“We Don’t Baby Them”: Australian Expat Shares Surprising Observation About South African Kids

• Louisa Macqueen, an Australian woman raising her children in South Africa, took to Instagram to contrast parenting culture in both countries
• She praised South African parents for instilling discipline, manners, and resilience in children from a young age
• South African expats living in Australia flooded her comments, saying the lack of manners was their biggest culture shock

An Australian woman raising her family in South Africa left Mzansi feeling seen after sharing her honest take on local parenting culture. Instagram user @louisamacqueen, who lives in South Africa with her South African husband, posted a video on 5 November 2026 that struck a chord with viewers across the country. In it, she compared child-rearing in South Africa to what she had known back in Australia, and made no secret of which approach she preferred.

SA parenting stood out for Louisa

Louisa described Australian parenting as overly cautious, with children often "wrapped in cotton wool" and parents less consistent about enforcing boundaries. In South Africa, she observed something very different. Children here are expected to make eye contact with adults, use their manners, and show respect as a baseline, not as something to be negotiated. She also noted that South African kids are not raised to be fragile when they get hurt, and she valued that resilience deeply.

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For Louisa, this was not a criticism of Australians but rather an appreciation for the South African way. She said she felt genuinely grateful to be raising her children in a culture where these values are embedded from an early age. That community-led approach to raising children is something many South Africans grow up with and rarely think twice about.

Watch Louisa share her thoughts on South African parenting in the Instagram reel below:

Mzansi and expats react

South Africans and those living abroad were quick to respond to Macqueen's video:

@shevaunwheeler said:

"🔥Correct, we don't tolerate all this woke rubbish. Our kids are taught to have respect and manners, and yes, we don't baby them. We prepare our kids for the world out there so they can become successful, hard-working individuals one day."

@stof1983 shared:

"I'm South African, living in Australia for the last 10 years, and the biggest culture shock was the lack of manners with Australians."

@ash.ellen.hutchinson added:

"Also, a lot of the time it's okay to 'correct' kids or ask them to say 'please' or 'thank you' even if they aren't your kids — like in a church Sunday school setting, etc or at school; it's standard."

@minxforsyth wrote:

"Love this!"

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@tylaafterhours agreed:

"This is 💯 true 🍎!"

@anore_diederiks joked:

"Like my dad always says, if it's not a cup of blood, you're perfectly fine."

3 Briefly News articles about expats in Mzansi

• An Australian expat shared major differences between schooling in Australia and Mzansi, noting earlier start times, children going barefoot, and a passionate community sports culture.
• American expat Kourtney Jade expressed her love for South Africa, sharing that she was torn between staying in Cape Town or moving to Durban or Johannesburg because each city offers its own distinct charm, food, and culture.
• A Canadian expat shared her biggest culture shocks after eight months in South Africa, highlighting freezing indoor winters, expensive imported snacks, and slow visas alongside her love for fresh local food.

Source: Briefly News