Happy children in the Netherlands: Positive parenting and problems to solve.

According to the Unicef Innocenti Reports children in the Netherlands are the happiest children in the world. The high average score can be explained by both cultural and structural conditions. Culturally, parent-child relations in the Netherlands are characterized by open communication, mutual respect and a liberal and tolerant attitude. Structural conditions relate to good and free public healthcare for children, generous child allowances and little time constraints due to – mostly mothers’ but also fathers’ – part time jobs. The high average score however shields a minority of children (5%-15%) for whom poverty and health related problems are increasing. These are mostly children with single mothers, unemployed parents and children from ethnic minority families. Policy makers and advisory committees go to great lengths to reach those children and families in order to improve their development and situation. So far, these efforts have not reached the desired effects. In this article we discuss possible bottlenecks in the Dutch parenting support system that may hinder adequate addressing of these inequalities. Our findings indicate that the way parenting issues are framed results in three barriers: 1. Barriers in asking for support; 2. The general discourse about ‘good parenting’, and 3. Implicit understandings about problem-ownership.