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Denmark is a pretty good place to raise children. Working hours are shorter, and it\u2019s perfectly OK to leave work at 3 or 4 o\u2019clock to pick up your kids. \xa0There\u2019s a good system for early childhood health. A nurse visits to your home when your child is a baby, and then there are regular checkups with doctor. If your child has the sniffles, you can take off work and stay home with her \u2013 the first two days are paid.\xa0

And, of course, there\u2019s the day care system. \xa0It\u2019s not free, but it\u2019s reasonably priced, and it\u2019s nice to be able to drop off your kid in a safe place with trained people while you go to work. \xa0

In some countries, there\u2019s a lot of controversy about whether very young children should be in day care or at home with their parents. \xa0Not in Denmark. \xa097% of kids go to day care, even the children of the Royal Family. \xa0Even the future king, currently known as the eight-year-old Prince Christian, went to day care.\xa0

Everyone goes to day care partly because the Danish tax structure means both parents have to go to work.\xa0

But Danish day care is also social engineering. \xa0It\u2019s about creating that equality and community spirit that everyone prizes in Denmark. \xa0Day care is the first step in making your child more Danish than wherever you come from.

No elite education, no competition

The Jante Law is part of all Danish education. \xa0There\u2019s no elite education here, no advanced, or gifted and talented programs. \xa0If you child is better than the others at a certain subject, his job is to help the students who are not as good.\xa0

If you come from a very competitive society \u2013 the US, the UK, China, India \u2013 that can be a bit of a shock. \xa0There\u2019s no competition in Danish education. \xa0The kids work in groups. There are no competitive schools you have to fight to get into. \xa0There\u2019s no standardized testing until the kids are 15 or 16. And there are relatively few tests within the daily school lessons.\xa0

In Danish school, your child\u2019s social life is considered what\u2019s most important. \xa0Does she have friends? \xa0Can she get along with the other children in the class? \xa0Does he like to go to school? \xa0Does he fit in?\xa0

The idea is that if a child is socially comfortable in school, if he or she wants to go to school, then academic success will follow.\xa0