“There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather" A Review

By Contributing Writer Alyssa Queen of Texas

If you read only one book this season, it should absolutely be “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. This book is equal parts anecdotal narrative and non-fictional facts as the author navigates starting and raising a family as a Swedish transplant in the United States and then later, taking her American kids to Sweden for half a year. It gives you a completely different view of our own culture that is so ingrained in us and will inspire you to make little changes every day. It’s absolutely changed my entire perspective on raising children and made a huge difference in our lives!

It’s an easy-to-read, enjoyable story that at the heart examines the importance of outdoor play and letting kids learn to navigate risk throughout their life. It’s our job as parents to nurture and guide our children throughout life’s challenges, but equally as important for them to learn to face adversity on their own. Play, especially outdoor play, is the opportune time for them to push boundaries, learn how to carefully evaluate and take risks when they are ready, and manage the (both negative and positive) consequences that result. Other lovely side-effects of this include improvement in the overall health of our children, as well as teaching and inspiring them to be good stewards of this beautiful planet of ours. It also talks pretty in-depth about the Swedish versus American school systems that was both enlightening and alarming as my 3 year old will begin school faster than I can imagine. 

Two little bears playing at Free Forest School in Texas

This book isn’t just a personal story, or philosophical look at many parenting topics- it even dives into truly usable tips and information for putting these thoughts into action with our children. After you read it and are bursting at the seams to talk about it with someone like I was, message me and we can totally go to town! Also, full disclosure: I listened to it on my Audible app instead of actually, physically reading it the first time and the audiobook is really terrific! Though I loved it so much, I ended up buying the physical copy also and read it all over again. If I didn’t listen to books, I’d never get to “read” anything! #MomLife

I hope you get a chance to “read” it and it inspires you as much as it did me!