The Danish Secret to Happy Kids

Subtitle: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent

Author: Helen Russell

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Digital ARC

Publish Date: July 2024

Read: April 2024

Favorite Quote: We bring up kids to make their own choices. We don’t teach them to place all their trust in external authority - political, religious, or philosophical.

Synopsis: Denmark is a small country north of Germany in Europe known for its Viking heritage. Helen Russell, a writer and UK expat living in Denmark, has spent the last decade learning from the Vikings and sharing their culture with the world. The Danes get a lot of things right, including how to raise healthy, happy, independent kids. In her latest book, Russell brings this to light. Through the lens of raising Viking children, readers learn more about Danish culture, customs, and community.

Why does this book beguile? If you’re thinking, “Why are you reading a book on parenting?” That’s an easy answer. I’m not interested in the “parenting” aspects of this book - I’m here for the Danish culture. Since I first traveled to Iceland in 2013 and Finland in 2015, I’ve been kinda obsessed with all things Nordic. For countries that have small populations and harsh weather conditions, why do they keep ranking so highly on happiness charts and producing great people (athletes, authors, poets, philosophers). Helen Russell is one of the authors trying to answer those questions.

The Danish Secret to Happy Kids is probably a great book if you are a parent, but it’s a good book if you’re not a parent but want to figure out how to make your life better. Russell covers everything from unstructured time for play, screen time, work-life (or school-life) balance, and even holidays in this book. Readers will better understand Danish (and other Nordic) culture and can start finding ways to bring this culture into their lives.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: The Danish Secret to Happy Kids: How the Viking Way of Raising Children Makes Them Happier, Healthier, and More Independent by Helen Russell

If you’re interested in this, read*: The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell