I will never accept German insistence on my going inside to pay for gas as other than backwards. Then, there are many cultural practices that are neither better nor worse, just eternally "other." For example, I will never get used to nudity in public parks. On the other hand, many German norms are unambiguously superior.
Helicopter parenting has not yet arrived in Germany. Children as young as age six ride their bikes all about town with no parent in sight. Free range parenting. In general, German risk tolerance regarding their children is very high. Playgrounds have climbing apparatus but no safety nets or even padding on which to fall. If you fall, you get hurt, which quickly teaches one not to fall.
We went to an amusement park yesterday. Very few park employees. When the first child in line gets in the seat, she fastens her belt and then signals that she is ready. Then the next child in line pushes the button to send the seat flying into the air. The kids handle the logistics themselves, and, get this, it totally works. I love this aspect of German culture.
Separately, the boys were fighting on and on after the park trying to select a movie to watch. I grew weary of their whining and just turned on Frozen without telling them or even asking their opinion. After a minute, they realized what it was, complained much about how they were so tired of it and how "Frozen is so old" and "is for girls." Then they watched the entire movie, grinning, giggling, and singing along to the whole thing.
I thought so.
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