I'm an American mom raising 2 kids in Italy. Parenting here is completely different.
I grew up in New York City, but I'm raising my kids in Italy. School lunches, schedules, and family life look very different here.
An American mother of two children living in Italy describes the stark differences in parenting styles between her American upbringing and her current Italian life. The Italian public school system serves three meals a day to students, featuring multi-course meals of pasta, vegetables, meatballs, chicken, fish, and salads. Schedules are more relaxed, with less pressure on children to participate in extracurricular activities.
Children appear to have greater freedom, with parents allowing them to take calculated risks that would be less acceptable in the U.S. Extended family members, particularly grandparents, play a significant role in childcare, sharing responsibilities with parents. The community feels tightly knit, with neighbors looking out for each other's children.
Unlike the U.S., where there is great emphasis on independence and moving out after college, Italian culture values staying at home until marriage and even after, considering it normal. The author grapples with feeling conflicted between raising her children in both Italian and American parenting styles, while maintaining a strong focus on safety.
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