The term "kid-friendly" has got a whole new meaning in my dictionary since I arrived in Germany. Before this I thought of kid friendly as a place accessible with a stroller, having clean toilets and perhaps even a mother-care room, at best a high-chair in a restaurant. I think I would have been happy with these had I not come to Germany.
Not anymore. In the first month, we consciously avoided public places. We struck off museums from our must-see list since were totally unsure how the kiddo would react in a place like that. Entry tickets are not exactly cheap, which means walking away in case of a meltdown would pinch hard. Slowly we started to realize that people with families, even infants were omnipresent. As we explored the town further, we saw parks, demarcated play areas and child-friendly facilities just about everywhere we went. The central shopping street has a ride or two each block. Book shops have a kids-area to allow you to browse in peace, eateries have a kids-area, trains have areas marked out for strollers. I'm sure there is lots that I haven't even discovered yet.
Subsequently we have became more relaxed about taking our kid out - whether it is eating out, shopping, site-seeing or plain travelling, you can be sure that there will be something or the other to engage your child.
We decided to risk it at the Natural History Museum after reading reviews that indicated that our kiddo could enjoy it too. She totally digged it. The exhibits (not the history) was life-like, colorful, caught her fancy in the strangest ways. We naturally had a great time together. Kid-friendly in a never-before way!
Ludwigsburg was particularly marvelous. The Marchengartens is a incredible children's park with all sorts of rides, dramatized fairy tales, even a water-play area. I would not in my wildest dreams have imagined a castle concealing a children's play area that size.
May be there are still places where I can't expect to visit with my kid - like the theater or a serious museum of art. But on the whole, I am unlikely to miss out on most aspects of life just because I have a kid in tow.
Why should having a baby put you in the back-seat in life? This society has acknowledged and internalized the challenge that is part of raising a child in such a beautiful manner. I'm really surprised that economics should come in the way of enjoying parenthood with so much to enjoy about it around!
Not anymore. In the first month, we consciously avoided public places. We struck off museums from our must-see list since were totally unsure how the kiddo would react in a place like that. Entry tickets are not exactly cheap, which means walking away in case of a meltdown would pinch hard. Slowly we started to realize that people with families, even infants were omnipresent. As we explored the town further, we saw parks, demarcated play areas and child-friendly facilities just about everywhere we went. The central shopping street has a ride or two each block. Book shops have a kids-area to allow you to browse in peace, eateries have a kids-area, trains have areas marked out for strollers. I'm sure there is lots that I haven't even discovered yet.
Subsequently we have became more relaxed about taking our kid out - whether it is eating out, shopping, site-seeing or plain travelling, you can be sure that there will be something or the other to engage your child.
We decided to risk it at the Natural History Museum after reading reviews that indicated that our kiddo could enjoy it too. She totally digged it. The exhibits (not the history) was life-like, colorful, caught her fancy in the strangest ways. We naturally had a great time together. Kid-friendly in a never-before way!
Ludwigsburg was particularly marvelous. The Marchengartens is a incredible children's park with all sorts of rides, dramatized fairy tales, even a water-play area. I would not in my wildest dreams have imagined a castle concealing a children's play area that size.
May be there are still places where I can't expect to visit with my kid - like the theater or a serious museum of art. But on the whole, I am unlikely to miss out on most aspects of life just because I have a kid in tow.
Why should having a baby put you in the back-seat in life? This society has acknowledged and internalized the challenge that is part of raising a child in such a beautiful manner. I'm really surprised that economics should come in the way of enjoying parenthood with so much to enjoy about it around!
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