Many moons ago, a young Danish mother was arrested and incarcerated for 36 hours for leaving her child to nap in a pushchair outside a New York restaurant whilst she and the child’s father were inside talking. For opposite reasons, this story shocked parents in The States as well as in Denmark.
All my children have slept outside in prams and pushchairs - much to people’s surprise, this is what we do in Denmark. We enjoy enough safety, freedom, and mutual trust to leave our children to sleep outside for them to have as much fresh air as possible; in The States, this is seen as dangerous child neglect.
My English health visitor was mortified when she learned that my new born napped on the patio in an enclosed garden. After looking into the matter, she agreed not to discuss this anymore as long as I promised not to leave my child unattended on the street side of our house.
If you wish to let your baby sleep outside, be aware of the recommendations and restrictions. You can find advice from The Danish Health Board here or you can speak to your health visitor.
