In The Danish Secret for Happy Kids, Helen Russell brings her signature blend of memoir, research, and wit to explore the key elements of Denmark's success in raising happy, well-adjusted children. I also enjoyed the author’s book ‘My Year of Living Danishly’.

Part memoir and part informative guide, Russell reflects on her own experiences raising children in Denmark, interspersing personal anecdotes with fascinating insights from experts, research, and statistics. The result is a highly readable and enjoyable exploration of what makes Danish parenting—and Danish society in general—so uniquely effective at fostering well-being in children.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

What an interesting read! I particularly liked it because I’m also raising a child in Scandinavia, different from where I am from. I can relate to a few things in terms of how parenting is so different from what I am used to and what friends in my home country do, but Danish parenting does even differ slightly from Swedish.

This was more memoir than I was anticipating, pulling from a lot of personal stories rather than jumping to facts or speaking broadly on the topic. I think it would be interesting when you’re a parent, but my childless friends may not find it as fun to read as I did.

I’ll give it 3.5, but rounding up to 4 because I liked the writing and found it easy to follow.

I really enjoyed this. I read non-fiction much slower, but I enjoyed implementing some of the items in this book and have found they work well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

This book was not quite what I expected. There is a lot of history in here, so I will say I found the information about Viking genetics to be super interesting. The cultural approach to teaching body positivity is also thought provoking and something we would not see in America. I think anyone interested in Danish culture and family dynamics should grab this one.

Helen Russell's memoir about raising children in Denmark is riveting. I really enjoyed the "What I've Learned About..." at the end of each chapter. I so wish that we could raise children this way in the US without seeming like lazy neglectful parents.

I wanted to love this more than I did. It felt like another play on the success in books re: french culture or how europeans do it better, but it meandered a bit and didn't give as many practical tips as I really wanted from a book like this.

The Danish Secret to Happy Kids is a must-read book by parents. It has several tips in raising happy and confident kids, a few of them such as exposing kids more to nature and letting them work with real tools. It feels cozy and informative as all the other books in series.

The book was beautifully written. The author made careful word choices that were very impactful. Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it.

I was unfortunately unable to finish this book before NetGalley rights expired and I lost access to read it.

This book dragged on and on I couldn’t even finish it. When do we get to the parenting tips? A lot of words with little advice.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this!

I have been looking for parenting content (self-help and memoirs) that resonates with me. While some of the Danish lifestyle would not be a good fit for me (or at least seems to me it wouldn't) this was a very interesting window into the raising of this family's children and the differences between cultures and their expectations for children. Overall this was pleasant and engaging to read.

I adored this book--however, it is a very niche book. I love reading about parenting, and specifically, parenting in other countries and cultures. This book fit the bill. It's part memoir, part parenting book written by a British woman who has lived in Denmark for the last 10 years. She's now raising three little "Vikings", as she calls them. This book references the Nordic countries, so we will hear a lot about parenting in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, as well. It was fun and interesting--and I so wish to be summering in a little hut next to the beach in Sweden right now.

This was an amazing book. As an avid self-help reader, I was excited to get my hands on a book that would help me benefit my kids. This was an insightful and engaging read.

I might be strange but I love parenting books and a book written about how parents from a different part of the world do it....count me in!

One of my besties lives in Denmark so I am interested in all things Danish. She is one of the coolest people I know and if I had kids that grew up to be like her, I'd be a happy camper. That's not to say that all Danish kids are raised the same. I learnt so many cool things from this book. Some stuff I will definitely be implementing in my life and my children's and some I will not (mostly because it's already a part of it) but I find that the general Danish way of life is very positive. They focus on really living and trying to worry less. They have a great affinity for the outdoors which I love and believe there are great benefits to that. I kind of want to move to Denmark now. 

This is a great read and I'll keep it close to my parenting heart. Thank you @netgalley and @sourcebooks for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I felt that a lot of the advice in here was to live somewhere else. The studies are interesting, but this is more useful as a sociological study or pop psychology book than as parenting advice. Many Americans know our situation isn't ideal, and this is just reinforcing that message.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Danish Secret to Happy Kids was a fantastic read. While I don't have children myself yet, as an educator I took away a lot from this book. Russell's book is both enlightening and practical, offering a refreshing perspective on parenting that is rooted in a culture that prioritizes happiness and well being. Russell's exploration of Danish parenting practices provides valuable takeaways for parents seeking to create a nurturing and joyful environment.

A fresh outlook on raising well adjusted children. I gleaned some helpful advice from this title that I will carry into my classroom. This book recognizes that children are humans and outlines simple and effective strategies to help nurture their independence along with other skills.

Just as delightful as "The Year of Living Danishly"! Helen Russell's writing is accessible, humorous, informed, and welcoming. I found myself chuckling throughout the book and learned a lot about Scandinavian philosophy towards child-rearing. I agree with the importance of playing outside as much as possible, although I am unlikely to leave my little one napping in a stroller outside a restaurant. Since I live in the US, this could land me in jail. Overall, a very enjoyable and informative reading experience. This is a great book for anyone interested in learning about Denmark and Scandinavia generally, or for fans of funny and relatable parenting books. Thank you very much to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

As a soon-to-be parent I find it fascinating to read about the child-rearing culture in other countries. I tend to be a little more uptight about things so hearing how laid-back Danish parents are was a breath of fresh air to me. I will try to incorporate some of these techniques in my new role as a mom! Very interesting read.

I am not yet a mother, but definitely find myself reading any sort of parenting books I can get my hands on because I am looking into getting pregnant. I really enjoyed this one! It's great to see another perspective and I've heard different things about the Danish way of raising kids! I highly recommend this one!