Berit Framnes - Norwegian Children

Norwegian Children

Tuesday, 21. March 2006, 15:17:36

A strange phenomenon in Norway is how baby carriages are often parked outside stores, like you would park a bike or car. While the parents shop, the babies are left outside to sleep. It seems that the thought of kidnapping does not even cross a Norwegian’s mind.

In the entryway of my apartment building you can find a sleeping baby every day from four to five in the evening. One day the baby was crying, so I knocked on the door of the parents’ apartment. The mother seemed grateful that I had alerted her. We chatted a bit and I asked her why she leaves her son in the entryway every day. She explained that she thought he needed fresh air, and what better place than right by the front door where there’s a constant breeze?

An American in OsloWorking to live or living to work?

Comments

staceyc # 21. March 2006, 15:26

They have the same thing happening in Australia, only parents arn`t worried about their babies being kidnapped by people - rather Dingoes.

dantesoft # 22. March 2006, 01:16

I think that's crazy. Or too healthy.

@Stacey: Why does that remind me of "Maybe the dingo ate your baby" ?

SerbianFighter # 22. March 2006, 09:03

Now that is a secure country

littleoslo # 23. March 2006, 20:12

yes norwegian always emphasis on having fresh air. which is good.

loveiceberg # 25. March 2006, 02:23

hi ! i am very happy to visit here!
with the internet ,the world is becoming smaller!
i am a chinese boy! now i'a study in the university!
this is my msn: zhangshuchen1983@msn.com
i hope we can chat very good! i hope we could become very good friend!
and this is my e-mail: zhangshuchen1983@126.com

EivindFS # 25. March 2006, 22:59

And right behind that baby carriage, I think I can spot a homeless druggie selling the street magazine =Oslo. That is both sweet and thought-provoking; it could be the baby thirty years from now...

onenineteen # 11. April 2006, 20:41

I also just signed up for opera to leave a comment.
I did a google search 'for an american in oslo' and this came up. I did the search because I moved here (Norway) a week ago.
I was the only one at the police station when I registered last week. and I did it in the mid afternoon. I got all my paperwork back today, as well.
If you'd like to get coffee, that would be nice. I don't know anyone here and it's completely different from home (san francisco). email me at onenineteen@gmail.com if you'd like to.

Thomas777 # 17. April 2006, 18:48

hahahahahaha... what a funny story..... i knew the scandinavians were partial to a little alchohol now and again (nearly as bad as us scots)but i never realised they dumped there babies on the pavement so they could enjoy their drinking in peace...

This probably explains to me why scandinavians are a little cold when you first meet them. They were unloved and deserted on the streets of Norway at an early age!!

enix # 27. April 2006, 20:22

... My parents lock the door before going in the backyard, so... if I would tell them this story, they wouldn't even believe it.

Yojimbo # 29. April 2006, 10:18

Leave your baby outside in Sweden and it definitely will be gone when you get back.

-- A

enix # 29. April 2006, 17:58

Yeah, leave your baby outside in Romania, and when you come back for him you find him in a carriage full of money, then you find out the bank has been robbed.

HellzArcticWolf # 26. July 2006, 02:37

wow, its funny how most of the world can do things like this. but america... whats wrong with us, lol

aliciateaches # 17. December 2007, 18:46

My student says that somebody could have killed that baby, kidnapped it, that they should be more protective of their children, because everybody doesn't get to have kids. Is it really safe enough to do that in Norway?
Richmond, CA