The second installment of things I wish they had in Germany. Temporary childcare and free parenting support centers [Chat episode]

Hello. I'm mira, living in Munich, Germany.
I am currently back in Japan for a temporary visit.
Thank you for coming by♪

It's been a few weeks since I returned to Japan, and my daughter has started attending kindergarten in my hometown.
This is the second time she has been cared for at this kindergarten.

As for the twins, I had been taking care of them at home the whole time in Germany, but since they finally turned three, it was decided that they would finally enter kindergarten this autumn. (In Germany, the school year starts in the autumn.)
In Japan, I sometimes use temporary childcare. There might be regional differences or differences depending on the facility, but at the nursery school in my hometown, I can leave my children there for half a day or a full day, up to three times a week, on an ad-hoc basis. As far as I know, there are no childcare facilities in Munich where you can request childcare on such an ad-hoc basis, so every time I come back to Japan, I feel envious.
When I looked into it, it seems there are services for emergency temporary childcare, but basically, it doesn't seem like there is anything for short-term, short-duration, ad-hoc use for the purpose of a mother's refreshment.

I honestly don't know how widespread temporary childcare is in Japan, but I think it's an incredibly good service (?).
If it were in Germany, I would definitely use it every now and then.
A mother's rest is extremely important for family peace.
It's fine for people whose hobby is child-rearing and who don't mind being with their children 24/7, but I can't spend all my time with my children (laughs).
Or rather, I can't maintain my peace of mind without some time to myself.

Also, I am grateful that there are free indoor facilities for children, such as parenting support centers and children's centers.
On days when I don't use temporary childcare, I take them to the park if the weather is nice, but if it's raining, we can't play outside, so it's helpful to have these kinds of facilities. You can just drop in for free without a reservation, and there are lots of toys, so the children are super excited. Most places also hold events like seasonal crafts from time to time.
In Munich, on days when the weather is bad, there aren't many options for indoor facilities, and I have the impression that there are almost no places you can use for free.
There are cafes with play spaces like parent-child cafes, but naturally, you have to pay for food and drinks.

However, I think the quality of parks is higher in Germany.
There are also more opportunities to get in touch with nature, such as cycling in the forest, in Germany. (In our family's case)
Comparing Munich and my hometown in Japan, Munich is overwhelmingly the larger city, but I have the impression that there is more nature in Munich.
Both countries have their own good points.

These are just my impressions based on my experiences within my own living area, so of course, I think there are regional differences in both Japan and Germany. I cannot say unconditionally that Japan is like this and Germany is like that, but for the sake of convenience, I have grouped them as "Japan" and "Germany."
I wonder what it's like in other regions. I'm curious.

Thank you for reading until the end.
Let's meet again♪

This is the first installment of things I wish they had in Germany.

Because holidays spent with children in nature are also fun.