Differences Sweden-Mexico

There are a few quite noticeable differences raising your kids in Sweden or in Mexico.
*these are based on my experiences, they might sometime seem extreme or not portray all of mexico - that is because I only can write about my particular experience*

1. Pink and blue. Princess dresses and football.
To a Swedish child these are just colors and games/toys. For a Mexican child pink is a girl color, blue is for boys. Princess dresses are only for girls and football is a boy sport (at least in younger years).

2. Maternity leave or the lack thereof.
The Mexican government gives you 80 days, of which they more or less force you to take half BEFORE the child is born. This leaves you with 40 days afterwards. You get about 10 times more days in Sweden 480 (to the parents not the mother) - the father needs to take at least 90 of those days - plus the 10 days you get when the baby is born. Mexican fathers get 5 days.

3. Daycare/school
When the Mexican kids turn 4-5 they need to start school - recommended at 3.
These are schools, the kids are in a room, benches, boards - like what a Swedish kid starts at 7.
These start at 8 and usually finish around 1-2. They cost a lot of money.
So in order for you to have a child in school you need to be able to set aside a large amount of money - but you also need to have time to pick them up at 1-2, attend school activities during work hours, and of course be able to pay for more childcare in the afternoon.

Or you do what we HAD to chose. Me stopping to work to take care of the kids, while  trying to earn money from home.

4. Cold vs warm
Mexicans love the winter. They take on the concept completely.
They are so excited about the colder temperatures that they go full out on the equipment.
I mean temperatures at night can drop to around 5c, daytime is still Swedish summer/European spring - In the 20s, minimum 15.
You would be surprised at how they dress. Ski jackets, thick hats, gloves - in the middle of the day
This might be connected to the fact that when they are babies - if they have the hickups Mexicans are taught to believe this means the baby is cold. It can be 25c and sunny but the Mexican will tell you the baby is cold. Even Mexicans within the medical field.
It's quite interesting. Science says that people can get the hickups from a drop in temperature - the diaphragm contracts. I mean imagine if people got the hickups from being cold - how would all of Scandinavia look 70% of the year?
So if you are bringing a child to Mexico during the winter - and dress them after temperature - get ready for comments like: isn't he/she cold?

5.Medicine
Mexicans LOVE medicine, especially antibiotics. It's like any study showing how dangerous the use of antibiotics is never reached Mexico.
I mean I have heard doctors say you need antibiotics as soon as you have green buggars and a fever, a small infection - antibiotics.
They will push it on your baby as if it was candy - you need to really do your research.
I have a report from the WHO on hand that warns about the use of it - in medical terms.
But be aware - doctors here seem to believe they cannot be wrong - I always try to back up what I say with scientific documents. Sad but true that their knowledge isn't up to date on every level.

6. Advice
Mexicans love to give advice. A lot of times it makes no sense.
#For example the one about the cold.
One old lady once tried to teach me that if I didn't dress Sophia in winter clothes she would get pneumonia and possibly die.
(That is what she said, and it was not a stranger).
#Another advice I got was to not get Sophia the tuberculosis vaccine because when her kids were babies her pediatrician told her that since she was not going to be around poor people (I am not kidding) they didn't need it.
**if you don't want to vaccinate fine - but use a more intelligent argument
I mean how could she not question her doctor. I would have changed doctor straight away - I mean let's use her words: how do you avoid 'poor people' in Mexico?
The same person later tried to shame me into choosing to give it to Sophia by trying to put me on the spot with our pediatrician - luckily he told her off and said that giving the vaccine is the safest option here in Mexico.
#One person once told me that I shouldn't breastfeed longer than 6 months because after that the milk is just water.
#I was once in a room where a mother who has a son who likes dresses, dolls, pink and dancing was told to hide all things feminine and inscribe him in more masculine activities.
The list is long. Sometimes their advice is literally dangerous (the one with the vaccine), sometimes just ridiculous - like the one with the milk.

7 Nutrition
A nutritious meal for the kids in Sophia's school is not the same as in Sweden.
A lunch can consist of:
Nuggets and ketchup
Raisins
Fruit water sweetened with sugar.

I will say no more about this. I am sure you get my point.

8. Family
They say that in Europe we aren't as family oriented as in Latin America.
I have come to notice this is not true.
Here they love the concept of a family and love to have family lunch on Sundays.
But to get to know your kids, spend time with them during the week... Nope.
Of course all families are different.
What I know from the countries and families I have seen in Europe, people prioritize time with their family - active playing, cooking together - even if they have full time jobs.
Here family is more a concept, something you are apart of - big.
We are all different.
I, of course, prefer the way I have gotten to know. Getting to know my kids, in stead of buying them gifts I give them my time - memories.

I would like to make sure that no one gets offended. This is just a fun list of how it is for someone coming from the first world, with all that comes with that, needs to raise their kids in Mexico.
It's not easy.
As I am sure it wouldn't be easy for a Mexican to raise kids in Europe, their list would probably be even longer.

I would like to recommend this article - here - it's great.