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

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars | 1,405 ratings

Price: 17.46

Last update: 12-29-2024


About this item

Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this lively, insightful memoir about a mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children.

When Swedish-born Linda McGurk moved to small-town Indiana with her American husband to start a family, she quickly realized that her outdoorsy ways were not the norm. In Sweden children play outside all year round, regardless of the weather, and letting young babies nap outside in freezing temperatures is not only common - it is a practice recommended by physicians. In the US, on the other hand, she found that the playgrounds, which she had expected to find teeming with children, were mostly deserted. In preschool, children were getting drilled to learn academic skills while their Scandinavian counterparts were climbing trees, catching frogs, and learning how to compost. Worse, she realized that giving her daughters the same freedom to play outside that she had enjoyed as a child in Sweden could quickly lead to a visit by Child Protective Services.

The brewing culture clash finally came to a head when McGurk was fined for letting her children play in a local creek, setting off an online firestorm when she expressed her anger and confusion on her blog. The rules and parenting philosophies of her native country and her adopted homeland were worlds apart.

Struggling to fit in and to decide what was best for her children, McGurk turned to her own childhood for answers. Could the Scandinavian philosophy of "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes" be the key to better lives for her American children? And how would her children's relationships with nature change by introducing them to Scandinavian concepts like friluftsliv ("open-air living") and hygge (the coziness and the simple pleasures of home)? McGurk embarked on a six-month-long journey to Sweden to find out.

There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather is a fascinating personal narrative that highlights the importance of spending time outdoors and illustrates how the Scandinavian culture could hold the key to raising healthier, resilient, and confident children in America.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Mom of 3 Boys and a Lil Lass
    5.0 out of 5 stars I'm off to be sure we have good clothes!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2019
    There's No Such Thing As Bed Weather by Linda Akeson McGurk is the first of 5 books I asked Santa to bring related to getting kids outside, embracing nature, encouraging more physical and outdoor activity, and the likes. Reestablishing our love of the outdoors and increasing our healthy outdoor time is one part of my 2020 mission for our family and our homeschool!

    Linda McGurk is a Swedish-American journalist and free-lance writer, and the mother of two girls: Maya (7) and Nora (4). She and the girls leave their home in Indiana to spend six months in Sweden while Linda's father undergoes chemotherapy. She enrolls the girls in Swedish schools (they're already bilingual), and sets out to expose them to a childhood that she remembers fondly from her earlier days - including lots of time spent outdoors - while meeting and interviewing Swedish parents on their perspectives on childhood, education, nature, and environmentalism for her book project.

    There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather is a well-written, easy-to-read book. I read it in two days! I was fascinated by the freedoms the Swedish kids enjoyed, and with the amount of time they spent outdoors, even though Sweden is at the forefront of the digital world. (Did you know Minecraft, Skype, and a ton of other household digital names all came out of Sweden?)

    For a mom (me), who has been reprimanded for letting her kids play in the woods (where there may be poison ivy) and for letting them roll in mud and jump in a stream (where there may be, gasp, parasites) and for letting her son climb on top of a wooden playhouse on a climbing structure (because you know, 6 feet off the ground is too high for a kid who safely climbs three story tall trees)... well, this book felt like I had found my village.

    I realized reading the book that there was a time I had been far more similar to most Swedish parents than to American ones, but that I had allowed myself to be shamed into convergence. :O My younger two kids have never experienced the fun, "outlandish" activities the older ones did, but I fear have long forgotten. I became "safe" and worse, bought into the anxiety-driven rush to produce successful kids, rather than healthy, well-adapted, happy ones.

    So, what did I take from the book?

    1. I want Linda to be my newest BFF! I want to play in the rain and the snow and go on hikes and get tickets for splashing in a stream in a park alongside her! LOL. There was a time I did those things, well, except for the ticket (I received hundreds of glares and stares over the years, but never a ticket), and I want to do them again.

    2. I want to move to Sweden. The way the Swedish people embrace nature and encourage outdoor play and exploration, even during the school day is AWESOME! I'd settle for Finland or Denmark, too, as they also sound like they've got their priorities straight when it comes to education, although there was some indication that Denmark was making changes away from some of this as a result of falling rank in international testing (UGH!)

    3. My kids NEED more time outdoors, and since a move to Sweden at this time is unlikely, it means I am going to have to spend a LOT more time outdoors as well because unlike in Sweden where ALL of the kids are outdoors, in our neighborhood, we only see a kid outdoors every now and then. So, I'd better make sure I have the right clothes... "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes."

    All in all a good read, and one that I'd love more of my Mommy-friends to read and become motivated to follow... because then we'd have outdoor playmates, and that would be so much more fun for us all!

    For families wanting to embrace or rediscover a connection to nature and the outdoors, this book offers encouragement and practical strategies for making it happen.
  • LISA M. TOWNSEND
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
    Excellent book, couldn't put it down. This book is not just for parents, but anyone that has kids in their life. I found myself getting angry reading about how here in the US we are essentially ruining children's childhoods and grateful that I grew up in a time when kids had their own lives outside and were not micro managed and over scheduled. I really hope this country starts making significant changes for the sake of the children here.
    Overall an excellent read, with great ideas, so grateful to this author for living these ideas and writing this book.
  • JH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Want your kids to go outside more? Buy this now!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
    This was such an inspiring book!!! Eye opening in so many ways as a mother of a preschooler and under. Been getting my kids outdoors for longer stretches and just want to continue to increase that time. I recommend this book to any mother with young children!
  • JenniferB
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2022
    This book is very interesting and has lots of statistics that are good to know. It’s fascinating to see how childcare and raising works in other countries. I overall enjoyed it!

    That said, the subject of childhood obesity and working to avoid that came up pretty often which is becoming more and more problematic as we learn that being “overweight” is generally something people can’t actually control and also doesn’t indicate overall health. The book also sometimes seems to assume that this way of raising children is actually possible in America. It isn’t necessarily. For those in lower income brackets, the Scandinavian way of child rearing may just not be feasible with busy schedules, lack of maternity/paternity leave, lack of good insurance, etc etc.

    Some things to keep in mind as you read, but definitely a fun and interesting read!
  • Keith Dent
    5.0 out of 5 stars I have always loved the outdoors
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2017
    I have always loved the outdoors, but often American culture has a way of limiting our interactions with nature and I myself was guilty of assimilating into that mindset. I would say things like, "I wish it was warm enough to go outside." in the winter, and didn't invest in adequate outdoor gear for all kinds of weather for my son and I. We had resigned ourselves to staying indoors when it wasn't what we deemed ideal weather, and it wasn't until I met Linda that I started changing my attitude.

    "There is no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing." This was something I had heard before, but it wasn't until I saw it being lived through Linda's example that I was really able to grasp it's meaning and fully adapt that lifestyle myself. The thing I like most about this book is that it is relatable. Linda does not pretend to be the perfect parent, or romanticize the idea that playing outside is always this glorious, harmonious activity. In fact she often shares examples in her book like her daughters complaining about having to go outside, or meltdowns during cross country skiing, and her struggles to pull them away from the ever luring electronic screens. This is what I love about this book. Making your kids go outside is not always easy. There will be resistance. There will be obstacles. But in the end it is worth it. Linda equips her readers with the tools and advice necessary to adapt to an outdoor parenting lifestyle. I know I personally have been truly impacted by this philosophy I no longer feel trapped indoors during the cold months of winter because now have the mentality to embrace all kinds of weather. I highly recommend this book for all parents looking for ways they can find a deeper connection with their children and with nature.
  • Lorie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Inspiration
    Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023
    A unique look at our natural world and the relationship we have with it. If you're a parent that needs encouragement to go against educational norms in pursuit of raising thoughtful intelligent humans, this is it. This book takes a sober look at education in America and abroad. Great book.

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