5 of the most SHOCKING things about the German Preschool System | with @AmericasGotGermans [PART 2]

What would you rather? Government-subsidized childcare? Better education? Not have to pack lunches? A smooth transition into preschool? $70,000 tuition fees? Needless to say, the German and American preschool education systems can be very… VERY different.

In this video, we have Anni from @AmericasGotGermans talking about the experiences and shocks she’s had as a German living in Boston, USA, and myself to chat about the pros and cons of the German Kita/preschool system.

I’m sure MANY of you will have a lot to say, so I’m looking forward to reading more of your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙃

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#expats #germany #lifeingermany #expatsingermany #expattips

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MY TIPS FOR LIVING IN GERMANY ✅

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01:25 - Way TOO MANY Options
05:25 - Impossible to get a spot
07:37 - Daycare costs $70,000?!
10:15 - The “Eingewöhnungsphase”
12:12 - Prepare your own lunches?!

[awsme]

10:00 *No* Germany has *NOT* high Taxes!!!
*Average Income Tax:*
Ger: *19%* vs US: *22%*
HC 100% premium *Insurance* 7%
Retirement *Insurance* 12%

At average a german worker;
*Pays* 19% *Income Tax*
*Buys* 19% (7+12) *Insurances*
>> Give 50/50 Take = pretty fair ;)

19+19= *38%*
Showcasing *38%* as "After Tax" trying to compare it with *22%* US "After Tax (Income Tax alone)" is NOT COMPAREABLE.
>> The US side would need to add up average *Silver premium 70% covering 510€/month* (Single) or *1600€/month* Family of 4 *AND* 12% Retirement Saving, which is kinda equal, just on the Ger side payed over tax path.

>> *No* average *Income Tax* is *3% lower* in Germany vs the US.
>> *Germans pay LESS TAX*

• If you see *any % number of a German worker, like 42%, HALF the number = 21% would be the Tax, the Income Tax of this German worker.* Rest would be lit. only Insurances bought. As a lil trick to view things faster.

Cheers <3

[zeinabrezaee]

Thank you so much, I’ve been waiting for this topic… great

[Kelsea-]

Ihr zwei passt perfekt zueinander. Wie wäre es mit einem gemeinsamen Face to Face Video sobald Anni wieder zurück ist? Ich auf jeden Fall fand die beiden Videos informativ und unterhaltsam. Eine tolle Zusammenarbeit, bitte mehr davon. Liebe Grüße Kelsea

[silmuffin]

I tried both for my kids, and also UK nursery. German kita (and krippe, which is daycare for kids up to 3) is better, hands down! I also love that in Germany kids start "real" school later, just like in Italy where I'm from. Btw in the US preschool and prek are the same thing, and you can keep your child in the same childcare facility all the way to kindergarden (most big centers have classes divided by age, and will have prek classes), or you can go to an actual preschool that only has older kids and, usually, shorter hours. Then at 5 they go to kindergarden, but they do way more formal schooling than in German vorschule. My daughter moved to first grade after German vorschule, and she pretty much skipped a year of learning, her friends could already read and write quite a bit, while in the vorschule she didn't learn that at all, not even in German

[june]

When I put my first boy into KiTa, I reiterated to him several weeks prior that I'd probably just drop him off and disappear. When he got in, I was amazed that there was an "Eingewöhnungsphase", where I stayed there for one day, then the next day stayed in the foyer for an hour, if something goes wrong, and the third day, I stayed ten minutes and then left. For my second son, same KiTa, same teacher, just mid-covid, I had to stay for two hours and take him home afterwards for two weeks, and I was very angry about it, because he was totally fine in the group, he never cried, he was happy, and I still had to waste the time there. Third boy, same KiTa, different teacher was "Oh, stay for an hour with him on the first day and take him home then - then we'll try leaving him here alone for an hour while you're in the foyer - then we'll have a few days where he's here for a few hours and you just pick him up a little earlier - that went well, so he can stay the full time now" after about a week. Three completely different ease-in phases within the same institution.

[flamedealership]

🤣🤣And since you have all items together in one compartment in the fridge, "Abendbrot" with sandwiches is ready in no time at all🤣🤣💛💛
Yeah, getting a spot in a kindergarten in Germany often enough is a matter of pure luck (or nepotism according to the example you mentionend). Our government has put the right to a spot in a kindergarten into law on a federal level but somehow forgot to subsidize the local communities to follow up on that law. Hence the difficulties parents are experiencing getting a spot.
😭😭You were right in your last short video - you forgot your trademark outro - now, how am I supposed to make it through this week till your next video? I feel left out cold😭😭😉💛💛💛

[guyro]

Kita is the abbreviation for a „Kindertagesstätte“ and in my experience is more commonly used for places that are open more of the day (i.e., also offer afternoon daycare), whereas Kiga (Kindergarten) used to close at something like 12:00-13:00, usually without lunch services. Note, however, that based on some legal changes several years ago, many „Kiga“ also offer longer daycare, so the difference may be more historical than relevant today…

[haraldreimann-trusheim]

To Sort it out: Kinderkrippe is an old Name. It was used for an institution with children below 3. This has disappeared because of legal changes. Kindergarten (KiGa) is a more general Term where KinderTagesstätte (KiTa) always means your kid can have a meal and can stay until 16:00-17:00 (time differs for each KiTa) but always includes afternoons. So every KiTa is a KiGa but not every KiGa is a KiTa 🙃. The "Krippe" has disappeared, because most KiGa have U3 (unter 3) Kids or even U3-Groups depending on their Konzept. There is a huge difference between Tages-Mutter/Vater/Pflege and a KiGa. To open a Tagespflege, you only must pass a short course, but to work as an "Erzieher" you have to go through a 2-3 Year long training and an "Anerkennungsjahr" plus passing an exam. So you can not really compare Tagesmutter and KiGa, Its like comparing a neighbour mowing your lawn with a professional landscaper.

[njordholm]

Well, when I grew up we still had another institution who cared for us after kindergarden or school, so KiTa or OGS 'offene Ganztagsschule' with 'Hausaufgabenbetreuung' or Nanny (Tagesmutter) was not necessary. It is called grandparents, but with changes going on, it might have become more unusual because families have to spilt up across the whole country/world due to work. A bit sad, but everything has pros and cons, I believe.

[danielaalessandra]

Jenna I wonder if you would know how much montessori school is in Germany ?
I live in the us at the moment and Montessori is about 12k a year for one child, no lunch you have to provide it. 6 hours of school.

[maghof]

Different regions, different use of the names😅. Where I live, we call Kita the daycare for kids under 3, and Kiga is for kids 3-6 (we mostly call it "Kindi" though).

[ElkeLandwehr-ofop]

In an Elterninitiative the parents are the employer and decide also who to employ etc

[njordholm]

Honestly, I can't hear the argument for kindergarden is free anymore!

Yes, there are a lot of cities (who are responsible for organising the system, not federal or state government) which don't charge for kindergarden or only a part of it if you earn much. But the cities have to split their 'not endless' budget for education!

In my hometown, the major part of the budget goes into kindergardens, KiTas and all the other support measures, about 70% of it. That leads into schools being heavily underfinanced. The infrastructure is bad (molded buildings, locked gyms and derelict classrooms), not enough teachers and learning materials, etc.

We 'pay' for the 'free' kindergardens and support measures (needed due to parents worksituation and lifestyle [divorce rate/single parents] as well as demographic development of not having enough kids (single households) with bad schools and children with growing learning deficits and mental illnesses.

Think about it, please.

[evibourne]

In Houston daycare is very expensive and the people taking care of the children are not necessarily qualified. Some hardly even speak English.

[robertzander]

I know that it's pretty annoying, but unfortunately I can only repeat myself on the subject of education and childcare, in 1990, at the so-called reunification, there would have been an opportunity to adopt the system or maybe a few parts from the former GDR, the ideology would have been pushed aside of course, a few adjustments and reforms and it would have helped everyone. Unfortunately, the typical negative characteristics from western Germany, arrogance, ignorance and the belief that we know and can do everything better, of course prevented the whole thing from happening. In Scandinavia and especially in Finland, they are happy about the successes in childcare and education thanks to the support from the former GDR.
In all the statistics regarding these areas, they are mostly ahead of the rest, of course ahead of Germany and the USA. The absolutely perfect system will never really exist, there are always things that can be improved. The problem in Germany is currently finding enough suitable specialists for childcare that really love to this job.

[kerstin.jitschin]

Der größte Unterschied für mich ist staatlich / kirchlich oder privat/ Elterninitiative, heißt mehr Mitbestimmung und Mitarbeit wie 🧹, oder kochen 🧑‍🍳 und es kostet Geld, sehr unterschiedlich, für mich aber definitiv 💯 besser, auch wenn ich es mir damals vom Mund abgespart habe ; dasselbe mit der Schule 😅 aber es war die richtige Entscheidung ❤

[johnveerkamp]

You have all so. RUDOLF STEINER. VRIJE SCHOOL. !!!!

[Wachtel-Haltung]

Ich habe mal einen weisen Spruch gehört: Unsere Kinder werden nicht wegen unserer Erziehung erwachsen, sondern trotzdem.
I once heard a wise Term: Our Kids won't getting grown up because we educate them. They do it by themselves...

[real_doombastic]

Kindergarten = half day
KiTa = full day

[MajidMajid-wjec]

Hello mamd I m all roundar workers and driver please help me