All posts filed under: Children

Play – therapy for the mind and soul

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Originally posted on Happy as a Dane:
“I never want to grow up,” he (Tommy) said determinedly. “Me either,” said Annika. “No, that isn’t something to strive for. Grown-ups never have fun. They just have a lot of boring work, stupid clothes and calluses and taxes.”?(….) “They don’t know how to play either,” said Annika. “Ooh, that you are forced to grow up!”?(free translation from Astrid Lindgren’s?Pippi Longstocking in the South Seas, 1948) Last night as I was reading Pippi Longstocking to my children we came across this great passage where the children, Tommy and Annika, tell Pippi that they never want to grow up because adults aren’t fun and don’t know how to play. To this Pippi replies that growing up isn’t something to strive for and then she offers the children some magical pills to prevent them from ever growing up. This may just seem like a funny statement because growing up is, of course, something to desire and adults always know best. But do we really? Do we always know what is…

Hygge is… Watering the Flowers

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  My toddler son was screaming and protesting – he was not ready to go inside. I let him stay in the backyard longer and he went to get his little blue watering can. As soon as he started watering the flowers he was in a zone of peaceful hygge. I believe he was even humming to himself. It was such a pleasure to watch him that I instantly felt the calm of this hygge event in the warm afternoon sun. That same evening after the kids were put to bed, instead of cleaning dishes I went outside and watered the flowers. It was a very nice feeling, just being outside on a quiet warm spring evening helping the flowers grow. There is something satisfying about watering plants. Perhaps because it reminds us to appreciate nature and its beauty. It brings happiness and a peaceful patience to watch plants grow and makes us feel like we are doing something meaningful and rewarding. If you truly take your time to enjoy the task of watering it …

Review: The Danish Way of Parenting

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When American mom and columnist, Jessica Alexander, visited Denmark she noticed how Danish children were much more calm and hardly ever threw tantrums. Their parents talked to them in a calm way without yelling. There seemed to be an unspoken Danish way of parenting and together with psychotherapist and family counselor, Iben Sandahl, she set out to investigate how the Danes raised happy and balanced kids. Based on more than thirteen years of experience, research, supporting studies and facts this resulted in a book about how the happiest people in the world raise their children. The Danish Way of Parenting is my new parenting bible. As a Dane raising my children abroad I am eager to bring this parenting style with me and raise happy little Danes. To me the book is very useful and keeps me straight when I doubt my instincts surrounded by different cultural practices. But the book might be even more useful to non-Danes who wishes more calm, independent, creative children who do not constantly need entertainment and praise. In short, …

Parenting the Happiest Children

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I just read “The Danish Way of Parenting”. I loved it and finished it in a few days! This is something that never happens when you have two small kids. It was that good and it was that interesting to me. It is written by American author, Jessica Alexander who is married to a Dane and by a recognized Danish psychotherapist, Iben Sandahl. They claim that the reason why the Danes have been voted as one of the happiest people in the world since 1973 is their way of bringing up their children. Based on years of research the authors discovered the special Danish way. The book clearly lays out this method of bringing up some of the happiest children in the world. I don’t want to reveal too much but strongly encourage everyone with children or planning to have children or just anyone wanting more harmonic family get togethers to read this book! You don’t have to be a Dane to learn from what has proven to work well on Danish children. Anyone can …