I moved from the US to Germany 11 years ago. A lot of things have surprised me about living here with my kids.

Raising kids in Germany has had a few surprises.

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• I'm from the United States but I've lived in Germany for over a decade and had my three kids here.
• In Germany, kids are given a lot of independence and they go outside all year.
• Giving birth was nearly cost-free and my necessary tests and checkups were covered by insurance.

I'm originally from the United States, but I've lived in Germany for over 11 years.

Moving to Germany was not necessarily an extreme culture shock...