Linda Åkeson McGurk - Rain or Shine Mamma
Muddy, Happy, Healthy
Who: Linda Åkeson McGurk
Current Gig: Journalist, blogger, author and advocate for all-weather play
Location: Splits time between Sweden and Indiana
Favorite way to relax: Walking in the forest
One of the fundamental parts of living Nordic is spending a great deal of time outdoors and connecting with nature. In the North, where winters are long and summers short, people have learned to embrace each season and children are encouraged to play outside in any weather, all year round.
We had an inspiring chat with Linda Åkeson McGurk, a Swedish American journalist, blogger, and author of the parenting memoir There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge), about the benefits of all-weather play.
Linda is a fierce advocate for the Nordic outdoor tradition and believes that the best childhood memories are created outside, while jumping in puddles, digging in dirt, catching bugs and climbing trees. In 2013, she started the blog Rain or Shine Mamma to chronicle the adventures of her own two wildlings and to inspire other parents and caregivers to get outside with their children every day, regardless of the weather.
Linda shares her best tips on how to adopt the principles of an outdoor lifestyle – what the Scandinavians call friluftsliv - at home regardless of where you live.
LN: “There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes", exemplifies the Nordic understanding about the value of spending time outdoors, regardless of the weather. What do you think the tipping point will be for a more widespread understanding of the value of all weather play for children?
LM: I think there’s a lot of momentum for the movement to get kids back outside right now, so these are exciting times for sure. Just ten years ago, when I had my first daughter, “forest school” – a preschool where kids spend most or all of the day learning outside, all year round – was an unknown concept in the US. It’s still not exactly a household term, but the number of forest schools have grown from just one in 2006 to several hundred today.
Even though far from everyone has the opportunity to enroll their child in a forest school at this point, I think the growth of this type of early childhood education will go a long way toward normalizing all-weather play for children. When people see these happy, healthy, muddy forest school kids playing in nature, I think they realize on a very intuitive level that this is what young kids should be doing, not spend their days sitting at desks and filling out worksheets. And for the skeptics, there’s fortunately a lot of research being published about the benefits of outdoor play that backs up the notion that being outside every day, rain or shine, is good for kids.
"Being outside every day, rain or shine, is good for kids."
LN: What role, if any, do you see the rise of technology playing in advancing our understanding of the value of outdoor play? Have you seen any apps or technology that promote outdoor play?
LM: I think technology gives us many wonderful tools to promote and learn more about outdoor play – just look at all the grassroots outdoor organizations that are connecting and inspiring parents online today. Most of them wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the internet and social media. Having said that, I also think excessive technology use among kids is one of the biggest and most common challenges for parents today, and we know that there’s a gross imbalance between time spent in front of screens and time spent playing outside.
"Even very young kids now use electronic media frequently. -- I think that makes it harder for them to appreciate the slow entertainment offered by nature."
Even very young kids now use electronic media frequently and get hooked on instant gratification and constantly being entertained, and I think that makes it harder for them to appreciate the “slow entertainment” offered by nature. I’ve seen many kids even lose their sense of wonder. That’s just one of the reasons why I lean toward delaying screen time for younger children and restricting it for the older ones.
I know there are apps that are meant to entice kids to go outside and explore, but the issue that I’ve run into when I’ve tried a few of them, is that the kids become more interested in the screen than what’s going on around them. When that happens, the screen becomes a barrier to rather than a facilitator of nature connection. But to each their own, and for kids who are not used to playing in nature, a mobile app may bridge the gap.
"I think there’s a lot of momentum for the movement to get kids back outside right now, so these are exciting times for sure."
LN: Nordic societies provide infrastructure that encourages children’s independence at young age and all-weather play is a norm at schools and daycare centers. What practical advice can you give to parents who want to follow the Nordic philosophy of giving children more freedom to play outside on their own and take risks, but find it challenging due to limited access to green areas, a lack of safe bike/walking routes to school or a wide variety of other reasons?
LM: Parents in the Nordic countries are very lucky insofar that outdoor play is supported on so many levels of society, but I think it’s possible to adopt the principles of an outdoor lifestyle – what the Scandinavians call friluftsliv - at home regardless of where you live. The key is in committing to getting outdoors daily, to make it part of your family rhythm. If you have a backyard, great! That’s an entire world of wonder for little kids and a great place for them to start exploring. And by all means, invite the neighbors’ kids!
"Children need risk in order to grow."
I think one of the reasons people are afraid to let their kids out today is a lack of social trust and you can help fix that by getting to know the people in your community. Even if you don’t have a backyard, get outside in your neighborhood and come back to the same places often, to give your child a chance to develop a sense of place. Challenge yourself to gradually give your child more and more freedom to take risks and explore without supervision.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture of fear – fear that our kids will get abducted, hurt themselves, fall behind at school, and all these fears are taking a toll on outdoor play. Some fears are more justified than others, but that doesn’t change the fact that children need risk in order to grow. Some of the biggest health challenges facing children right now are obesity, diabetes, ADHD, anxiety and depression. Outdoor play can help prevent and reduce the symptoms of all of those, so the biggest risk of all may very well be sitting on the couch.
But even though creating a culture of friluftsliv starts at home, it shouldn’t end there. For those who live in places where green-spaces, sidewalks and bike routes are scarce, get involved in your community and advocate for a change. There are no quick fixes, but you’ve got to start somewhere and there are many inspirational examples out there of communities where small changes have made a big difference.
“...obesity, diabetes, ADHD, anxiety and depression. Outdoor play can help prevent and reduce the symptoms of all of those.”
LN: What are you working on now?
LM: My book There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather was just published in Poland, so I’m anticipating some media appearances there in the near future. Publishers in Turkey and Vietnam have bought the rights for it as well, so that’s coming up next. Meanwhile in the US, the paperback version of the book is coming out at the start of October. It’s so exciting to see the message of the book spread to different countries and to see progress, even if it’s slow at times. I also have several events planned in Chicago, New Jersey and New York City at the end of October. (Check out my Facebook page Rain or Shine Mamma for details.) My plan is to keep inspiring, educating and advocating through public speaking, my blog and social media – it’s my calling.
“The key is in committing to getting outdoors daily, to make it part of your family rhythm.”
Linda is touring the US in October
Linda has several events planned in Chicago, New Jersey and New York at the end of October. Check out her Facebook page Rain or Shine Mamma for details.
Go To Linda's Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/rainorshinemamma/
