Miranda(44)

After my divorce I was on my own with my two sons: Lucas, ten, and Sem, seven. In Den Bosch I worked at IKEA as a department manager. When the opportunity came to move to IKEA headquarters in Älmhult, or to the distribution center in Jönköping, I chose Jönköping. Bigger city, more amenities, and a chance for a fresh start.

Sweden is a paradise for single parents. The barnbidrag of 1,250 SEK per child per month is supplemented with underhållsstöd — an allowance for single parents of 1,673 SEK per child if the other parent doesn't contribute. On top of that comes bostadsbidrag, a housing allowance for low-income families. Försäkringskassan calculates everything and pays automatically.

The förskola and fritids (after-school care) are affordable and excellent. Sem went to förskola for 1,510 SEK per month, Lucas to fritids for 1,010 SEK. In the Netherlands I paid ten times as much. The children were looked after from six-thirty AM to six PM — essential when you work full-time and do it alone.

IKEA arranged my personnummer through their HR department. Within four weeks everything was sorted: folkbokföring, BankID, bank account at Swedbank. IKEA also offered a relocation allowance and helped find rental housing. I now live in a three-room apartment in Huskvarna, just outside Jönköping, for 7,200 SEK per month.

It wasn't always easy. The boys missed their father, their school and their friends. The first months there were tears. But Swedish schools are fantastic at welcoming newcomers. Lucas was assigned a fadder (buddy) and Sem was immediately taken along to fotbollsträning. After six months they were both speaking Swedish with their friends.

Jönköping is an underrated city on the shore of Lake Vättern — Sweden's second-largest lake. There's a lively city center, a good hospital and excellent schools. My life here is simpler but richer. I work fewer hours for a comparable salary, my children are happy, and the system catches me rather than squeezing me. That's what makes Sweden different.