There's No Such Thing As Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge)

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As a Brit, I took David’s expression as a gag and nothing else; slightly obnoxious, but well within the normal boundaries of gags in this day and age. It is obvious to me he would never dream of saying that to anyone except perhaps as a running joke to Norwegian friends… and I’ve never met the bloke! The thing is that Google doesn't give a lot of result, and I suspect the expression might seem invented for English speakers, and there are some other equivalents, which are preferable nowadays? Today, the phrase is used more broadly by Swedes, Norwegians and Danes to explain anything from lunchtime runs in the forest, to commuting by bike (or on cross-country skis when the snow falls) to joining friends at a lakeside sauna (often followed by a chilly dip in the water) or simply relaxing in a mountain hut. The concept is also linked closely to allmansrätten, the right to roam. Scandinavian countries all have similar laws which allow people to walk or camp practically anywhere, as long as they show respect for the surrounding nature, wildlife and locals. Don't buy one of those baby intercoms. Babies pretend to be dead. They're bastards, and they do it on purpose. Owen and Castle emphasise the importance of good preparation, learning to navigate and not being overambitious. For weather forecasts both recommend the Mountain Weather Information Service. The British Mountaineering Council runs winter skills courses that include navigation.

Young childrenlearn by doing and by having funrather than sitting up at a table with books etc. Go for a walk if you can and have fun counting how many steps between lamp posts, what numbers you can see or letters orshapes. Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time and you'll have the time of your life. Recently, I turned 60... and even more recently, I turned 62. That was a bastard, I don't even remember the 61. I never say this to my son in humor. I say it in concern and exasperation because he likes to think he can dress delicately and — for some reason — it will allow him a more pleasant and casual experience. It’s not funny to be cold and drenched in weather. I suppose I would inspire my son more kindly by smiling and inviting him to wear boots to keep his feet dry and warm? How much experience does it take to turn the light on in ones thinking? The same with the expression: You can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. My son doesn’t like going outdoors at all, I suppose, just to walk to the car. So what hope have I? of his survival in Norway? To me, there’s no answer but ……….!! ReplyIf you have time, the biggest thing you can do is read with your child or get an older sibling to, they will benefit from time reading aloud and the younger child will gain so much. When reading one to one a child gets time to look at the pictures and discover small details, they are hearing rhymingwords andunderstanding how words sound and thiswill all help them when begin to learn to read. You can point out 'their' letterwhen it appears in words and whatother names or words have that letter. In preschool it is all about giving a context tolearning - it ismore important that a child recognise their letter in lots ofdifferent placesthatthey learn to recite the alphabet without knowing what theletters actually mean. Hi Ulf, thanks for reading and for your very productive comment! Unfortunately you’ve taken the post a little too literally rather than in the gentle humour it was intended (and that everyone else seems to have grasped). I’ve lived in Norway for 4 years now, so clearly I don’t mind the weather too much 🙂 Reply I always found this saying a bit obnoxious, and couldn’t really believe others were BAD at dressing for the weather (after all, it simply makes sense) – but after not only plenty of visits to European countries in both winter and summer, not to mention living in Dublin for more than 4 months, I realized this saying is not as obnoxious as it seems, because in some countries people DO seem to struggle with dressing. I’m not going to try speaking for David here, and he’s already replied, but I found this quite interesting…! And, it would be even better if Ulf were to return and give us some more of his opinion!

When it comes to relaxation he says meditation, silent retreats and even psychedelic drugs are, within the start-up scene at least, becoming popular alternatives to more traditional outdoor pastimes.From an early age Norwegians soon learn how to dress appropriately. Grasping the concept of layering is just as important as learning to count. If Norwegians didn't go out in bad weather, in certain parts of the country they would never go out at all! (here's looking at you, Bærgen!) My own, rather brutal, initiation into winter hillwalking was in the 1980s on Kinder Scout, a Peak District hill I thought I knew well. I soon discovered that a metre of snow and a windchill factor can radically change your experience. Climbing and mountaineering instructor Henry Castle says: “Mountains are never ‘safe’ landscapes. They are hostile, with numerous hazards that can easily trip up the inexperienced adventurer.” But crisp, cold days with blue skies can, he adds, be the most memorable you will have. British humour, I think I’m right in surmising, comprises of improvised word-play (invention of new but instantly recognisable expressions), brutalist observation and extremist opinion- or scenario-making (however fantastical – pretty much like the German model – which also lends itself to surrealism), and the somewhat fatalistic dry irony (which encompasses a lot but might easily include the blunt German model and the wry Norwegian weather observation)