I just tend to see the same sort of theme throughout threads & posts here in EF...A lot of ex pats who live en Suisse and complain but typically complain ultimately about nuances and cultural differences that are part & parcel of living in a different country
Yet, even for many who have lived here for years (And from the sound of it, the OP has as well), it still inexplicably seems to be some sort of mystery to them...I've been visiting for more than 7 years but only now completing my first year living here and there is increasingly a malignant air in EF stemming from the same key issue over & over again - culture
Most of us who are Americans or Brits are coming from very proud or even arrogant countries and seemingly think it's incumbent upon the Suisse to integrate us rather than the other way around...That somehow it's necessary that things here need to be the same or similar to how it was back in the US or UK...Well, that's not going to be the case no matter how much you cry & beg it to be
There is, after all, a reason why many of you left your respective countries (Although I suspect money was at the heart of it for many here)...Personally, I came because of my wife & the quality of life here...I have had and continue to have hurdles in adapting to life here...There are countless cultural nuances I am learning about but I am learning about them...I suppose I have an advantage in that I am not without plenty of help through many Suisse relatives although it can be difficult just the same...Yet, I see many if not most of the English speakers doing precious little to bridge that gap apart from perhaps just learning the language...We fault immigrants in our own home countries for failing to integrate properly or appreciate how things are done in the US/UK but somehow that fails these same people when living en Suisse - I find it repugnant but sadly predictable
My advice for the complainers and the ones still in shock about the cultural differences is to accept that it's different here and attempt to understand it rather than dismiss it due to a lack of familiarity...You don't have to, of course, but I imagine you'll need to accept too that you'll continue to live on the fringe of society...That sort of closed mindedness is part of the problem both in terms of integrating and in terms of gaining acceptance from locals...I find myself lamenting the fact that the window to purchase things is much smaller than it was in my 24/7 life back in the US but appreciate that perhaps there is merit to why it isn't like that here...My Sundays are now almost always filled with a relaxing hike with friends and or family...I love how my 3 year old niece gets ready for bed on her own, without being coaxed or forced to brush their teeth etc...That she helps with cleaning the house or not wasting food on her plate etc...And she's no less a wonderful child than my niece back in the US - just more mature for many things...I've picked up on this over the last 7 years very clearly, in terms of children, we come from societies where children are far more spoiled than they are here...Children don't hold that sort of privileged place in society that they do back home
There are, of course, so many subtleties to how things are different here but I am willing to make allowances for how it is indeed different...Because at the end of the day, it's a wonderful world here en Suisse...Say what you will about the differences but for a nation that has been around longer, been democratic longer, safer, cares about the environment, people & future of the planet like it does I say there isn't a person on the planet who shouldn't be taking note...They're doing something right here and most of you would do well to get off your high horses
Sure there are difficulties and differences that can be hard to understand or even adjust to, particularly in the short term, but that's part of integration...And until you integrate, it's going to continue to be that thorn in your side and consequently leave you on the outside looking in - so complain less if you have decided to take your ball & go home rather than make such utterly ridiculous assessments about Suisse people or their culture...Because last I checked, you're here and if you intend to stay, it's you that will need to change, not the other way around...And if changes do occur for the country, it'll be decided as a collective as is the case in a direct democracy...Look how well our respective countries are doing back home with their glorious ways of doing things, eh?
Perhaps I came off insensitive to the OP initially but it's so tiresome to hear such outlandish generalizations about life here...I mean intolerance to children?...I'm sorry but it's a ludicrous conclusion to draw and not even very imaginative - I can only conclude you've seen precious little of the world outside of the spas & resorts of the planet...More & more I see very privileged people living here with such a sense of entitlement that I fail to comprehend how these same people thought they'd ever be able to live here longterm...Increasingly, the perception among locals is that the US/UK immigrants, in particular, are intent on trying to shape this land in the image of their past lives - that will be met with a lot more intolerance than any perceived one towards children...So meanwhile, sure, stuff your money in the mattresses or wherever the IRS allows you to but try heading to Les Bains de Lavey to unwind and perhaps learn to adapt better in your new home