The sun usually sets by the early afternoon in Denmark, a small country in northern Europe, made up of the Jutland Peninsula and more than 400 islands in the North Sea. The country is almost 76 times smaller than India and understandably, has a visibly different culture that may baffle many Indians.
What is most interesting about Denmark, however, is that trust weaves the social fabric and sits at the very helm of life here. Despite the arguably cold demeanour, Danes appear rather inclined to trust each other and the outcome of this trust is a sense of safety that lingers in most if not all walks of life. Even short walks to the local convince store, where it is likely to spot unattended babies sleeping in a stroller on a sidewalk every few steps, while the parents leisurely run the day¡¯s errands.
For Ashwathi Moncy, a 37-year-old mother of two from India¡¯s tropical Malabar Coast, who immigrated to Norway some nine years ago, and has been living in Aarhus, Denmark for half a decade now, this was a sight that merited initial bewilderment.
¡°When I first moved here, I lived in a rented apartment. My landlords were a Danish couple, both doctors. They would routinely leave their babies out to nap in the balcony. They told me, it¡¯s supposed to be great for the baby¡¯s health, helps the young be acclimatised to the weather and makes for peaceful sleep,¡± said Moncy.
However, the Indian mother¡¯s first encounter with the practice was several years ago when she moved to Norway, a Scandinavian country with a culture and climate not markedly different from Denmark. ¡°I was totally shocked to see a baby left like this. It was all very new to me,¡± she recounted her astonishment.
According to 23-years old Kirstine Vinther Uttrup, who is Danish and has worked in a local Kindergarten, it is natural for Danes to leave their babies to rest wherever the sun shines. She believes, almost every Danish child experiences unattended naps on the sidewalk growing up.?
It is part of the parenting culture here, come rain or snow. ¡°We have a saying here that there is nothing like bad weather, just bad clothing. Children need fresh air and it is very important for their health,¡± said Uttrup commenting on the efficacy of the practice during Aarhus's frigid winters.?
¡°People who are new to Denmark find it weird, and it is often a cultural shock for them but when I came to know it¡¯s not that common in other parts of the world, I felt weird too,¡± she added.
Talking about the factors that help in the prevalence of this culture, Uttrup said, ¡°our society thrives on social trust and we know nobody will harm the children, we also help each other take care of children if needed.¡±
Speaking further, the former kindergarten teacher pointed out that the Danish infrastructure is also built to support this practice. ¡°We have several child-friendly spaces where strollers can be parked. Even the strollers used come with roofs and special bedding. It keeps the baby warm and shelters them from winds and precipitation. We have security belts tied to the baby so they don¡¯t fall and there are alarms installed in the stroller, in case of baby wakes up or cries,¡± she added.
Moncy, who has raised two kids over her five years in Denmark and has grown to see the nordic country as her and children¡¯s home, is however keen to point out that there is often general misinformation that Danish citizens leave their babies unattended.?
¡°We don¡¯t leave the baby unattended, but we are very attentive towards them and in fact, keep a constant check while doing our errands .¡±
In India, the number of crimes committed by and against children is steadily rising, highlighting the need for more child-protective policies in the country.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there were 1,49,404 cases of crimes committed against children in 2021 in India, out of which 53,874 or 36.05 per cent were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
This particular practice may not be the one for big, bustling countries.
The possibility of adopting such a practice in India, Ashwathy said, is unfathomable. ¡°I could not even imagine doing this in India as one cannot deny the rising crime cases against children, abduction has increased and also pollution and weather would not benefit the child anyway,¡± the mother commented.
Similarly, Uttrup also believes that this particular practice may not be the one for big, bustling countries. ¡°The size of the country also affects the trust factor and every country and its people have different ethics, morals and values. But when immigrants come to Denmark from anywhere around the world, they take some time to observe and learn, and eventually end up adopting the practice during their time here,¡± she opined.
Moncy, who was quick to adopt the practice, believes that it was the element of trust in the Danish society that inspired her to do as the Danes do. ¡°It¡¯s such a common practice here, I saw it everywhere around me. I could see the Danes were confident about their babies being secure when left outside, and soon the sense of security rubbed off on me too,¡± she said.
The education level and socio-economic class of immigrants affect the willingness to assimilate or the ability to adapt to a new reality.
According to Rashmi Singla, who is an Associate Professor and International coordinator in psychology at the Department of People and Technology at Roskilde University, she too moved to Denmark almost four decades ago and has raised her kids in this nordic country. Singla, who has also authored literature on the integration of mixed-married couples, when commenting on the situation pointed out that the education level and socio-economic class of immigrants affect the willingness to assimilate or ability to adapt to a new reality.?
Adding to Moncy¡¯s sentiments, she also said that opposed to popular belief, Danes don¡¯t leave their children completely unattended. Some of Rashmi¡¯s students use baby monitors when leaving babes strapped in strollers outside class, others keep a check on their babies from time to time.?
¡°There is less possibility of adopting this culture in India because of several factors such as air pollution, different climate conditions, many diseases in big cities, different levels of security and etc,¡± the associate professor concluded.