- We were shocked to find unisex changing rooms and open-air urinals in Europe when we arrived.
- The Dutch are more practical than Americans and they have a different sense for modesty.
- Although my children didn’t seem to be concerned, it was difficult for me to adjust to a more practical, open society.
My family and I saw many unfamiliar sights as we stepped off the train in our first day in the Netherlands. But the one that stood out to us was an open-air Urinal. You might pass it by and not know what it was, unless you were a user.
These are common in the Netherlands, particularly in areas where there are many bars and large street parties. These are meant to keep streets clean and prevent drownings from people who try to get into the canals.
This open-air activity was a great choice for my boys, who were 4 and 7. pissoir It was also our first exposure to the Dutch’s love for practicality. How our deeply ingrained senses of modesty were about to be totally rewritten.
We are an American family.
I swear, we’re not prudes. I believe we are normal Americans. Before moving to Europe, I had never thought much about modesty. I was shocked at the differences in Dutch standards when I lived in Holland.
Another big difference we saw at my boys’ elementary school was when they allowed the children to change into their gym clothes in the classroom. Teachers didn’t waste their time going to private rooms to divide by gender and then headed to the gym. “pop on some shorts and a tee-shirt and let’s go.”
It wasn’t something that their teachers and classmates made a big deal of, so it didn’t bother my boys. It was just what they did.
It wasn’t just at school that modesty was encouraged. Both boys and females could use the same locker room and showers for their Dutch swimming lessons. It was convenient for parents who had both.
The USA YMCA had separate dressing rooms for men and women. However, the small Dutch swim school needed three kinds of locker rooms.
As if the locker situation weren’t enough, we went into the pool and saw children in jeans and raincoats swimming laps. You have to be fully clothed for classes at higher levels. Goggles were also not allowed. Talk about practical.
My kids quickly adjusted to the new lifestyle.
My boys were able to adapt quickly to their classmates’ changes, and they embraced them. Their female swimming class friends didn’t have tops and they didn’t care. Their swim instructor asked everyone to leave the pool at the end of class and then lined them up for the co-ed toilets. They thought it was cool, just like my boys didn’t question open-air urinals.
My children took it all in stride while my 30+ years as an American took some time to get over.
However, I admire the Dutch for their practicality and modesty. Although I don’t believe I will ever feel comfortable walking next to a man peeing on the streets, I understand why it is necessary. Similar to how I had difficulty accepting the idea of children changing their swim lessons in a public space for gym class or swimming lessons.
I learned to love and appreciate the Dutch way of thinking. It made me reexamine my cultural habits and gave me a sense of the prudishness that was missing in my life.