American mom reveals 6 big differences between raising kids in Italy versus the US

Relocating or shifting to a new place can be challenging, even if it is for a short period. Managing a new lifestyle and adapting to changes take some time. While some changes can be a great booster, others may not be as fun. Mom Sarah Thompson–who goes by @sarahlthompson11 on TikTok–shared a video highlighting the unique differences she’s observed in Italy and the USA concerning raising kids. While a lot of it is super fun and exciting, some changes undoubtedly require more work. Thompson's clip is useful for mom who know the struggle of raising kids, even with habitual routines, and are planning to move out of the US. 

The first change Thompson noted was bedtimes. “Italian kids go to bed so late. Sometimes 10.30 or even 11.00 pm.” She mentioned that she needs to change her kids’ nap times to match those of Italian kids so she can enjoy things during the day with her children. She also shared an example of birthday parties where Italian kids have a different period and kids can get super grumpy due to shifts in time, which is why it’s necessary to get them to adapt to those late bedtimes. The next point was fresh food. The mom pointed out that people have freshly cooked meals every single day.

“It is incredible, but it is quite exhausting that you have to prepare fresh food for your kids constantly,” the mom said. However, she did suggest a hack. Thompson pointed out that pasta is popular in Italy, even for kids, so the easiest way to get fresh food is to prepare pasta with different sauces and add-ons for the meals. “Number 3 is that the adult world and child world are combined,” Thompson said. She explained that she was referring to the idea that most adults get the kids around for everything. “They do everything together, they’re everywhere together, which is amazing. But it can be exhausting because you need time on your own sometimes,” the mom said.

The next pointer was a decent yet surprising one. The mom mentioned that piazzas in Italy allow children to run around freely, even with vehicles passing by. “It’s fine, not strange at all,” Thompson added. “I still have that American anxiety, the stranger danger,” the mom said. However, she highlighted that she lives in a small city in Italy and it is fine for kids to play around. The fifth point was about circumcision. “This guy is not circumcised. You don’t circumcise in Italy. I don’t think you circumcise anywhere in Europe,” the mom explained. She added that it was one of the significant changes for her, which she was still adapting to.

The next pointer the mom mentioned was the high prices of kids' products. “Kids products in general are expensive in Italy,” the mom said before joking about how she always regrets that she’d have gotten the item for cheap in the US. Lastly, Thompson mentioned the best part about Italy was “not getting stares from the public and being accepted.” The mom mentioned that if she’s having trouble managing her kid or if there are tantrums, she gets her non-judgemental space to calm him down. @monikadeturk said, “That’s how it should be.” @queenbee61690 said, “It’s running free and independent for me. I want that for my kids.”

You can follow Sarah Thompson on TikTok (@sarahlthompson) and Instagram (@sarahlthompson) for more content on parenting and Italy-US differences.