There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge)

by Linda Åkeson McGurk

A SCANDINAVIAN MOTHER’S “GET UP AND GO OUTSIDE” MANIFESTO 1. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. One of the most useful semi-true parenting sayings to ever come out of Scandinavia, on par with “Fruit is candy.” Use it liberally to get the kids used to playing outdoors in all kinds of weather* from an early age. (*Not to be taken too literally, of course! Thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, life-threatening temperatures, or other types of crazy weather conditions are perfectly valid reasons for staying inside.) 2. Dress for the weather. A must if you actually decide to enforce #1. If it rains, the kids wear rain gear. If it snows, they wear snowsuits. Pair with appropriate footwear, hat, and waterproof mittens. It’s not rocket science. 3. Fresh air is good for you. Yup, our parents were right when they told us that getting fresh air every day was good for us. Spending more time outside can reduce the risk for common infections, nearsightedness, vitamin D deficiency, and obesity, as well as lessen symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Tip: It works wonders for adults too. 4. Just let them play. No employer in his right mind will care if your child started reading at age four or seven. Let your preschooler bake mud pies and worry about academics later. Unstructured outdoor play has everything kids need for healthy physical, social, and cognitive development in the early years. Older kids need time to play too; busiest extracurricular ...