In Norway, use-it-or-lose-it periods of paid leave dispel the stigma fathers experience if they want to take time off work to care for their families. In Denmark, and some other countries, childcare in the early years is state-subsidized (while the UK has the second-most-expensive childcare in the world).[13] These policies place value on nurturing and rearing children—and they make citizens happier. Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark consistently top the charts of the happiest countries in the UN’s World Happiness Report.
