Well, hello there, my friends, and welcome back. My name is Stephanie Safarian, and you're listening to Episode 510 of Sustainable Minimalists. This is a listener-supported show about intentional and eco-friendly minimalist living. And on today's show, we are examining the differences between the ways in which America tends to view the natural world versus how

Nordic countries prioritize the natural world.

Waste no time syndrome is what happens when parents engineer every moment of their child's

life for productivity, for cognitive development. And here in America,

we prioritize productivity, yes, but also hitting those academic benchmarks very, very early in life,

don't we? I mean, the popularity of those baby Einstein products for actual babies really hits this point home. But not all cultures prioritize

productivity and intellectual development in the, dare I say, extreme ways that Americans do.

And Scandinavian parents tend to be a bit more free range. They focus on getting outside, especially

during childhood, because our Nordic friends believe that the natural world gives children and

adults everything we need. Now here to help me break down such major differences in cultures is author Linda McGurk.

She is the author of many books, many popular books you've likely heard of them, including

There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather, a Scandinavian mom's secrets for raising healthy, resilient, and confident kids. She's also the author of

The Open Air Life, Discover the Nordic Art of Frulishleve. Today we are talking about nature

and its countless positive effects on child development, yes, but please know for the

non-parents listening, there's plenty

of goodness for adults as well. And quick word before we get into it. After listening today,

if you learned something, if you gained a takeaway that you can use in your own life to enrich

your life, please consider supporting this work for just $5 a month, either via

substack or Apple Podcasts. The links are in the show notes. I cannot continue. I just cannot

continue without your support. Thank you so much for considering. Linda, so thrilled to have you on the show. How are you?

I am great. How are you? I'm great. Thank you for asking. I'm really excited to talk to you about

the outdoors, making our lives, making our children's lives more open air to use a phrase that you use. But before we do

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