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  • There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather

  • A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge)
  • Written by: Linda Åkeson McGurk
  • Narrated by: Ann Richardson
  • Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (79 ratings)

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There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather

Written by: Linda Åkeson McGurk
Narrated by: Ann Richardson
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2017 Linda Åkeson McGurk (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather

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love!!!

I don't even have kids yet and I really enjoyed this book. A great reminder for adults too.

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Refreshing

I really enjoyed this book. It brought me back to my own childhood and gave me inspiration as to how I can allow my own children more freedom, adventure and joy in nature.

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Couldn’t finish it

So keeping in mind that I didn’t finish it, it made its point in the first few minutes and didn’t really go anywhere after that. At least for the third or so that I listened to.

Here it is: “Get your kids outside. It is good for them and the environment.” It portrayed an idyllic Swedish culture against a *shocking* American one. <gasp> I am not saying she is wrong but it’s so biased that I was getting more sceptical rather than convinced. I totally agree with the premise of the book but I didn’t have to read a book to agree. So I didn’t learn anything very useful. Meh. Maybe I should have read more.

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A Must Read

Whether you’re a future or current parent, the advice in this book is gold. I highly recommend it.

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Refreshing read

Makes me feel better as a new parent and teacher that kids can be cured from their distaste of the outdoors. A great read with good tips and refreshing view.

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Great perspective on the importance of outdoor play

Loved listening to this book. The narrator at times sounded a bit like Siri or an automated system, but otherwise was easy to listen to. The book is a great perspective on the importance of outdoor play. Some good takeaways. Definitely recommend for those interested in the Scandinavian culture and their way of parenting.

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Inspiring Biography

I enjoyed the concepts in this book and having had the opportunity to peek into Scandinavian culture. I didn't fully realize it was a biography when I began, but I enjoyed it all the same.

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Great book!!

This audiobook opened my mind about my own family. Great point on allowing more play and be prepared for weather. So many insights to take away!!

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Inspiring

Inspired me to start taking my 2.5 year old outdoors more. We are 5 days into doing 2-3 hours every day and she now always wants to be outside and we are having less tantrums. I am enjoying it too!

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Loved this book!!

I loved every single minute of this book. Unlike most guide books I didn’t find the narration repetitive or boring. I didn’t feel the need to skip any part of the story. I liked how author included studies and research to support findings from her own experience. I will highly recommend this book to all my mom friends!

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  • Kate
  • 2017-11-03

Great concept, interesting writing.

Highly recommend for anyone considering alternative educational methods or nature based child rearing. The author offered good information in a positive way, and was -for the most part- pretty balanced in her comparisons of various cultures.

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13 people found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2018-02-21

Excellent book!

Loved this book! It has changed my outlook on family and personal life! The story is very good with valuable lessons for everyone, with or without children.

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9 people found this helpful

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  • Michael
  • 2018-01-20

A parenting revolution

this book has changed the way I view my role as parent. I am less worried about, well, everything. It's taught me to rise above the pressures of making sure my kids "keep up" or get an early start in their schooling, to let them play more, and most of all to trust them with more responsibilities. I'm finding opportunities everywhere to get my kids outdoors more. some other moms in my area read this and organized an all weather nature playgroup that has already attracted many local families. it is my sincere hope that all parents will read this.

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8 people found this helpful

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  • Texanique
  • 2018-05-18

Well narrated.

The title of the book is kind of the whole book. (Spoiler alert) There’s no such thing as bad weather; just bad clothes. There’s also some comparative commentary about how the outside is taught to children in the US vs Scandinavia. Good information: sure— but coming from Mississippi or Nevada or any state where it’s not quite Scandanivia-esque, well there are other considerations. Good repetition on how integrating childcare and outdoors is not as scary a practice as it’s made to be.

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7 people found this helpful

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  • Dan
  • 2018-01-24

A little preachy

Starts off a little preachy, but if you stick with it, it’s pretty interesting. Overall worth listening to.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2017-11-20

Spot on

I found this book very interesting and on point with my philosophy. Some very interesting confirmations and ideas from the Scandinavian countries. I don’t completely agree with everything on the education pieces, but see the author’s point of view and how it could be beneficial. Overall a great listen and worth the time.

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6 people found this helpful

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  • JED 12
  • 2019-09-18

Good, but just long

This book was great, gave me a new perspective on raising little ones and the importance of being outside, it just was long... really long and almost repetitive, but again, I did like it and enjoy the book.

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  • RabidAvid
  • 2018-02-20

Actionable information for change

The book starts slow but gains quickly. Each chapter has a single takeaway to add to a list of actions you can take at home. the book was well written and actionable.

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  • Anónima
  • 2019-01-16

Made me want to immerse myself in nature

Loved this book and what it stands for: unstructured play in nature.

I very much enjoyed how the author weaved her story together with the science that shows how much value playing outside has for a healthy (mental and physical) development.

If you also want children that will grow into active, nature-loving environmentalists, this book is for you.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Sara
  • 2018-01-25

Breath of fresh air

Loved this story! It’s refreshing to hear someone call out the helicopter parents. It’s truly no wonder that kids have self-confidence issues because parents have an incredible drive to make sure their kids “get it right”. We have become way too competitive and our kids are suffering for it. Much better to let kids explore and play, especially outdoors.

My objection to the content is the preachiness of climate change. No matter how much you want to believe that humans are parasites to the planet, the science just isn’t there. It just rubbed me the wrong way. That was only a small part of the story, though. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest.

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4 people found this helpful

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