LostInTheWoods

The title of this post is my translation (could be a little dodgy) of a Swedish saying regarding children. The law here is set up to protect children from day one, and some of your rights as a “syskon” (son or daughter) can stay with you all your life.

Today in school we learnt about basics of Swedish law relating to living together and getting married, and how money is shared out if there is a break up of the relationship and children are involved. The following is what I gleaned, and may have some factual inaccuracies which I may have to correct at a later date, but this was all explained in Swedish, so cut me some slack ; )

When you split up here, by law material goods and money are always shared equally amongst the two adults (there is a little difference if you are not married), and the child(ren) reside with one of the parents. Then the other parent pays money (decided by a court I imagine) for the children. The other adult party gets nothing, apart from what was shared out originally. I have never been divorced (or married), but this sounds different to what I have heard of in UK.

Also, as a child you are entitled to an equal share of your parents estate when they die. They cannot write a will to exclude you. So if your authoritarian father wants you to be a doctor/lawyer/quantity surveyor, and you decide to be an exotic dancer/pig farmer/trapeze artist and run away with the circus, he cannot by law, write you out of his will.

I think this is excellent, an inextricable bond is formed between most parents and their children, but a few like to use the possibility (or not) of inheritance as a lever to influence in their children's lives. The law removes this possibility. Children who soon go on to be adults should be free to chose the direction of their lives, obviously with guidance, but without parental pre-determination. Well, that's what I think.

I will learn more tomorrow, but with cheap day care, and from what I have heard of how schools work here, I am starting to recognise “First and Foremost” is really important here.

That is all.
LostInTheWoods