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With 33 hour work weeks, a $20 minimum wage, free university, free medical care and free child care, Denmark has been one of the happiest countries in the world for the last decade or more. Home of Hans Christian Andersen and hygge, many people around the globe have an idealized view of what it’s like to live in Denmark. But according to one mother from the US who actually lives there, there are certain cultural differences that might shock the average American.

In her series “Things That Are Normal In Denmark That I’m Scared To Tell My American Friends”, TikToker Annie In Eventyrland shares all of the culture shocks she has experienced since she moved to Denmark. Below, you’ll find many of Annie’s observations about how Danish children are treated, as well as an interview with her and some of the reactions her videos have received. 

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments about how normal these things would be in your home country, whether you’re American, Danish or from somewhere else completely! Then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article featuring cultural differences from around the world, look no further than right here

More info: TikTok

#1

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America It seems like age 7-8 is completely normal for a kid to walk to and from school by themselves, not really any later than 10, depending on where you live and where the kid's school is.

annieineventyrland , Daiga Ellaby Report

#2

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America People leave their babies outside in their strollers to sleep. To me, it's a sign of safety and trust in the community.

annieineventyrland , Tamara Govedarov Report

To hear more about Annie’s thoughts on Danish parenting and how she ended up in Denmark in the first place, we reached out to her via email. She told Bored Panda that her family relocated to Copenhagen about three and a half years ago because the design company her husband works for opened an office there.

We asked Annie how she would compare living in Denmark to living in the US, and she told us, “Considering just the sheer difference in population, it's really hard to compare. But I am really thankful that Denmark is so safe. Copenhagen is listed as the safest city in the world, and I'm extremely grateful to be able to raise my children here. For that, I do prefer Denmark, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the occasional Target run from time to time.”

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#3

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America In Denmark, you can't name your baby whatever you want. In fact, there's a preapproved list that you can choose from. And if the name that you wanna choose for your baby isn't on there, it has to be approved. So we can't name our kids something like Malibu Barbie here, but there are even more common-seeming names that have been blacklisted as well.

annieineventyrland , CHUTTERSNAP Report

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Becky Samuel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It seems very racist. What if you immigrate from Sri Lanka or Madagascar and want to give your baby a traditional name? Are Chadwick, Barack, Romesh or Nishant going to be banned because they're not in the tradition of the country where they settle?

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Enuya
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country we cannot give children names if they may cause the kid to be shamed or laughed at. Also, while it isn't overly strict, it is recommended to use standard spelling of the name.

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Alexia
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once heard of an American girl named Abcde (parents' choice). She was being bullied for that in school. I mean... really? That's the best name you could come up with for your child?

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Remi (He/Him)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Abcde is surprisingly common name in the US. Almost 400 people have that as a given name. Way better name than those "Uniqueigh" names some like to give, imho

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Lady Bookish
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Germany, there is no fixed list, but a set of rules. For example, the name should not cause any trouble to the child. But if you can prove that a name is used as a name somewhere in the world, you can use it in Germany as well, without having to prove your personal connection to the place of the name’s origin. German Wikipedia has an up-to-date list of approved and declined given names that came before German courts. See “ Gerichtsentscheidungen über Vornamen” here: https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorname_(Deutschland). Approved names include Cosma-Shiva, Dior, Emily-Extra, Fanta, Michael Cougar, November. Among the declined names are Borussia, Hemingway, Moon Unit, Navajo, Rosa (as boy’s name).

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Pink Aesthetic
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's same in Finland!! There are lists of names that were approved and not approved every year. It's weird someone would name their kids Beer.

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Richter Scale
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

France is the same way. The approved list is quite extensive and there is a bit of flexibility built in, but it will prevent names like "Moon Unit".

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Joan Kelley-Elsayed
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's a great idea. Why do people have to give their kids such crazy names nowadays.

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Obvious Decoy
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably because it's their choice and their child. A crazy name to you could have deep meaning for them or honoring their ancestry or they thought it was a great name.

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Edurne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it's similar in Spain.. we don't have an actual list, but there are a few rules to be observed when choosing your kid's name

idrow1 avatar
idrow1
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We really need this here in the US. We need to stop this trend of Bratleighs and Snotlynns. And don't forget about Marijuana Pepsi.

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Lisa Roberts
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I named my daughter after my late mother Linda Kay. She loves her name. She is a brat sometimes, as am I, as I'm certain EVERY1 has been&willB @some point in their life. Glass houses&rocks. Whoever is perfect shouldB the1 to take the 1st shot..

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Chris Hooley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heard this before of Scandi-region nations. Brilliant idea. Long overdue in the rest of the world. Lumbering someone with a daft-sounding or misspelt name is a curse, not "creative" or "unique."

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Becky Samuel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. It's inherently racist to suggest that 'approved' names only can be given.

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Sanchi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Noooooo, I understand not getting a bad name, but my name would not be on the list because it is unique not places that are not India, and I still love my name

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Ana Ferreira
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Portugal does this too. Sometimes, I think they're too strict, but then I hear some of the names parents burden their children with in irregulated countries.

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Amy Taylor
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the law should be that children have the legal right to change their names when they enter school free of charge, should they be named something ridiculous, lol

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Gabbzz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can in America when you're 18. I'm sure with parents permission you can do it before 18.

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dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On the plus side, this may prevent you from creepy billionaires effing up your water supply...

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Nenya
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, strong feelings about this one, huh.. Let me clarify, I have friends which was born in Denmark, as it was their parents or grandparents that moved here. Many have traditional names from the family’s native region, be it in Africa, Middle East or Asia. No problem! BUT when people can’t handle the privilege of freedom and call their kids Rhododendron Snickers FordToyota King of Hell, or just random letters, then yes, there should be such legislation. Also, it helps in the way that you don’t get to name your kid something that has a totally obscure meaning in the [new] country you live in (and learning a language takes time, you might not know)

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Bjarne McDonald
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because people seriously tried to name their kid A**s (short for Janus) and Christophpher

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frog
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Would it not make more sense to just have a list of names you cannot use, and/or guidelines to follow when choosing, or even creating a name?

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Celtic Pirate Queen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't get why parents do this or use some bizarre spelling. My niece's stepson is named Maesyn.

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Jackie Nettleton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It would prevent those crazy names kids are afflicted with by parents like Elon Musk’s poor kid or even naming after characters from books/tv series that are not already normal like daenerys

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Simon Tue Clemmensen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had to get Archimedes approved, however it's ok to call you son "Captain Awesome", or your girl "Paprika Ninja".

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Philenzortia
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have very weird names in my country. A few years ago there was a kid named "Millos David". Millos is the short name for a football team called "Millonarios" That sounds awfully weird in spanish! This should be mandatory.

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Matthew McKendree
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NO. While I dont always agree with or understand the names people choose for their children I will ALWAYS believe in their right to name their children what they want. This seems like a dark and unnecessary power for the government to have

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removebeforeflight
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kind of same in Ukraine, you cannot name a child whatever name you want. The only exception - if you are a foreigner. This is also the only possibility for you to give your baby a name without patronymic (which I personally hate)

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Henrik Schmidt
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While technically still true, the law was significantly liberalized about a decade ago. There are names you cannot give to your child (the example that comes to mind was the parents who liked the name "Janus" but wanted their child to be unique. The were very surprised to find they couldn't name their child "A**s"). But if you come up with a name that is not already approved, and not on the banned list, you will in most cases get your new, unique baby name approved anyway. And then that name will be added to the preapproved list.

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TheDivineMsM
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know a family from Denmark. Their names are Mette, Regitze, Anders and Jens. So I guess these are approved names?

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Charlie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. Regitze is the most extraordinary of those names, but it's still a quite ordinary name. All of those names go way back in time.

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Mary Kelly
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

people should be free to have or take whatever name they want

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Just Jeff
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just curious, are you able to change your name? If so, do you also choose from the list? How big is this list? (one question turned into three, I'm genuinely curious)

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Rosy Maple Moth
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here‘s the list of names you can choose from. It’s quite long. https://familieretshuset.dk/navne/navne/godkendte-fornavne You can legally change your name which costs 505 kr (68 EUR). https://familieretshuset.dk/en/your-life-situation/your-life-situation/namingname-change

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Wicki Tree
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My name is Wicki (with a W 😉) and W isn’t even in the Danish alphabet. Now its somewhat common but when my parents wanted to christen me, they had to apply for approval 😆

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Charlie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ehm, the letter W might be newly introduced in danish language, but it is in our alfabet..

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Jessica N
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please tell me m'kayleigh-everything-ending- in-eigh is banned!

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Jus
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and it's working very well. Our children don't have to feel embarrased like American children.

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wenzday mary
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was an American child once, and I was never embarrassed by my name. I'm now an American adult nearing 40. I'm STILL not embarrassed by my name.

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TheEndIsNigh🇨🇦and🇬🇧in🇺🇲
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Idk, I think this would be OK. From what I'm gathering, it doesn't seem super difficult to request approval for names, but it does stop parents from giving their children "knee-jerk" reaction names like Jalapeño Boogyman, or some such nonsense. I wonder if my folks would have gotten approval for my name 🤔

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Rosy Maple Moth
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If anyone‘s interested which names are allowed in Denmark, here‘s a list: https://familieretshuset.dk/navne/navne/godkendte-fornavne https://familieretshuset.dk/api/nameservice/getexcel?service=_namesdb|names¶meters=published_1|gendermask_2 (boys’ names) https://familieretshuset.dk/api/nameservice/getexcel?service=_namesdb|names¶meters=published_1|gendermask_1 (girls‘ names)

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Rosy Maple Moth
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My Indian neighbors got in trouble for wanting to name their first child a name that sounded like a swear word in Danish. They had to file an official complaint against the church and the baby went nameless for a few months until the church gave in. That said I understand the idea behind not letting parents choose any name they want and harm their kids in doing so, but I also think this procedure is not very culture sensitive. Especially when it‘s clear that families will only stay for a short period of time it should be easier for them to choose any name traditional for where they are from.

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YELLING!!!
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I kinda like it when I find a mother trying to call her little Beyonce or Cardie B. I love a good laugh.

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Gabbzz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't go to the extreme like Elon, but to have a government take that away from you is just a step to far. Also I grew up with my dad and brother both being Darrell. His son is Darrell. My husband and son and his grandad are all David. It's really annoying. Variety is the spice of life, as they say.

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Phil Cory
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Way too intrusive! There should be an assumption of Innocence. Government shouldn't be butting into people's lives "to protect the children" in this manner.

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Fishbear
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1 year ago

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The amount of bias/racism in this particular comment thread is astounding

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Tommy Sincere
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1 year ago

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Whole lot of heavy-handed fascists in this comments section.

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Tommy Sincere
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1 year ago

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Whole lot of heavy-handed wannabe dictators in this comments section. I bet you all look at Iran and think their “morality police” are awful for what they do yet you want to police what people can name their children. Amazing in the worst way!

dc1 avatar
DC
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait a minute... I get your point, and can't help but partially agree. But, OTOH, the parents wanting to be SOOOO individual that they call their daughter High Fructose Corn Syrup or their son Southern Comfort, or whatever else they come up with - that's too far, as it punishes the child by inviting to be made fun of. Bullies take every reason they find, but providing them an obvious one for the sake of feeling a freedom that in everyday life is irrelevant anyway just isn't balanced well. I wouldn't wanna be named, say, Ladeluftkühler or something refering to genitalia, machinery, whatever. It's fine as is (in germany). We don't really have a list to pick from, but the people handing you the birth certificate can take objection to a name they see fit and likely to cause damage, and then, a court will decide if the parents insist. Works fine, we successfully kept Elon Musk from having his kids born here, or him living here. Fine with me, don't need that guy.

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#4

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America In the US, there's this perception that Denmark is just this extremely healthy country and everyone eats super clean and just eats whole foods, fruit, vegetables all the time.

And in the US, at least where I had my kids, which was in New York and then Portland, Oregon, there was a lot of stigma around giving your kids sugar or any kind of junk food.

Honestly, something that I really love about Denmark is how normalized treats are.
Doctors will literally recommend it if your kid is sick, they will say, "Well, have you tried giving them ice cream yet?"
Another food that's kind of demonized again, at least where I'm from in the US, is anything with bread, any carbs of any kind. Here in Denmark, you might have a pastry every day. You might have a pastry several times a day, and then pasta with some bread. You'd probably wash that down with a coke or a glass of wine, or several beers.
I do love how normalized fun foods are, and I think it actually sets people up for really healthy eating habits.

annieineventyrland , JÉSHOOTS Report

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Pink Aesthetic
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Finland, it's sort of the same but people usually feed their kids healthy food ever day. Even school food is real food, not junk food.

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We also asked Annie if it took a while to acclimate to all of the cultural differences, and she shared, “I honestly feel like I am still adjusting to the cultural differences here. I wasn't expecting it, but it feels like literally everything is different from what I'm used to in some way, for reasons big and small.”

“Learning to grocery shop in a foreign country took me a couple years to get down, and I still have room for improvement,” Annie admitted. “The hardest thing for me to get used to was, considering maternity leave and work life balance is so healthy here, there really isn't such a thing as a stay at home parent, which was my role for five years before making the move. It's been a lot having my entire identity change, but for the better.”

#5

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America Something that seems to be very normalized here are afflictions of old, in particular, lice. I grew up in Texas and I never had lice in my entire childhood or early adult life. If somebody were to get it, it's kind of a big deal. But I will never forget, a few months after we moved here, as we were leaving my son's kindergarten, he was complaining that his head was itching, and sure enough, I looked at his scalp and there just was like the perfect pattern of lice eggs.
I ran back into the classroom and was like, "Oh my gosh, I just noticed my son has lice." And the teacher was like, "Okay, well, I'll send out an email and let everybody know." They were just so calm about it. Whereas I feel like in the US, people would be freaking out.

annieineventyrland , Silvana Carlos Report

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El Dee
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is still a thing in my country too. You can easily get rid of it of course so maybe that's why it's not such a big deal?

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#6

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America The legal drinking age here is 16, you're allowed to buy alcohol of certain levels. In case you don't know, the legal drinking age in the US is 21.

annieineventyrland , Tembela Bohle Report

We then asked Annie if she thinks many American parents could learn a thing or two from Danish parents. “One of the biggest differences between American and Danish parents is how relaxed they are, and with nearly a year of maternity leave, paid vacation and sick days, living in such a safe country, affordable childcare and no medical costs, why wouldn't they be?”

“For that reason, I think it would be pretty difficult for American parents to be as relaxed as their Danish counterparts,” Annie told Bored Panda. “But I do think American culture could stand to step back from helicopter parenting, having their kids in so many activities and having so many educational expectations for them at such young ages. Denmark is really good at letting kids be kids.”

#7

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America If you drop your kid off at daycare, kindergarten, elementary school, any institution, they could leave at any point and you might not know where they are.

I honestly don't know how many times I picked up my kid from school and they were like, "Hey, we went to the theater today," and I had absolutely no clue that they were even gonna be going anywhere.
There's also been times that I've been out, like walking through the park and ran into my own kids with their school, not even knowing that they would be there.

annieineventyrland , BBC Creative Report

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Atomicwoman07
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Parents do get an email or messages in the online forum (AULA) when kids go on day trips or go outside.

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#8

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America If you are ever visiting Denmark, do not be alarmed if you hear a four-year-old on the playground dropping an F-bomb. It's very normal to hear Danish kids using American curse words, very small kids, which is very jarring. Like I said, sometimes you'll hear around age four and five, and once they're in elementary school, it's pretty much the norm.

annieineventyrland , Oakville News Report

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“Something I love about Denmark is even though people aren't super outgoing here, everyone is always looking out for each other and each others' children,” Annie added. “If I am ever out with my kids and need a hand, people never hesitate to step in and help. I would love to see that same sense of community in cities all over the US.”

#9

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America First of all, the actual school day is only from 8 to 1:30 PM.
Secondly, they don't call their teacher, Miss, Mrs. Mr. Ma'am, Sir. They just call them by their first name
If a kid is caught hitting, flipping somebody the bird, using a cuss word, the harshest punishment they're gonna get is probably just the talking to. Things like suspensions and expulsions are only used in extremely extreme cases.
My oldest son is in the US equivalent of the third grade. He just now started getting homework this year, and his homework is to read for 15 minutes a day in whatever book he chooses. He's also never received a grade. I don't know when that starts. Oh, kids here don't start reading until they turn seven, in the US, there's pressure to start reading by five.
I'm not sure if this is true, but since kids here are allowed to buy beer at the store at age 16, I've heard that some high schools serve their students beer in the cafeteria.

annieineventyrland , kyo azuma Report

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Mads Demant
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The last bit is not true. Unless there is a school party of some sort there is no beer for sale in high schools.

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#10

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America You can't just walk into any old store and buy whatever drug or supplement that you might want or need. And also there are a lot of drugs and supplements in the US that just aren't available here.

For instance, if you need Tylenol or infant Tylenol, which is actually called Panadol here, you have to go to a pharmacy or you can get them behind the counter at grocery stores, but you have to get it from behind the counter in every circumstance. In the US there are just aisles full of drugs in every supermarket.

annieineventyrland , Markus Winkler Report

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Sue User
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once tried to buy antihistamine at a drug store in the Netherlands. Apparently you need a prescription. When I nentioned at work how weird it was to be able to buy weed but not antihistanine, my collegue stated " the weed is probably better for you"

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It’s no surprise that Denmark is one of the world’s safest and happiest nations, especially after hearing a bit more about how they raise their children. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments as well. If you had the chance, would you raise your kids in Denmark? Or do you wish you had grown up there yourself? If you’d like to keep up with Annie and her family’s adventures in Denmark, you can find her TikTok Annie in Eventyrland right here

#11

"I'm Scared To Tell My American Friends": 11 Things That Are Normal In Denmark But Not In America In Denmark, once you start grade school, you take a sports class in the US we would call it PE or physical education. Afterwards, everyone, boys and girls, get completely disrobed and then they all get in a large shower together and it's supervised by their classroom teacher. Whereas in the US, we didn't even change into athletic clothes, and then afterwards, don't change out of our clothes and just go about our day.

annieineventyrland , Jan Antonin Kolar Report

Many viewers weighed in with their thoughts on these cultural differences in the comments as well