I have two girls, one is four and the other is two. I am married to a Swiss man and for one year we're living in Riehen, the small Swiss town where he grew up. The population is 20,000 and it's an easy bike or bus commute into Basel. Riehen is an affluent town where life is tidy and predictable.
Life is Simple
Kids bike and scoot all year round. They sled and ski in the winter. Families swim at their community pools and play at the neighborhood playground. Grandparents take an active role in helping with their families. I have been told that things haven't changed much over the years here in Riehen.
Even with all this simple goodness, a lot of people are not very friendly toward children. There have been many time's when we've been on the bus and my "extremely cute" child tries to charm her seat neighbor. This mostly fails, and usually the person just looks away.
Schools
It's all about the public school here. Most kids happily attend their neighborhood school, and beginning at age 5, they either walk, bike or scoot on their own. If both parents work, you can sign your child up for extended care that goes until 6pm and it's very inexpensive - though parents must prove that both are working in order to sign up.
Maternity & Paternity
Both full and part-time women are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave. Women are paid 80% of their wages during this time. However, as of 2017, there is no law giving fathers the right to any sort of paternity leave.