Author(s): Linda Akeson McGurk

Parenting

As a new mom in small-town Indiana, Swedish-born Linda Âkeson McGurk came to realize that the parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart. In Sweden, children play outside year-round, and physicians recommend letting babies nap outdoors regardless of the weather. But in the US, McGurk found that the playgrounds were deserted, and that preschoolers were being drilled on academics instead of climbing trees. Struggling to decide what was best for her children, McGurk embarked on a journey to Sweden to find out how her family's relationship with nature would change with the introduction of Scandinavian concepts like friluft-sliv ("open-air living") and hygge (the simple pleasures of home). Both a fascinating personal narrative and a call to action for all parents, There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather illustrates how Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthier, resilient, and confident children in America. Book jacket.