You might be surprised to know that I find the USA flag is a pretty popular style here. I see the pattern in various places from women's, men's and children's shirts, kids shoes (I saw a pair of converse style shoes on someone with the american flag design). I think it is quite popular in home goods as well because I've seen it on blankets and decorative pillows...
Maternity/paternity leave in Sweden:
From what I understand, maternity/paternity leave in Sweden is for 16 months. For the entire leave, the country pays you 80 percent of your salary. You can divide up the time between parents anyway you like so you could both take 8 months or one take 10 the other 6, but either way, each parent has to take at least 2 months of the 16 so the father has to be off as well as the mother at some point.
Which brings me to my next topic, who is around during the day? I have heard most women and men work in Sweden and I have found this to be very true. It seems some people don't work too late in the afternoon, maybe home by 4:30 each day or earlier, but I believe from talking to people that this is by choice that both men and women equally want fulfilling careers and they still have plenty of time for family life (you may think its because things are so expensive that two people have to work but that isn't what I've heard). So when I shop at the malls, I notice many men with babies or toddlers, women with babies or toddlers, or retirees. It seems I am in the minority here. Also during the day the surprising thing you see around grocery shopping areas especially if there are convience stores associated or nearby, are students. Ranging in age from 13-18 because they all have open campus meaning that any free period at school or for lunchtime, they can leave school.
I am not the only one who rode my bike to the grocery store on this day...
Also, some children might go to a school in the next town, specifically the English speaking school, and instead of parents driving, they would take a city bus (or two). I met this family that has a 4th grader that is 9 years old that has practiced all summer taking the city buses to Gavle (the next town over). He even has to change buses on the way and the entire commute takes 45-50 minutes each way.
The school day has been so very different here for Alex's age than what I am used to also. Ben has a set schedule and punctually at 1:40 everyday (except Friday's its 12:30) he gets out. But Alex literally has a different schedule every day and it is pretty set, though teachers seem pretty flexible to change it for various reasons. Alex gets out anywhere from 1:10 to 3:00, but today I was out and about and I got a call from him that he was home already at 12:30. This was because his music teacher wasn't there so they didn't have class and the teachers let them go home after lunch. It is so very different than in the states where the students are accounted for every minute and especially in elementary school a teacher must know how they are getting home and see the parent pick them up or hand them over to the after school program where you need photo identification to take a child with you if they don't know you.
There is quite an emphasis on sports here. For instance, I mentioned that Alex has P.E. twice a week, but in addition, the one day Alex is staying to 3:00 at school, it is because he must spend 1 hour training in a sport of his choosing, (unfortunately basketball isn't an option because it has to be a sport that is available in this town. So he chose soccer for the fall, but others chose hockey in winter and other sports as well. If you do not play a sport that season then you have an organized P.E. class of various sports.
The soccer teams have been very inclusive and have welcomed both my boys. They each train twice a week then games on the weekends. Since it's a small town, there are many away games where you travel to neighboring towns, but to make sure everyone has a ride, you always meet before the game at the fields you practice at which is almost always a bike ride away so there is never anyone left out. Tonight there is a major soccer game between our local professional team and one of the best professional teams in Sweden, so both of my children's teams are meeting outside the game and going with their teammates to watch the game. It is close to the house so we have worked out that we will bring them and when the game is over, we will walk down to pick them up.
So there are gyms like we have back in the states, but I don't think it is as common to join to lift weights. Rather, people prefer "training" as they call it outdoors or taking classes that are functional workouts, spinning, cross fit, boot camp, etc., but not using weights as much it's more resistance training. I looked up joining a few gyms that seemed to have fitness classes I would like, but since most people work, all their training classes are either offered first thing in the morning, or a few at noon, or mostly in the evenings which aren't optimal for me since I would like to get my workouts in before the kids are out of school.
When I say training here is functional, one of the most unusual to me is the roller cross country skiing. I often see people on the pedestrian paths doing this instead of running for exercise...
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