A key characteristic in Swedish culture is that Swedes are moralists by nature, yet very humble but find bragging or drawing attention to themselves unacceptable. But many Swedes would rather listen to somebody else then making their own voice heard. Normally, while speaking, a Swede would do so in a soft and calm way, it is rarely seen that a Swede shows strong emotions or showing anger in public because a Swede would avoid a conflict at any cost if possible.
A Swede is often seen as cold by nature, they don’t express any emotions and avoid contact with other people, but they are often misunderstood. Kindness is almost never taken for granted, but they will often say thanks, a person failing to do so is perceived as negative. In Sweden, behavior is strongly drawn to the word ‘lagom’ (“everything in moderation”), and Swedes strive towards the middle way. Therefor the conception work hard and play hard is not a part of being a Swede. Everything is done with moderation and nothing to the extreme. Most Swedes work hard but at the same time make sure to go out and enjoy themselves in their spare time. For children this also means that competition is not something that is encouraged, and most children are raised in a fashion where everybody is equal.
Online Swedish lessons for kids: dinolingo.com