In January 2025, the Danish government finally announced an end to the use of the controversial forældrekompetenceundersøgelse (FKU), a psychometric assessment used to evaluate parental competency. After years of increasing pressure from Indigenous rights organizations, international human rights groups, and the Greenlandic government had finally paid off when the test was officially abandoned amid accusations of systemic discrimination, cultural bias, and child removals based on colonial-era assumptions.

The test, based on Western norms of psychology, became a focal point in the already complicated relationship between Denmark and its former colony, Greenland, triggering important questions regarding cultural bias, child protection, and Indigenous rights.

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What Is the Danish Parenting Competency Test?

The FKU, or “parenting competency test,” was a psychometric assessment used by Danish child protection authorities to evaluate whether parents were fit to raise their children. In theory, the test aimed to protect children by identifying families in crisis or parents unable to provide adequate care. In practice, however, it became a tool of controversy—especially when applied to Greenlandic families.

The test assessed parents in a series of areas, such as their responses to imagined scenarios, self-concept, physical and mental well-being, outlook on life, and plans for the future. Most importantly, it was based on Western conception of good parenthood and delivered in Danish, with minimal attention to Greenlandic language, customs, or kinship systems. This incompatibility resulted in regular misinterpretations of the capacity of Greenlandic parents and sometimes led to children being taken from their parents.

Greenlandic children have traditionally been disproportionately represented in Denmark's child welfare system. Approximately 7% of Greenland-born children and 5% of children who have at least one Greenlandic parent are placed out-of-home. That's in sharp contrast to only 1% of the general Danish child population.

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The application of FKU tests, the campaigners maintain, was a contributory factor in this lopsided number. Families were regularly tested with instruments that were not culturally sensitive, and sometimes in the absence of legal or psychological support. The test to protect was then perceived by many as a means of control, tearing children away from their cultural heritage and severing family bonds.

For some families, such as 38-year-old Keira Alexandra Kronvold's, the shift is too late. Required to undergo the FKU test twice — once when giving birth to her second child and again when pregnant with her third — she was finally found "unfit" by Danish officials. Her infant was removed from her care just hours after delivery, sparking public outrage and initiating mass protests in Copenhagen and Nuuk.

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In 2022, the Danish Institute for Human Rights warned of the test's application among Indigenous families. In 2023, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples issued an official condemnation of the FKU as deeply flawed and culturally insensitive. The Danish government, even with these warning signs, only "urged municipalities" to reconsider its application.

It wasn't until January 2025 that the government, at last, declared an outright suspension of the FKU test among Greenlandic families, citing "doubts" as to its cultural sensitivity — a half-hearted recognition of what activists had been decrying as a systemic failure.

Why Are The Danish Parenting Competency Test Questions So Controversial?

Cultural Bias and Misjudgment

Greenlandic families and their supporters complained that the FKU did not consider the special cultural, linguistic, and social norms of Greenlandic Inuit society. The fact that the test is based on Danish language and Western notions of parenting resulted in Greenlandic traditional values—like communal childcare, nonverbal communication, and varying methods of discipline—frequently being misinterpreted or downgraded. Parents were even incorrectly evaluated as having cognitive impairments due to mere cultural differences in communication or problem-solving in certain instances.

Unfair Disproportionate Impact on Greenlandic Families

The effect of the FKU was drastic: 5–7% of Greenlandic-origin children in Denmark were removed from their families, as opposed to only 1% of Danish-origin children. High-profile cases, like that of Keira Alexandra Kronvold—whose infant was removed from her shortly after birth based in part on FKU findings—sparked countrywide protests in both Denmark and Greenland. For many, the incidents resonated with traumatic historical moments of forced assimilation and family disruption.

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Human Rights and Legal Criticism

The FKU has been condemned by human rights groups, such as the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, for its "serious cultural biases" and its call for the abolition of the FKU. Denmark is bound under international conventions like ILO Convention No. 169 to respect and protect the cultural identity of Indigenous peoples like the Greenlanders. The critics claimed that the FKU breached these commitments by refusing to modify its standards and approach in accordance with Greenlandic conditions.

The Danish Ministry of Social Affairs currently commits to making any subsequent parental reports culturally sensitive, using Greenlandic language and culture. The government asserts it will attempt to restore confidence and provide reparative structures, including placement in Greenlandic families whenever feasible.

Greenland's Children's Minister, Dr. Aqqaluaq B. Egede, described the decision as a "necessary but tardy measure" toward justice. "We cannot restore that which is lost, but we can ensure no additional harm is caused," he told a joint press conference in Nuuk.

Denmark Parenting Test: How Does Removal From Families Impact Children?

The psychological effect of separating children from their parents is deep and lasting, as numerous studies over several decades have shown. When children are taken from their families—whether because of such highly criticized policies as Denmark's now-abandoned parenting test or other child protection measures—the effects tend to reach far beyond the initial disruption.

Attachment, the strong emotional connection that develops between a child and his or her main caregiver, is more than a whimsical notion but a vital building block for wholesome growth throughout life. Research that appeared in Current Directions in Psychological Science explains that attachment influences a child's sense of emotional security, social competence, and even stress- and adversity-coping ability in the years to come.

This attachment starts to develop even before a child is born. Myron Hofer, past director of the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychology at Columbia University, cites that fetuses begin to develop preferred reactions to their mother's odors and sounds during pregnancy—preferences that carry on after birth. During the newborn phase, infants learn rapidly to recognize their mother's face and voice, providing the foundation of a secure attachment.

When attachment is suddenly severed, through early maternal separation, children go through a series of emotional and physiological responses. First, they go through a stage of anxious searching—calling out and searching for their attachment figure—and then they go through a stage of withdrawal and worsening responsiveness if reunification is not achieved.

Hofer's experiments with infant rats emphasized the biological basis of this trauma. He discovered that deprivation of maternal warmth, body contact, and sustenance induced distress in the young. Although artificial surrogates—warmth, tactile stimulation, and plentiful nutrition—were able to normalize a few features of their physiology, these could not substitute for the complex, higher-level behaviors in an actual mother–child relationship. Aspects of reciprocity, imitation, attunement, and play form a vital role in emotional and social development and cannot be imitated by institutional care or foster planning, regardless of good intentions.

For human children, the effects of forced separation can involve increased anxiety, attachment disorders, relationship difficulties, and even persistent mental health issues. The trauma associated with loss of family is sometimes doubled when cultural identity and language are lost as well, as was true for many Greenlandic children sent to Danish families under the FKU regime.

Too much about Danish parenting is already out in the discussion, but there is something new, yet again. The rulebook to Danish parent, and its first rule is: Children Always Make Sense.

The New Danish Parenting or NDP is based on a concept which relies on the Internal Family System or IFS, an attachment theory that in Denmark is called the New Child View. This is a shift from the old ways of parenting, to a new method, which follows equality, integrity, authenticity, and accountability.

The new child view is based on the work of Danish Family Therapist Jesper Juul, Family-lab, and Blackbird Institute.

Danish Parenting: Why Is It Important?

The Old paradigm of parenting was based on fear, control, abuse of power and inequality between the parent and child. Even though parents know how children behave, the old way is ingrained into our brains so much, that it is hard to follow through in practice. The new method thus compels parents to be with their own wounded parts or the inner child. This is when it becomes even more important to be with the actual child the parent is taking care of.

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Danish Parenting: Why Is It Unique?

At the foundation of New Danish Parenting is attachment. It is through the attachment of oneself from within can one take care of the actual child. The new way encourages to form a sense of safety, security and attachment between the self and parts of our inner children.

The system this bases focuses on healing modality. The focus lies on feeling safe, being the parent our child wants us to be. The new method has this New Danish Parenting, the first rule is: Children Always Make Sense. Let's talk a bit about that before moving on to the other rules.

Danish Parenting Rule No. 1: Children Always Make Sense

As human beings, we live on a spectrum between integrity and cooperation. Integrity means being true to what we feel on the inside and expressing it honestly on the outside. Cooperation, on the other hand, is about fitting in, belonging, and maintaining relationships with caregivers, family, and society. Both are essential for healthy living, but the balance between them can easily tip.

We are born deeply connected to our integrity. As babies, we cry when we are hungry, uncomfortable, or scared. We turn toward connection when we need it and turn away when we’ve had enough. This isn’t weakness. It’s competence. Babies instinctively know how to communicate their needs and boundaries.

The bond between a baby and caregiver is a two-way relationship. When a baby makes a sound or facial expression and a caregiver responds with a similar one, both are engaging, learning, and growing. These small moments shape the brain and nervous system of both child and adult, building connection and trust.

As we grow, we naturally adapt to our environment. This helps us survive, belong, and feel loved. We learn to share, wait, cooperate, and consider others. In supportive environments, children learn how to be themselves while staying connected to others.

But no environment is perfect. This is where over-cooperation begins. Over-cooperation happens when children learn that certain feelings, needs, or boundaries are not acceptable. A child may hide sadness behind a smile, ignore discomfort during unwanted touch, or eat past fullness because stopping isn’t allowed.

What often looks like “bad behavior” is actually a child struggling. Children are not being difficult; they are having a difficult time. Their behavior always has meaning and usually comes from a place of self-protection.

When adults meet children with curiosity instead of punishment, children feel seen and safe. This helps them understand themselves better and slowly return to a healthier balance between integrity and cooperation.

Meghan Trainor, an American singer-songwriter and television personality opened up about her third child through surrogacy. In an interview with PEOPLE she said, :"It wasn’t our first choice, but we had endless conversations with our doctors on this journey, and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family. We are forever grateful for that option."

Trainor, 32, and her husband Daryl Sabara, 33, welcomed their daughter Mikey Moon via surrogate on January 18, and are also parents to their sons Riley,4, and Barry, 2.

What Did Meghan Trainor Say About Surrogacy?

"Our surrogate is one of the most selfless, strong and loving people I’ve ever met. We felt so connected throughout the entire journey, and I’ll always be grateful for the care and love she showed our daughter. She gave us the greatest gift of our lives. She graciously answered our many check-in texts to make sure she was doing okay."

Meghan also said that she wants people to know that surrogacy is just another beautiful way to build a family. "It is not something to whisper about or judge. It is rooted in trust, science, love, and teamwork. Every family's journey looks different, and all of theme are extremely valid."

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Why Did Meghan Trainor Choose To Have A Child Through Surrogacy?

Trainor wrote Dear Future Mama, a pregnancy and parenting book in 2023, where she talked about her struggles during her first two pregnancies. She mentioned how traumatic was it for her after Riley's birth, when she also faced post-traumatic stress disorder, when her son was rushed to the NICU. At the same time, Trainor was being treated on the surgery table. "Usually when you're being sewn up for 45 minutes, you're like, 'Look at my gorgeous baby. We did it. This is everything.' But I was laying there alone."

She said in that very moment she was so drugged that she called her mother and cried. She had to learn how traumatic that was for her. She also told PEOPLE that she had reached a "breaking point" and struggled with her mental and physical health after Barry's birth. In an essay for Today.com, she wrote: "I was alone with Barry and he would not stop crying and then I was crying. I was having a panic attack and I was just over-exhausted, but I felt like I was dying. I felt if I stood up, I would pass out. I didn’t feel safe holding the baby and at the same time I felt like my body was giving up on me."

With the past medical reasons, especially the impact on her mentally, and other complication, after medical consultations, Trainor chose to go for surrogacy.

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What Is Surrogacy?

As per Yale Medicine, surrogate mothers are impregnated through the use of in vitro fertilization or IVF. In this process, doctors create an embryo by fertilizing eggs from the intended mother or an egg donor with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor. Since the surrogate mother does not provide the egg, she is not genetically related to the child.

Emre Seli, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist tells Yale Medicine, “Gestational surrogacy is a great option for people who really want to be parents but have faced long odds."

Should teens be lifting weights? This is a question many people wonder, and Cara Natterson, a pediatrician, finally has answers! "Tweens and teens should not be lifting heavy weights, but they absolutely can do resistance training. There is an important difference between the two," she says.

In an Instagram video, shared by the account @less.awkward, which is ran by Natterson, and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, Natterson explains that during puberty, "the body is flooded with hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and growth hormone, which together trigger the release of IGF-1, a key driver of growth spurts and cartilage development".

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So, What Happens When A Teen Trains?

“When kids are growing rapidly, the cartilage around their bones is actually weaker than the bone itself, which makes them more vulnerable to injury during weight lifting," she points out. She further explains that in peak growth phases, bones are still mineralizing. They form a scaffold first and fill in later, which means the bones are porous and easier to injure at this stage.

“The most vulnerable part of a growing bone is the growth plate, which sits at the ends of long bones and is the weakest point when it comes to fractures.” Natterson says that if a child gets injured during weight lifting or even sports, the growth plate is often where that injury occurs. This is why kids should not be bearing heavy weights until they are done with their growth spurts, she says. However, she points out that this "does not mean they should avoid strength-building altogether".

“Resistance training, where children use their own body weight, is not only safe but encouraged. Even five, six, and seven-year-olds can do it," she says.

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What Is Resistance Training?

Exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, and anything that makes one use their own body weight is safe. Natterson says, “Exercises like push-ups and pull-ups strengthen muscles and improve bone density without putting excessive pressure on weak cartilage, thin bones, or growth plates.”

For more impact, one can use resistance bands. While people also use dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells, Natterson recommends to avoid any weights during the growth spurt.

Here Are Some Examples Of Resistance Training That One Can Do Without Lifting Weights

Chest Press

• Wrap your resistance band behind your back.
• Hold both ends with your hands and start with your arms at your side.
• Bend your elbows and push the band in front of you.

Bicep Curls

• Stand on the resistance band and hold both ends in hands.
• With your arms extended by side, pull your hand up, keep elbow bent at side.
• Do it with one or both arms.

Squats

• Stand on your resistance band and grab both ends with your hands.
• In a squat position, hold the bands but do not lock your arms.
• Extend your knees until you are in a standing position.

Pull Ups

• Grip a bar with hands shoulder width apart.
• Start with a full hang, then pull your body up by squeezing your shoulder blades down and back until your chin clears the bar
• Then lower down the control and keep your core engaged.

Push Ups

• Start is high plank with hands wider then shoulders.
• Keep your core tight and body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Lower your chest towards the floor by bending elbows to 90 degrees.
• Push back up powerfully to the starting position, maintain a rigid core and straight back throughout.