When I became a mom in the U.S., the parenting experience was nothing like I had expected.
Most young children seemed to be either glued to a screen at home or being drilled with academics at preschool.
When I went outside for daily walks with my baby in the winter, people took pity on us and offered me rides.
Meanwhile in my native Sweden, kids gear up to go outside every day, regardless of the weather, both at home and at preschool.
Forget flash cards, wall words and kindergarten readiness â Scandinavian parents are keener to have their young children climb trees and dig for earthworms than learn academic facts.
Most Scandinavian parents are so adamant about giving their infants and toddlers fresh air every day that they let them take their naps in prams outside.
Parents report that babies take longer and deeper naps when they sleep comfortably bundled up outside in the cold, and most felt the practice was healthy because of the fresh air, according to one Finnish study. »
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