Children in Germany can attend kindergarten for years, until they turn 6. School attendance is then compulsory (Schulpflicht) from ages 6 to 15, or from grades 1 through 9 or 10, regardless of the type of school. That places a ban on homeschooling, except in rare cases, such as severe illness.

Kids kick off their first day of school with a special cone of sweets, and then things get a bit more serious. Matters of public education are regulated by each of the 16 German states, not the federal government. In most states, children attend primary school for only four years. In Berlin, they generally attend six years before moving on to the "weiterführende Schule," or secondary school.

Before moving on to secondary school, children receive a recommendation from their primary school teacher about which type of school could be appropriate. The recommendation states if a child is considered fit for Gymnasium, or rather another type of school. Currently, in North Rhine-Westphalia, parents may override that recommendation and choose a different school.

An academically-oriented type of secondary school, it prepares kids to enter university. To do so, they first have to complete their Hochschulreife (higher education entrance qualification, or A-levels) or Abitur diploma after grade 12 or 13. The curriculum includes everything from math and sciences, to languages, art and music, social studies, philosophy and sports.

Students at the Realschule (grades 5-10 in most states) take most of the same classes as at Gymnasium, but with varying foreign language requirements, among other things. The Realschule often aims to prepare students for attending a technical or business school. Pupils who do well may choose to work toward their Abitur, but must then switch to a Gymnasium or Gesamtschule.

The Hauptschule teaches most of the same subjects as the other high schools, but at a slower pace. It offers vocational-oriented courses, with the goal of enrollment in a trade school and apprenticeship training. After graduation, good students can work toward a Realschule diploma or qualify to attend a Gesamtschule or Gymnasium to receive their Abitur.

The 1960s and 70s saw the boom of the Gesamtschule, an alternative to the three-tiered system. Comprehensive and heterogeneous in nature, it integrates the Gymnasium, Realschule and Hauptschule tracks into one school. Students can go the academic route, working toward their Abitur in grade 13. Or they can opt for the vocational vein, graduating after 9th or 10th grade to attend a trade school.

In recent years, Gesamtschulen have experienced even more popularity, with bigger cities in particular lacking spots for those who apply. In 2018, the city of Cologne (pop. around one million) had to turn down some 1,000 students who wanted to attend a Gesamtschule. The appeal could be due to longer school days as well as the comprehensive learning possibilities.

Students may need to switch tracks. If a student struggles during a two-year "trial period" of 5th and 6th grade at a Gymnasium, teachers may recommend transferring to a Realschule or Hauptschule. Entering a comprehensive Gesamtschule is often difficult at that point because spots are scarce. High achievers at other schools may be able to transfer to a Gymnasium if they fulfill requirements.

Some states do not have a multi-tiered system, but a two-tiered one, like Saxony. Following four years of grade school, students attend either the Oberschule (which combines the Haupt- and Realschulen) or Gymnasium. In Bavaria, secondary students go to a Mittelschule, Realschule or Gymnasium. Some states offer the comprehensive Gemeinschaftsschule, a variation of the Gesamtschule.

Following Hauptschule or Realschule, Berufsschulen (vocational schools) mix academic study with hands-on learning through apprenticeship. Successful completion leads to certification in a special trade or field. These schools often cooperate with companies and trade unions to offer students training.

Children with special needs may attend either a Förderschule or a Sonderschule to learn in a setting geared to their needs. But critics say this sets them apart from the mainstream. Some primary and secondary schools integrate kids with special needs into classes for "shared" or inclusive learning.

School days differ markedly in length, with lessons sometimes ending at 12 or 1 p.m. or at 3 or 4 p.m. on other days, making it tough on working parents, especially single parents, to be at home for their kids after school. Some schools offer all-day programs where kids can stay after lessons and do their homework or participate in activities.

Germany has a range of private schools, including Waldorf, Montessori, international, denominational and boarding schools, but the vast majority of kids attend public schools.

Do you want your kid to stand out or be one among many? Picking a baby's name is like deciding on a tattoo - except for someone else. While it's an expression of the parents' identity, the child is the one stuck with a bad idea. In any case, it's still not a good idea to criticize someone else's name choice. Ben and Mia are regular favorites; Marie and Elias topped Germany's name list in 2016.

Even though it doesn't work for all moms for a number of reasons, breastfeeding is a widespread practice in Germany. Germans are comfortable with nudity, so breastfeeding in public is generally not a problem. However, the country doesn't have a law explicitly protecting nursing mothers. Shop owners may determine that they don't want to see it in their establishment - and a few controversially do.

This is another topic no one wants to be judged upon. You might even see mothers still breastfeeding their three-year-old child at the playground - but this is rather an exception. Since parental allowance is paid in Germany for 12 months (and up to 14 months when shared between the two parents), many moms try to stop breastfeeding before going back to work - but there's definitely no rule.

Speaking of getting back to work, organizing childcare is another stressful topic for new parents. If many are relieved to find any nearby solution, some German parents see the childcare they choose for their child as a crucial academic decision. Sending them to a Waldorf pre-school, for example, makes it easier to later be admitted to a school based on the same alternative educational philosophy.

Some parents openly reject vaccines; they are not obligatory in Germany. OECD data records a 96 percent childhood vaccination rate in the country - but other German studies claim it's lower. Vaccination opponents' beliefs only work as long as enough people follow the planned vaccination program to ensure herd immunity: Berlin faced a measles epidemic in the winter of 2014-2015, with 1,392 cases.

A universal phenomenon: Babies wake up many times a night and parents are exhausted. Following what's known as the Ferber method in the US, the book "Jedes Kind kann schlafen lernen" (Every child can learn to sleep) is a bestseller in Germany. It recommends letting babies cry alone in bed until they sleep through the night. It's a lifesaver for some; others describe this method as pure torture.

Those who are against the sleep training method are likely influenced by attachment parenting, a philosophy promoted by US pediatrician William Sears. This approach recommends, among others, sleeping near the baby, or co-sleeping - another controversial topic. Germany hosted its first Attachment Parenting Congress in 2014, backed by the Federal Minister of Family Affairs.

Diapers are another universal parenting issue. With many easy-to-use models on the market, some parents try out cloth diapers. The extra workload isn't for everyone one though: Many will stick to disposable ones - and they can at least turn to eco-friendly brands. Those practicing the "Windelfrei" (diaper-free) method are still rare, but they automatically win the "most-dedicated parent" contest.

You'll recognize the parents who care about this dedication contest (and naturally, about their above-average extraordinary child) by the way they lovingly prepare their baby's food. All organic, of course - and the accessories to serve the royal puree are from fair trade designers. They might judge those who just buy jars - but they'll still admit that they're useful when traveling.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Germans reflected a lot on education and came up with concepts such as "antiautoritäre Erziehung," or anti-authoritarian education, which aims to promote a child's freedom of thought. The influence of this approach is felt in Germany to this day. Beyond various current popular theories, each parent develops their own style - and no one likes to hear it's wrong.

There are amazing apps and TV shows developed for toddlers. Many one-year-olds are better than their grandparents at swiping through a smartphone's pictures. Although there is no consensus among German parents concerning digital media use for small children, most of them feel better when they restrict their child's contact with a screen - while secretly enjoying the break those gadgets provide.

Another way some Germans measure how "good" a parent they are is by the number of years their child has never been put in contact with sweets - and that in a country where ice cream is an almost-daily ritual for older children in the summer. Incidentally, the second child usually gets to bite into some of that evil candy earlier in life - by then, parents have lost all their great principles.