Ukrainian Yulia Padnevich, living in Denmark, shared her experience of studying and raising a child in the country on social media. According to her, despite the state's reputation for high levels of social support, in practice, parents face strict demands from the education system and employers.
Denmark is one of the most developed countries in Europe and the world. But even here, not everything is perfect. This was shared by Ukrainian Yulia Padnevich on her Instagram, who studies in Denmark while raising her son. According to the Ukrainian, the social system in Denmark is actually far from being as lenient and humane as newly arrived migrants believe.
"Do children in Denmark have the right to be sick? When I first moved here, I thought so. After all, Denmark talks a lot about balance, care, family, and comfortable living. But the reality turned out to be different," the girl admitted.
Yulia noted that the education system in Denmark is built without taking into account the possibility of prolonged absences even due to a child's illness.
"I study in Denmark, and here they immediately warn you: absences must be minimal, there is an attendance norm, and if a child is often sick, it automatically starts to affect both studies and stability," the blogger explained.
Employers in Denmark also do not strive to understand the situation when you have a sick child who needs care. According to Yulia, a day off can only be given for one day, at most two.
"And then the system kind of hints: solve your problem yourself, and that's when the situation becomes shocking for many immigrants. Children are taken to kindergarten with a runny nose, coughing after a sleepless night. Sometimes in the morning, they give paracetamol so that the child can just endure the day in kindergarten. And this is not because parents are indifferent, but because they are caught between two fires – work, studies, fear of losing the reputation of a reliable worker, and a complete lack of help," the woman shared.
Yulia's story sparked active discussion on social media and raised the topic of how real living conditions for families with children correspond to the notions of the 'Scandinavian model.' According to the woman, many parents find themselves facing a difficult choice between caring for their child's health and the necessity of maintaining their studies or work.
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