Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Parents all over the world want to raise confident, resilient kids — ready to take on whatever life throws at them. But how do you actually pull that off? Bulgarian parents seem to have figured something out. Even though conditions in Bulgaria can be tough, kids and teens there score surprisingly high when it comes to mental well-being. We follow a Bulgarian family through their everyday life and explore what role the extended family still plays in raising kids in this Southeast European country, what kind of government support parents can count on, and how normalized physical discipline in parenting still is today.
How does this compare to parenting where you live? Share your thoughts in the comments!
CHAPTERS
00:00 Growing up in one of Europe’s poorest countries
00:30 Meet Desislava and Nikola
00:58 Facts & figures
01:24 Why many Bulgarians return to their home country
02:33 Challenges in Bulgaria
03:33 How children take responsibility
04:12 Parental leave in Bulgaria
05:10 Climbing with the twins
05:51 Mental health and well-being
06:36 How about slapping children?
07:18 Why Bulgarian kids are set up to succeed
#dweuromaxx #parenting #bulgaria
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CREDITS
Report: Maria Milkova, Hendrik Welling
Host: Hallie Rawlinson
Camera: Ognyan Penev
Edit: Hendrik Welling
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
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Subscribe to DW Euromaxx:
bit.ly/DWEuromaxx_Sub
Would you like to find out more about Euromaxx?
▸Website: dw.com/english/euromaxx
▸Facebook: facebook.com/dw.euromaxx
▸Instagram: instagram.com/dw_euromaxx
DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.
Parents all over the world want to raise confident, resilient kids — ready to take on whatever life throws at them. But how do you actually pull that off? Bulgarian parents seem to have figured something out. Even though conditions in Bulgaria can be tough, kids and teens there score surprisingly high when it comes to mental well-being. We follow a Bulgarian family through their everyday life and explore what role the extended family still plays in raising kids in this Southeast European country, what kind of government support parents can count on, and how normalized physical discipline in parenting still is today.
How does this compare to parenting where you live? Share your thoughts in the comments!
CHAPTERS
00:00 Growing up in one of Europe’s poorest countries
00:30 Meet Desislava and Nikola
00:58 Facts & figures
01:24 Why many Bulgarians return to their home country
02:33 Challenges in Bulgaria
03:33 How children take responsibility
04:12 Parental leave in Bulgaria
05:10 Climbing with the twins
05:51 Mental health and well-being
06:36 How about slapping children?
07:18 Why Bulgarian kids are set up to succeed
#dweuromaxx #parenting #bulgaria
--------------------------------------------
CREDITS
Report: Maria Milkova, Hendrik Welling
Host: Hallie Rawlinson
Camera: Ognyan Penev
Edit: Hendrik Welling
Supervising Editor: Mirja Viehweger
--------------------------------------------
Subscribe to DW Euromaxx:
bit.ly/DWEuromaxx_Sub
Would you like to find out more about Euromaxx?
▸Website: dw.com/english/euromaxx
▸Facebook: facebook.com/dw.euromaxx
▸Instagram: instagram.com/dw_euromaxx
DW Euromaxx brings you engaging insights into European cultures and lifestyles.
