Ah, Norway - a country known for its Viking history, snowcapped mountains, the 2011 butter crisis, and apparently leaving babies out in the cold.
Yes, you read that correctly. While the Nordics are known for their progressive societies, many foreigners have had a hard time understanding a viral TikTok that shows a group of babies left outside in their strollers in the cold winter weather.
Olly Bowman - an Australian man who is living up in the snowy north - captured a short clip of the babies as he went for a walk in Norway, saying: "Another day in Norway, another group of babies left alone in the cold."
He then added: "It helps with their breathing and makes them more independent. It's actually why so many people leave home earlier in Norway than other countries."
So far, the 14-second clip has received 14.1 million views. In fact, Bowman garnered so much interest that he made a follow-up video, where he quizzed Scandinavian parents on why they leave their babies in their strollers in the cold.
Featured in the video was a comment made by a viewer after seeing his first video, which read: "Are babies not kidnapped in Norway? My anxiety would never."
Bowman goes up to one parent and asks: "There's a thing going around that in Scandinavia, parents feel comfortable leaving their babies outside to sleep alone. I'm just curious on your thoughts."
One parent replied that it was okay, but that it obviously depends on where you are. They then added that in Oslo it would be fine, and that there wouldn't be a need to worry about whether someone would kidnap their child.
Another Oslo parent told Bowman that she didn't feel comfortable leaving her baby outside in the stroller, before explaining that some have even been stolen while babies were not inside. Someone else added that they only leave their baby outside while they quickly nip into a cafe to grab a coffee.
This doesn't mean that the babies aren't prone to accidents, as a Swedish mother reported that a delivery driver accidentally placed a 22lb parcel on top of her child's stroller while it was asleep inside.
A recent report revealed that leaving babies outside to sleep is common in the Nordic region, as it allows for babies to strengthen their immune systems and even has a calming effect, per The Nordics.
Not everywhere is open to this though - in 1997, a Danish mother was arrested in New York for leaving her baby to nap outside a restaurant. She ended up being charged with child endangerment and received 36 hours in jail. Yikes!
What do you think about the Nordic way? Let us know in the comments!
