Housing

Housing

THE WAY OF LIFE IN SLOVAKIA AND ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Family is very important in life of every one of us; it is a base of the society. There are some differences between the lifestyles in various countries. It depends on the living standard in a certain country and the mentality of its inhabitants. Both the British and the Americans often change the place of living.

On the other hand, the Slovaks usually live in the same house all their lives. In the past, several generations lived together but now the independent children use the opportunity to buy or rent a house or a flat and they live on their own.

If young couples aren’t solvent they can borrow money from a bank or a building society and they buy a house or a flat. Later they have to pay monthly payments for the loan. Many young people rent a house. There are several types of houses: a terraced house, a semi – detached house, a detached house, a cottage, a flat

a detached house – stands by itself and is not joined to another house

semi-detached houses - two houses joined together by one common wall

terraced houses – are built in a row and are joined one to another to form a street

a cottage – is a small village house

a flat – is situated on one floor and is usually designed for one family. Several flats together form a block of flats and some blocks of flats make a housing estate.

Family life in English speaking countries

People in English speaking countries base their family when they are about 30. They usually have only one, maximum two children. Middle and working class mothers take care of their children or they employ au-pair girls who help in household, play with children or take them to or from a school. There are a lot of au pairs in these countries because girls want to earn some money and to improve their language skills.

The relationship among parents and their children is not as strong as a relationship in our country. Parents lead their kids to independence and after they get to university, they leave home and begin their own life. It is not difficult for them to move to another part of the country and visit their parents only once or twice a year. They keep the touch by telephone or throughout the Internet.

Family life in Slovakia

Young people in our country base their family when they are about 20 or 25 years old. Common family has 2 or 3 children but to have 4 or 5 children isn’t unusual. Mothers usually stay at home until their children are at the age of 3. The young couples can’t afford an au pair because there is much lower living standard in our country than in West Europe.

The children are often very dependent on their parents. When young people go to university, parents support them, finance their studies and help them in many ways. The Slovak young couples often prefer living near their parents. It is very common when three generations live together in one house or in the same town. They often have very good and a strong relationship.

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