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

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The thing I liked least about this book was that the author came off as the brainwashed Swede automaton stereotype. Sweden is the best country in the world and everything they do is right. Women should work outside the home. Children should be raised by the state in forest schools. And everyone should be an environmentalist and a vegetarian. The outer layer should be waterproof, windproof, and breathable. This layer also needs to stand up to some wear and tear and is typically made of polyamide or nylon, preferably with reinforced high-impact areas like knees and bottom. For the youngest children, one-piece coveralls are usually the best choice, since they are easy to put on and prevent snow from creeping in. Underfoot straps help keep the coveralls/snow pants in place, and reflective trim or a high-visibility vest are a must for outdoor adventures after dark. Combine with snow boots or fleece-lined rain boots, as well as waterproof mittens with long cuffs, and a hat. If democracy had anything to do with such matters, quantum mechanics and relativity would have lost their deposits when physicists went to the polls. Eddington's vindication of Einstein's relativity was seen by some as dangerous treachery, given the general unpopularity of Germans in England at the time and the veneration accorded Newton. But the facts had to be faced. And as for quantum mechanics, well, really, it is the stupidest way to understand atoms, except for all those others which have been tried from time to time. At some point in between refinishing the living room floors and painting the guest bedroom, I take a pregnancy test and finally see the two pink lines I coveted. The guest bedroom, it turns out, is going to be a nursery. I keep walking and prepare for the new arrival.

So, here I am as a part-time amateur linguist with just one year self (and Youtube-) taught Norwegian under my belt and no Norwegian friends, wondering what our fellow German types from whatever country made of David’s gag… Nobody else here seemed to turn a hair at it! Ulf was obviously offended and took it (too? – although obviously this is the whole point of any cultural vs personal judgment) seriously. I never imagined Norwegians as particularly sensitive (as in over-sensitive – I’m not suggesting you’re all oafs!!)…For a preschooler the next few weeks are not about sitting up at a tablelearning letter, shapes or numbers from books or tracingletters etc. In mysetting alllearning is done through play, at no point do we sit thechildren down and say 'Now we are going to learn shapes etc.' and that isn't how it should bedone at home either. Don't buy one of those baby intercoms. Babies pretend to be dead. They're bastards, and they do it on purpose. Oh, how can I put into words the joys of a walk over country such as this; the scenes that delight the eyes, the blessed peace of mind, the sheer exuberance which fills your soul as you tread the firm turf? This is something to be lived, not read about. On these breezy heights, a transformation is wondrously wrought within you. Your thoughts are simple, in tune with your surroundings; the complicated problems you brought with you from the town are smoothed away. Up here, you are near to your Creator; you are conscious of the infinite; you gain new perspectives; thoughts run in new strange channels; there are stirrings in your soul which are quite beyond the power of my pen to describe. Something happens to you in the silent places which never could in the towns, and it is a good thing to sit awhile in a quiet spot and meditate. The hills have a power to soothe and heal which is their very own. No man ever sat alone on the top of a hill and planned a murder or a robbery, and no man ever came down from the hills without feeling in some way refreshed, and the better for his experience.” Another thing that bugged me about the writing: it drifts between past tense and present tense at random. But that can and probably should be excused in an author writing in her second language. (Although a good editor should have cleaned it up. Where have the good editors gone?) The first layer, or the base layer, regulates the child’s temperature and keeps him dry. This layer usually fits snugly. Long underwear made from merino wool, synthetic fibers, or a blend of both works best closest to the body, since these materials move perspiration away from the body. Cotton, on the other hand, soaks up moisture and leaves the child feeling wet and cold.

We have several references to the distribution of clothing during episodes of extreme weather. These fall into two groups; donations given to the poor by the parish or by individuals (coats, boots and blankets) as relief during hard winters; and the collection and distribution of clothing immediately following an extreme weather event – for example after the East Coast floods of 1953. Poor relief What is the argument in favor of the Swedish approach? There’s an obvious appeal for those of us who like being outside, but not everyone does and learning to read certainly isn’t bad. What the best argument for ‘Go play outside’? Apparently, women need to feel loved to have sex, and men need to have sex to feel loved, so the basic act of continuing the species requires a lie from one of you. It reminded me of a visit to a Swedish preschool where I saw youngchildren using much deeper thinking about same and different than we would normally see in our settings, a child had brought 3 things that weredifferent to show the teacher and one of theattributes was that thedinosaur was extinct and the other animals werestill alive, it was far beyond the 'They all have 4 legs or are green ' that Iexpected. Side effects have included meeting new friends, helping each other with all sorts of things from lending kitchen objects to babysitting swaps and moral support. And we’ve discovered mutual interests, friends and gripes. None of this would have happened if we weren’t playing out.To what extent is the fact that kids don't play with other kids in their neighborhoods anymore related to the fact that ... people have different values/cultures from their neighbors and don't actually want their children at their houses acquiring their values? What if we are giving lip service to multiculturalism but it actually makes us miserable? It's not legal to control who lives in our neighborhoods so ... private schools and private activities were invented. Swedes are very connected to nature. It plays a huge part in our lives. A Swedish author once wrote that trying to get a Swede to explain why they love nature so much is like asking them why they want to have children. It’s just so obvious that there’s no explanation for it. So we raise kids to be connected to nature. Thechildren all arrive into thekindergarten and goinside to their 'classroom', some arrive very early in the morning but the majority are all there by 9.15. Each class hadapproximately 14-15 children and 3 adults, 2 teachers and an assistant. At 9.15 both classes got dressed up for going outdoors, as I had previouslydiscovered each class spends a lot of time outside not justtheoutdoor class. The kindergarten has a huge outdoor area, divided intodifferent zones; atypicalplayground area with a slide, swings and sandpit, a steep bank and gravel area and a kitchen garden area. They also have use of lots of forest areas beside the kindergarten and above it.Some of the days the children got ready to go to a particular destinationlike the forest or woods, or out on thekindergarten boat (yes they have a boat!) whilst on other days theystayed inthe playground but used thedifferent areasthroughout the day. They might have started out in the kitchen garden or swings etc. The outdoor class ate theirlunch outside as much aspossible and as theyare theoldestchildren they didn't go inside for a resttime like the youngerchildren did afterlunch. In addition to some of the mental and physical benefits you mentioned, are there any other positives of this parenting philosophy? It is recommended that all children bring the following kit to change into before each forest school session;

It’s been a wonderful experience so far for the kids to play outside and get to know other children living on the street. And far more enriching than we had imagined for the adults involved! From an early age Norwegians soon learn how to dress appropriately. Grasping the concept of layering is just as important as learning to count. If Norwegians didn't go out in bad weather, in certain parts of the country they would never go out at all! (here's looking at you, Bærgen!)As I’m standing in the preserve’s parking lot with my daughters tugging on my shorts, anxiously wondering why I’m being accosted by an officer, my heart sinks as if it were weighted down by a pile of serrated Pennsylvania sandstone. If walking on the trail is the only thing allowed at this preserve, they may as well put up a children not welcome sign at the entrance. It suddenly dawns on me that I’ve probably unintentionally broken several of the preserve’s rules over the years just by allowing my children to play freely here. Tuesday June 4th – a piercing cold air & cloaks & great coats in full fashion the same as at Christmas Young childrenlearn by doing and by having funrather than sitting up at a table with books etc. Go for a walk if you can and have fun counting how many steps between lamp posts, what numbers you can see or letters orshapes. Welcome to a new series here on Life in Norway – Shit Norwegians Say. Firstly, a hat-tip to Daniel-Ryan Spaulding for the name, borrowed from his awesome video “ Shit Expats in Norway Say“. Go watch and share if you haven't already! The quote that I’ve used for the title of this post is popularly attributed to fellwalker and guidebook author and illustrator Alfred Wainwright, who spent much of his time outdoors, in the weather. Walking the remote Lakeland Fells it’s essential to be prepared for the weather, which can of course change rather rapidly!