds drink themselves unconscious in Holland? Tell me. We here in Canada enjoy a phenomenon called "drinking age", and drinking age is nineteen. Of course beer store clerks can be fooled, but they do try to be strict. I sent Piffin to the beerstore the other day, with her twenty year old friend. Who looks fourteen, but carries ID. Of course they got beer without showing ID. Because Piffin looks thirty five. Otger is planning on not starting until he is 26, because it is up to then that a brain needs to fully mature. I can only imagine how smart I would have been if... Otger will save the world, I am sure of it.
And by the way, Sinterklaas did not forget us, so far away from Spain. He was very proud of me, rushing to the mall in between dog walking and cooking. And of Michiel, who did the wrapping while I was cooking. We got Canadian liquorice, yuk. Doesn't even taste like liquorice. And gloves, and scarfs, and holiday led lights. An a designer dish washing brush. And the kids yelled at us for singing.
It's got nothing to do with Canada vs Holland. You're just better parents. There's 12 year old drinking themselves to the bathroom here too, and smoking, and all kinds of stuff. Just not in this street.
don't all media love to turn exceptions into rules. but even allowing for that, kids are exposed to all sorts of nastiness at a tender age. and all too many of them have parents who wouldn't know how to say no.