Danish Daycare

My newer babysitting job inculdes picking up the three year-old, Karoline, at daycare. I thought you guys might be interested in the place, or the system in general.

There is State-sponsored daycare here, families do pay for it, but I think they receive a stiped. (I am not about that, or how much.) When a child is born it is important to register them with the system, so that a placement will be ready when the child is 10- 14 months old. (Depending on one's job, that is about when family leave ends here.)

The most popular option seems to be daycare centers, which serve babies 9 months to 3 years or 3 years to 6 years. Children start school at 6. It is also possible to hire a nanny, like myself, who can care for up to 4 children. They are seen as poor options. From my experience, I would agree. They are poorly educated, and losely regulated. Some are good. Some are horrid.

The daycare centers can be a shock to an American. They take getting used to. The focus is on the children learning to get along and interact well, which is great. There is no pre-math or pre-reading forced down their throats, as it can be in the States, although the kids are read to and do crafts. Children learn to read at age 6 when they start school. Activities focus on dress-up play, music, singing and dance, and lots of outdoors activity.

The youngest nap outdoors every day. This is seen as a way to prevent allergies and keep illness at bay. The babies are well-dressed, placed in prams outdoors, and well-covered with fluffy duvets and waterproof covers when needed. I have no doubt the children are comfortable, and allergies are very, very rare here. (My doctor claimed no one in his practice has allergies.) The temperature rarely drops below 30. Most parents put their children to nap outdoors as well.

Karoline goes to a converted farmhouse for daycare, with other 3-6 year-olds. There are no fences, and the children can come and go from the farmhouse as they please. The front yard is mowed, but much of the land is wild. There are huge boulders out front that line the porch, which the children love to play on. They have rabbits (caged, which the children can take out), chickens (free-range), and several cats (all strays they center feeds) to care for and play with. The children dress themselves for the outdoors. That means that if it's cold and they don't put on mittens, they don't wear mittens.

At first my American eyes saw numerous ways to fall and kill oneself, easy ways to get lost or get caught in pricker bushes, and numerous ways to get scratched or bit by skittish animals. But the kids don't wander off. They have a reasonable idea of their physical limitations and don't bother the animals. My paranoid mind saw children freezing and wet. Those that were apparently went back in for appropriate clothes. In fact, they look quite happy and healthy. Karoline loves it there.

I guess the lesson I learned was, they're not stupid, they're three.

The first night I picked Karoline up, I was sure I'd be asked for ID, and have to sign her out. I was shocked when Karoline ran up to me, waved to her caretakers, and they waved back and shouted goodbye. I insisted on speaking to a teacher, and they obviously thought I was a bit odd. Of course I could just leave with her! Why on Earth would it be any different?

At Heather and Matt's rehersal dinner, Matt's father said, "Sometimes a thing isn't better or worse, it's just different." That stuck a cord with me then. I had that written and posted on my office wall at the resettlement center, where everyone had such different habits and traditions it was important to keep that in mind.

Many of the practices at the daycare centers here would be seen as 'bad,' possibly negligent. There are things I don't like about the system here, but from my experience it generally turns out children who enjoy daycare/school, have good social skills, take responsibility for themselves, are physically fit and can entertain themselves.