When talking about children, we have to talk about parents. The state of childhood is a product of parental behavior. And, naturally, there is an inevitable risk of generalization, although everyone knows that each family is its own separate world with its own laws. Therefore, in order to avoid offense and contradictions, let's accept by default: there will be no sweeping statements here, no attempts to put an entire people into a Procrustean bed of templates and stereotypes. All that the author can offer to your attention are the results of personal observations that do not assert anything and do not pretend to be statistics. Listing the disadvantages is not intended to describe how bad everything is. Not bad - different!
So... The first thing that catches your eye is an indisputable fact: they love children in Bulgaria! They love by accepting, enjoying this love and rejecting everything that could interfere with this in the moment. There are both pros and cons to this feeling. These are the ones that will be discussed in this article.
Distribution of roles
Bulgarian dads, for the most part, are more like mothers. They are the ones who take care of the children. Among those who meet children at school, among those accompanying them to dances and clubs, among those walking with children the overwhelming number of men. Mothers can afford to visit numerous beauty salons, nail care, hair and eyelash extensions, inflating parts of the face and body, fitness and spa - they are freed from the hassle of care.
Some mothers don’t even know the schedule of their offspring, the dioptre numbers for visual impairment, the recommendations of doctors and teachers - this is all under dad’s control. Of course, there are dads who are absorbed in the process of work; There are also mothers who take care of children; There are, after all, single mothers who have no one to lean on. But the prevalence of conscious fatherhood in Bulgaria is really striking.
Bulgarian dads, for the most part, are more like mothers
Irresponsible love
By loving their children, parents get the opportunity to enjoy their cloudless mood and save themselves from the hassle of the educational process. Most Bulgarian parents do not bother with strictness. They praise their children even when there is nothing to praise for. They require little and provide complete freedom. Therefore, children are relaxed and open. But, at the same time, they are characterized by laziness and inertia and are alien to purposefulness and curiosity.
Moreover, permissiveness gives rise to uncontrollability and a disregard for others. And, as a result, the frankly unceremonious behavior of the younger generation is clearly striking. And if in early childhood it looks harmless, with a discount for juvenile stupidity, then every year it becomes more and more obvious that it develops into a much more serious inconvenience for others.
The first sign of intelligence in behavior is the desire not to create inconvenience for others. There are rare families in which the demands of the parents are inexorable; the children in these families are strikingly different from the majority: modest, flexible, having a fairly clear, formed code of honor and behavioral framework, taking into account the elementary rules of good manners and a sense of tact. But there are very few of them. Basically - families where children are simply an object of unproblematic adoration.
Personality deformation
As a result, overwhelmed children choose a passive consumer model: they are not interested in anything - only phones, tablets, brands and glamorous TV series as role models. There are no authorities for them: neither among teachers, nor among indulgent parents. The behavior of Bulgarian children towards teachers is simply unthinkable for us. There is no need to talk about any discipline in the learning process.
If children who are in love and are clearly losing their brakes are faced with a sharp refusal, rebuff or pressure, you can often witness demonstrative hysterics and even real nervous breakdowns. And, if a child complains about the teacher, the parents will raise their eyebrows not only at the school, but also at the department of education. Teachers, most often, protect their nerves and prefer not to get involved in conflict.
Insolence goes unpunished
Judging by the situation near Bulgarian schools: smoking becomes difficult to hide from a fairly early age. Moreover, among girls - to a greater extent. Among high school students, weed smoking is common. Recently, the press has increasingly highlighted a problem: high school girls eager to buy fashionable phones, clothes and cosmetics, without hiding their faces, offer sexual services via the Internet.
Health
Judging by the Bulgarian schoolchildren, the health of children is not very good. There are many teenagers with hypertonicity of the limbs: they walk on their toes, bouncing, which naturally affects the spine, and through it, all organs. What to expect if children of adoring parents wear sneakers in any weather?
Shoes, as a factor in health care, are not considered here. The issue of price is so important that orthopedic shoes made of genuine leather are mainly bought by foreigners. Of course, why spend 150 leva on good shoes if your feet are growing rapidly? Sneakers for 15-20 leva are a great way out of the situation. Well, if it gets colder - cheap synthetic non-breathable boots or boots that are not bothered with arch support. Children take off their shoes and leave wet sock marks on the floor. You can keep silent about the smell.
They routinely sit on cold stones, even in front of their parents. The consequences need not be discussed. Children who do not know refusal eat what they consider tasty - chips, pizza, sweets and drink cola. Lax requests from parents are ignored. Many people have digestive problems, suffer from bowel problems, indigestion, pancreatic and stomach pain and, even more often, allergies.
There is no need to talk about food culture at all
Motivation
Children who are praised have high self-esteem. Everything is fine in them without studying, without growing in depth, without developing skills. They, seeing themselves as ideal - reflected in their parents' eyes, do not strive for anything. Life is good! Naturally, they soon encounter clearly competitive children who have hobbies and are growing rapidly personally.
This is where the “caste” division in classes comes from: the mediocrity unites and, outnumbered, actively makes friends against the “others”. That is why, often, small children from the former Soviet republics stick to each other, distancing themselves from the Bulgarian majority, even if they are on good terms with them and do not have a language barrier - the degree of energy, reaction speed, level of development, interests and upbringing affect them.
Results
I repeat: on all counts - not all, not always, not everywhere... But, even after all the listed disadvantages and side effects, the picture of universal love for children in Bulgaria never ceases to touch. Safety is stunning. Children here do not need to be protected from their surroundings as much as we are used to at home. On the street, it is considered quite normal if passers-by sit down “on the floor” of someone else’s baby, treat them to sweets, kiss hands, lamenting “kuklichka” (doll) and “bonbonka” (candy), interest and talk to the child, get to know him (without asking the parents’ permission ) - with the best intentions, genuinely moved to tears.
Many Bulgarians know how to communicate with children in an age-appropriate manner and do it at ease and willingly. Children feel completely safe among adults, express themselves freely and do not feel constrained. The children here feel good not only in terms of climate, but also psychologically. And so do their parents from among our compatriots. At least until the children have crossed the threshold of adolescence, the thought of taking them away from here in search of something better somehow does not arise.