This author makes many good points, but I think American culture is a lot harder to capture than she believes it is. This book starts off strong and then while it doesn't peter out, it does get a bit repetitive. Still, it was an interesting and enjoyable read. More of a memoir than anything.

I enjoyed this book and its premise, especially in the beginning. Around the middle of the book, it lost a bit of steam and I struggled through the rest of it. I do believe in the premise, I grew up spending summers in NH running around outside with my cousins - even if I spent a lot of time inside during the rest of the year. Now I struggle with spending enough time outside with my two little ones, living in the suburbs where sidewalks are rare and busy roads. This book is encouraging me in that aspect. Where I struggled was with "Sweden (and Scandinavia in general) is just better than the rest of the world in everything" which was pretty heavy in the middle of the book. Even if she has a bunch of research and studies that back up her points, her approach was just too much. I wish she had showed us more with the effects that living in Sweden were having on her children rather than such a heavy usage of the studies. I wanted this book to be more of a memoir of transitioning American children to living in Sweden for six months and a reflection on the author's own childhood in Sweden, those parts were the best. Her tips about how to transition this Swedish way of life into American living also sometimes fell a bit flat, though sometimes were really good ideas. I enjoyed and would recommend it, but mainly because I agree with the premise.

A Swedish woman who has been living in America for years returns to her homeland with her two young children for 6 months and resets her parenting

Having read Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder and How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature, I was very happy to read a new take on the subject of kids outdoors. Why would I be excited to read more about this topic? Firstly, this book is by a mom, and I feel like this makes a difference. Secondly, it's a memoir. It's about her experiences with taking her young children to Sweden to live for 6 months; as a Swedish person who has been living in America for years, she is really the perfect person to report on the differences between the two.

There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather explores the cultural differences between the U.S.A and Sweden when it comes to kids, nature and outdoor play. The book doesn’t include any specific information about the UK, so British readers may wonder how it’s relevant, but we definitely tend more towards the American side of things rather than our Scandinavian neighbours. We shut down when there is half an inch of snow on the ground, we play in gated parks and worry about safety and security rather excessively, and most of our schooling is indoors with curriculum based exams, rather than exploration and play.

The UK has rising problems with childhood obesity and there are frequent news stories and articles questioning how much time British children actually spend outdoors. Many of the mums I’ve talked to are concerned about screen time, TV’s and video games… but are also not that keen on heading outdoors when it’s raining. Since I live in Wales, this is actually quite a lot of the time! It’s a challenge, especially in today’s urban environment, to find a good balance. I think a big part of the problem is also clothing and dressing appropriately and knowing how to approach less friendly weather conditions.

One thing I’m sure of – we definitely do not have the outdoors attitude that the Scandinavians have and could benefit from a little bit (or a lot) of friluftsliv – open air living. Like hygge, it’s a word that we can try to define, but remains somewhat intangible if you’re not part of that culture.

Born and raised in Sweden, in There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather author Linda McGurk walks us through her life raising young children in the USA, followed by her taking her kids back to Sweden to care for her father when he falls ill. It’s not just educational – it is a personal story and an authentic experience, written in a compelling way and peppered with humour. There is a good balance between the personal accounts of her family, quotes from healthcare and education professionals and actual studies and factual information about the culture and customs of Swedish parenting.

Some things took me aback a little, for example the section on letting babies sleep outdoors in negative degree weather! I was given a stern lecture by my midwife to ensure that the temperature didn’t fall below 16C, yet in Sweden, allowing a baby to sleep outside in freezing weather is normal! Of course, they are appropriately dressed which is something we definitely have issues with her, but I don’t see that sort of thing ever translating well to here. We’d have child support called on us if we left a baby in the pram in the garden in the winter, even with a video monitor! That’s just one example of how massively some things differ right from the start of life.

There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather is practical with informative tips, but it’s also motivational and optimistic. It doesn’t focus on the negative, but rather looks to what we can do as parents and the choices we can make. Whilst we can’t change the school system, we do control what our children experience from a young age. We can get them outdoors interacting with nature on a regular basis. As parents, we can choose to walk to school, even in the snow and rain. We can put on our waterproofs and layer it up and play in the mud and rain rather than spending the winter indoors – something I’m quite guilty of!

It’s an encouragement not to hide by the fire with an iPad in your hand but to dress your kids appropriately and get out with them, to the park, or the wild, or even just for a walk to the shops rather than a drive. I don’t think I’ll ever embrace the true Scandinavian culture, but I am convinced that fresh air, outdoor play and an integration with the wild world are incredibly important and that I will need to actively seek to involve them in our lives as much as possible.

There’s No Such Thing as Bad weather is a funny, engaging and thought provoking read.

To read books about parenting when you do not have any kids are a strenge thing. I have my opinions on how I will parent my future children, but are also aware that when they come, my plans will change with the child. I felt it was the same for the author of the book. She wanted to raise her children as she was raised in Sweden. It was an interesting read about different cultures and views on children.

I love to learn more about other cultures, and as I am Norwegian I was raised similar to Swedish children, therefore I found the US aspect of the book interesting. But still the best part of the book was to understand that even though the parenting is quite different, the two countries have the same concerns about their children.

As I am familiar with the way Sweden view children as small humans who just want to play and learn on their own premiss, the book was not that "shocking". I belive the book reach a greater audience in the US than in Scandinavia, but it also show how far we can come from our roots if we focus to much on results.

This is a cute book. The author is very engaging and I loved her glimpse into Scandinavian child raising. (Cold weather is what jackets are for!)

You'll be reminded that it's okay to walk in the rain or play in the snow. You'll be reminded that nature is so much more exciting and engaging than an X-Box. And you'll remember the wonder of childhood and learn a bit about how you can give your own child that same wonder.

Now, I did want a bit more about the culture and philosophy of Scandinavian and maybe a touch less in the way of personal anecdotes, but I found the book interesting, enlightening, and inspiring. And now I kind of want to book a trip to Sweden!

A lovely little book for any parent, parent-to-be, or grandparent.

Though I'm not a parent, I'm strangely intrigued by cultural parenting books in the vein of French Kids Eat Everything and Bringing Up Bébé. With the rise of hygge obsession in the English-speaking world, I was delighted to see a book about Scandinavian parenting pop up.

While most memoirs about parenting or cultural differences tend to make too many generalizations with anec-data instead of actual data, McGurk's book does just the opposite. She cites dozens of studies about why Scandinavian-style parenting is often much healthier for children. What she fails to acknowledge is how dramatically different the U.S. and Sweden are demographically and culturally.

With shinrin yoku (forest bathing) and books like The Nature Fix becoming popular, I think that this book has a fitting audience. There are certainly some nuggets here for current parents and future parents to ponder as they develop their parenting style. I would just say that for Americans, some of her cultural critiques should be acknowledged in context.

I really enjoyed all the ideas for things to do outdoors with your children. I have a young child and I love being outdoors and it had such an insight into how to take your children out in all kinds of weather and still have fun. I really liked the cultural aspects also. It was a good read in between some of my other heavier reads.

This book is a wonderful blend of memoir and research (research studies, interview with professionals, and interview with Swedish parents). McGurk explores the importance of nature in childhood in addition to other topics such as free play, risky play, giving children freedom, screen time, and community. This enjoyable read has already inspired me to get my kids outside more, even when the weather isn't my ideal!

I liked how she compares the different parenting styles of cultures, and points out some of the ways that Americans have really gone overboard in (what I consider) the wrong direction. Granted, there are some things considered normal in her culture that I just would never do, but I think we could learn a lot more by being freer, as parents, and allowing our children to do so as well.