Necessary disclaimer: I understand and acknowledge that not every school in Sweden does things the same way. This is simply a little peek into what we have experienced. “What does your typical school day look like? What do you do?” I asked my six-year-old son. He took me over to the whiteboard where laminated words with […]
“The moon is a loyal companion.It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.Uncertain. Alone. […]
I sat down with my son, Calvin, to ask him a few questions about his new school and find out what he likes most and least about living in Sweden. His answers surprised me a bit! After we finished the Q&A, we did a fun storytelling exercise where he provided a few details like the […]
Beautiful chaos.That’s what this is.Motherhood.Fatherhood.Parenting.Messy and exhausting it’s notSupposed to be orderly.It’s not supposed to make sense. We establish routines for normalcySo the children know what to expect But in the endAnd we all follow the routines like a religion.Bath, books, bed, breakfast, drop off, work, pick up, dinner.Bath, books, bed and so on untilYears […]
By Kelsi Folsom “The practice of gratitude and fortitude will never be an unfruitful one, and is, I think, one of the greatest gifts of living abroad.” Ask anyone if they have ever heard of Saba, and most likely you will hear, “No, where is that?” To which I reply, “Well, it’s a […]
Imagine an amusement park where only kids are allowed to ride and they receive endless rides on the tea cups, carousel, and trains. Where kids drive cars, motorcycles, and tractors. All. By. Themselves. The 1980s are alive and well at Lådbilslandet—or Soap Box Car Land—an amusement park in Sweden with soap box cars, “motorcycles” (they […]
A while back, I wrote an article for ParentCo (now, Motherly) called, “5 Steps to Raising a Viking Child” and it was by far my most popular article to date. I hope it inspires more parents to take their kids outside for some adventure and fun. Here are five steps to help you raise your own little […]
“Let’s go down there and play,” my husband grabs our daughter’s hand and leads her down the bleachers of the gymnasium. Our son is playing on the other side of the gym with his classmates. I watch them as he leads her gently down the steep stairs and he instructs her to run back and […]
This article originally appeared at Motherly’s, “5 Tips For Raising A Viking Child“ that has other great articles for helping parents venture outdoors with their children. I just returned from an exhilarating dragon expedition. After picking up my children from their Swedish preschool, my son frantically dragged me to the woods they had explored earlier in […]
“Please, Lucy, Mama went to six different stores to find that costume. Can you please wear it?” My heart crushed, my ears burning, and my inner self, the mother who promised never resort to guilt-trips, is disgusted that I am practically begging my daughter to wear this ridiculous outfit. Why do I care so much that she doesn’t […]