WASHINGTON — We know that the hardy souls in Sweden would laugh at our distress over this winter’s cold weather, but you may not realize just how tough they are.
The BBC reports that many Swedish parents leave their babies and toddlers out in their carriages for their midday naps in daytime temperatures below freezing.
It’s commonplace, the BBC reports: Indeed, if your child needs a nap while you’re at a friend’s house, they’re likely to offer a spot in the garden or balcony instead of a bedroom.
At one preschool outside Stockholm, Sweden, all children under age 3 take naps outside. Head teacher Brittmarie Carlzon tells the BBC that when temperatures drop to 5 degrees, “We always cover the prams with blankets.”
Some kids at the preschool spend the whole day outside, BBC reports.
Parents says they believe the practice helps the children sleep longer and better, and they think the outdoor air is healthier, too. Surveys as to whether such kids catch more colds are inconclusive.
Teachers emphasize that children must still be kept warm.
“It’s very important that the children have wool closest to their body, warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag,” Martin Jarnstrom, a preschool head teacher, says.
The Swedish, the BBC says, have a saying for the concept: “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing.”
