I watched "Where to Invade Next" last night.

[LittleGirl]

70. Austria and Switzerland

have similar lifestyles.

I know many UK expats here in Basel and they struggle with the attitude of working mothers. The local schools let out around noon and the mothers have to be home or make arrangements for childcare if they work. The International schools run most of the day and let out like US schools later in the day but man, they are expensive! 20k francs for one child and they get a break for a second one in school. Most work contracts allow for school fees if you are only here for a temporary assignment.

I don't have any children but most of the expats I know do. Some choose the local schools and really struggle with the attitude of working mothers, the expectations of the mothers to be available for volunteering at the schools and activities. An american expat friend of mine isn't married and her boyfriend is Swiss. They didn't tell his mother she worked for 2 yrs! What? I was shocked. This boyfriend's mother is my age so I was very surprised that she had that attitude about women working.

But then my spouse reminded me that Swiss women weren't allowed to vote in federal elections until 1971.

I don't work now because I don't know swiss German, french or Italian and most of the jobs around expect you to know all three or at least Swiss german. ugh.