Woman Highlights "Wild" Difference in Childcare in Denmark vs the US

A woman's viral TikTok about a common childcare practice in Denmark, where babies are left to sleep outside in strollers unattended, sparked debate.

Let's say you're walking outside in a lovely little town and right outside of a restaurant you saw two unattended baby carriages just chilling out in the open. And, upon further inspection of these carriages, you notice that they both contain sleeping children, with not a parent in sight.

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Your gut instinct would probably be to find the parents of these children, or even alert the authorities and stay with the kids until proper identification of the parents could be established, so some creepy baby snatcher doesn't kidnap them for some Goblin King-esque purpose.

Apparently, this isn't the case in Denmark, however, according to TikToker Kelsey Kotzur (@kelsey_kotzur) who uploaded a viral video showing two carriages parked outside of a building that purportedly had two sleeping infants inside of them.

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Kelsey writes in a text overlay of the video: "There are two babies in those strollers just sleeping outside, no idea where the parents are. no one will steal them. they're just sleeping. denmark is wild"

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One viewer who saw the post appeared stunned by the video, writing: "I can't imagine living somewhere I felt safe enough to do that"

While another said: "I don't even leave my shoes outside my apt door, people are out there leaving their whole kids"

A TikTok user who said that they were from Sweden wrote that they engaged in this practice as well: "We do this in Sweden too! fresh air is better for the babies! usually, they’re parked where the parents can still see them (through the window, etc.)"

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The TikToker wasn't the only user on the platform to highlight this Danish phenomenon, Annie in Eventyrland (@annieineventyrland) also posted a video showing several examples of "abandoned" carriages in Denmark where she discussed the practice.

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"The Danish practice of having your baby sleep outside in their stroller is not only the cultural norm but it's even recommended by our midwives and baby nurses. Fresh air is said to keep babies healthy and help them sleep better," she says in the clip.

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"Napping your baby in their stroller outside is done in all sorts of weather. Babies are dressed in lightweight wool and have a down duvet which regulates the baby's body temperature, keeping them warm without overheating. It's common to leave your baby napping outside while you go shopping or sit in a cafe."

She discussed the baby-napping protocol further: "Parents always keep a close eye or have a baby monitor in the stroller. Babies here don't get kidnapped because no one wants the responsibility of someone else's kid. Especially when our healthcare system does everything they can to help everyone who wants a baby to have their own at little to no cost."

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The TikToker went further: "Some people would ask why I would have my baby sleep in her stroller outside while we're at home. It's for her to get the benefits of fresh air, it's her most familiar sleeping surface at this point, and I love that if my family and I ever want to go somewhere while she's napping, we're never stuck at home."

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She concluded her video by asking her viewers: "Do babies sleep outside in your country? Or does this sound crazy?"

Similar to the responses to Kelsey's video, one commenter remarked that if they did this in the USA they would be arrested, while another person who said that they were commenting from Finland replied that it's normal for folks in their country to engage in this practice as well.

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Several other outlets online have written about the practice, noting that seeing baby strollers, with children still in them fast asleep lining the street, is a common sight in both Denmark, along with Finland and other Nordic countries.

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